The twentieth saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas is one that is familiar to Christians who have read the canonical gospels. It is known as the parable of the Mustard Seed. Thomas’ version goes like this:

The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of Heaven is like." He said to them, "It's like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of heaven."

At first hearing it may sound identical to the New Testament parable. But listen again. Here is the version found in the Gospel of Luke. Pay attention to the differences.

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

They sound similar, but the small differences make a big difference. Let’s look at the differences and what they teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven, which is Jesus’ term for Divine Awareness.

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https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Today I am looking at the nineteenth saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "Blessed is he who came into being before he came into being. If you become my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will minister to you. For there are five trees in paradise for you. Summer or winter they do not change and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death."

This saying naturally breaks down into the segments. First is a beatitude. Then there is the statement about the stones. And third is the enigmatic saying about the Trees of Paradise. All three have echoes in the canonical gospels. Once again the Gospel of Thomas gives us new insights into the New Testament sayings.

View Marshall's books here:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

In this episode we look at the 18th saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. “The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Tell us how our end will be.’ Jesus said, ‘Have you discovered the beginning, that you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Blessed is he who will take his place in the beginning; he will know the end and will not experience death.’"

View Marshall's books here:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU