Matthew 13:31-35


Jesus has given us a parable describing the spread of the gospel and now He gives us a parable regarding the Kingdom of Heaven. So he uses two different parables to teach the same lesson. He says that the kingdom of heaven is like the mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds.


First, we have to clear this up. There are some rather ignorant individuals who use this verse to prove to themselves that the Bible is not inerrant because the smallest seed belongs to an orchid, not a mustard seed. They then puff themselves up to a level of importance they bldon't actually possess. See? They say, Jesus incorrectly named the wrong seed as the smallest so they conclude the Bible can't be 100% true. Understand that there wasn't a person present during this discourse who had even seen this orchid which by the way was not indigenous to that geographic area.


Jesus told them, of all the seeds you are familiar with, the kingdom of God is most like the mustard seed, which though small, is capable of growing into a massive tree and becoming a home for many birds of the air.


This small thing will grow to contain the population of the world. That's part of the message. Next, Jesus uses the concept of leaven in relation to the kingdom. He says a small measure of leaven in a large lump of dough grows to affect the entire loaf. The small measure of truth in a message can expand to be Included in the totality of the dough.


The gospel is of such a nature that it will expand to be a home for all people's. And it will grow to include all of those who want to make their home with Him. Those who refuse to understand scripture will continue to distort His word in these passages and elsewhere.


One lesson to take from this is that the default setting of God's kingdom is one of growth. It is meant to expand worldwide, and the influence of the gospel is meant to spread throughout the other areas of their lives. This is one area where leaven is used in a positive sense.


For passover, the leaven represents sin and must be removed thoroughly from the house before the meal begins. And while it doesn't represent sin here, the concept of a tiny portion affecting a large area or volume of material over time is clearly present.


And Matthew is sure to Include the old testament prophecy to again back up his assertion that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews have been waiting for. That eschatological lesson that everyone interprets wrong has been mentioned and is coming again. Stay tuned.




[31] He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; [32] and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fully grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” [33] He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.” [34] All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak anything to them without a parable. [35] This was so that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will proclaim things hidden since the foundation of the world.”