“THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN”
LUKE 13:18-21
So He was saying," What is the
kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?" It is like a mustard
seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a
tree and the birds of the air nested in its branches.
And again He said, "To what shall
I compare the kingdom of God?" "It is like leaven, which a woman took
and hid it in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened."
INTRODUCTION
Sir Michael Costa was conducting a
rehearsal in which the orchestra was joined by a great chorus. About halfway
through the session, with trumpets blaring, drums rolling, and violins singing
their rich melody, the piccolo player muttered to himself, “What good am I
doing? I might as well not be playing. Nobody can hear me anyway.” So he placed
his instrument to his lips but made no sound. Within moments the conductor
cried, “Stop! Stop! Where is the piccolo?”
Perhaps many people did not realize
that the piccolo was missing, but the most important one did. So it is in the
Christian life. God knows when we do not play the part assigned to us, even if
others do not.
I. A SMALL
BEGINNING OF THE KINGDOM VV. 18-19A
A single parable cannot completely describe the
Kingdom of God in all its aspects, so Jesus gave several to help His audience
to capture the scope and impact of the kingdom. Through this parable, Jesus
explained that His kingdom would have a small beginning. Indeed, the kingdom
began with Jesus alone and, upon His ascension, was left in the care of twelve
apostles and just a few hundred other followers. Jesus compared the beginning
of the kingdom to the mustard seed,
which was the smallest seed the
farmer used. The mustard seed was so small that it would take almost twenty
thousand seeds to make an ounce. Modern critics have pointed out that the
mustard seed is not the smallest
seed, and they used this to argue against the accuracy of the Bible. Jesus was
not making a scientific statement. He is not speaking in absolute terms as a
biologist but in the frame of normal
experience in Jewish agriculture. Mustard seeds were the smallest seeds
commonly planted in Palestinian fields. Though the mustard seed is not the
smallest in all of creation, it was used in rabbinic proverb to designate the
smallest of things. No other seed so small produced such a large plant. During
the fall, when its branches have become rigid, birds of many kinds find there a
shelter from the storm, rest from weariness, and shade from the heat of the
sun.
From this tiny seed would grow a large
shrub—the largest shrub among all the herbs that the farmer would plant in his
garden. A mustard shrub could grow ten to twelve feet in just a few weeks.
While that is not technically a tree, Jesus used hyperbole to stress both the
insignificance (“smallest”) and magnificence of the kingdom. This is the point
Jesus is making: just as a tiny seed will grow into the largest of garden plants, so God’s kingdom would produce many
people who truly believe. What may not look like much to the world will in
fact, fulfill all God’s promises. From this small start the kingdom will grow
into such greatness that when Christ returns, it will take over the entire
earth. Jesus is emphasizing the future greatness of the kingdom, which then
seemed insignificant. He also showed that the kingdom had small beginnings but
would grow and produce great results. Jesus is saying, what seems insignificant
in its beginning will yield great results in the future when it grows.
II. A
SIGNIFICANT RESULT OF THE KINGDOM V. 19B
When Jesus was arrested and hurriedly
and unjustly tried and crucified, everyone in Israel, including the disciples
thought that the kingdom of God had been destroyed. In fact, this
disappointment was the topic of discussion on the Road to Emmaus after Jesus’ resurrection.
Peter and others felt that their dream and the realization of the kingdom have
been shattered. Therefore, they even decided to go back fishing. The religious
authorities of Israel felt that they had halted Jesus’ so-called kingdom on
earth. However, the death of Jesus was the event that would catapult the
kingdom of God into prominence on earth.
Jesus’ mention of the birds of the air added color to His
parable or described the size of this shrub. For the disciples, and for us,
this parable means that size or relative power does not indicate final results.
The disciples needed to understand that while their mission sometimes seemed
unattainable and even unproductive, God’s kingdom would take root and grow
across the world and through the years. The kingdom would come not through
political coup. The kingdom would come not through legislation, massive
demonstrations, or political campaigns. The kingdom would grow steadily in
people’s hearts, making a difference in people’s lives and preparing them for
life to come in God’s eternal kingdom.
Let me make
a clarification here. The local church or even the universal church is not
synonymous with the kingdom of God. Nevertheless the church is a very
significant and intricate part of the kingdom of God. As a matter of fact,
Jesus through the indwelling person of the Holy Spirit is using the church to
bring about the consummation of the kingdom of God. The church has played and
continues to play an important role in the advancement of the kingdom of God.
The church has always experienced challenges since its inception on the Day of
Pentecost. The Sanhedrin had intended to stamp out the church from its cradle
after Pentecost, but it failed. The church is still marching on. Sects and
ideologies almost always seem stronger than the church. Sects, cults, and
ideologies fly; the church limps. Sects, cults, and ideologies die; the church
limps on. Stay with the church of Jesus Christ. Imperial worship attempted to
destroy the church during the reign of some of the Roman Emperors; today the
Roman Empire is history but the church is thriving all over the world. Karl
Marx ridiculed the Bible and called Christianity and the belief in God a crutch
for weak people. Karl Marx is dead and long gone and his Marxist ideology has
failed, but Christianity is thriving and the Bible is the number best seller in
the world. Jesus Christ inaugurated His Kingdom not just to dwell side-by-side
with the kingdoms of the world but that the Kingdom of Christ has come to take
over and is taking over. Glory be to God. The mustard seed, which is the
smallest seed, has become a mighty tree. Christ’s rule of grace, no matter how
despised and seemingly insignificant at first, is bound to go forward,
“conquering and to conquer.” “From victory unto victory His army He shall
lead.”
According to those who first heard it,
this parable was saying, “Have patience, exercise faith, keep on praying, and
keep on working. God’s program cannot fail.” It is saying the same thing to you
and me who have entered the kingdom by His grace. Only it is saying it today
with greater force, because the parable is really a prophecy and this prophecy
is being fulfilled. The truth of the matter is that no man or woman can work
his/her way into the kingdom. You have to enter in relationship with the King
before you can be a part of the kingdom. Therefore, merely joining a church
does not make you a son or daughter of the kingdom but giving your life to
Jesus Christ does.
III.
A SATURATING NATURE OF THE KINGDOM V. 20
The next parable will make sense to those of you who
know how to make bread and other pastries. The tiny amount of yeast a bread
maker mixes into a large batch of dough causes the whole loaf to rise. The
general thrust of this parable is the same as that of the mustard seed. The
kingdom produces ultimate consequences out of all proportion to its
insignificant beginnings. If there is a distinction between this parable and
the parable of the mustard seed, it is that the mustard seed suggests extensive
growth and the yeast intensive transformation. The point of the parable is that
yeast once inserted continues its process of fermentation until the whole batch
has risen. The yeast suggests a remarkable pervasiveness of a small agent.
In other Bible passages, yeast or leaven is used as a symbol of evil (Matt. 16:6). However, here it
is a positive symbol of growth (e.g. Lev. 7:13-14; 23:17). Like the parable of
the mustard seed, this parable stresses small beginnings with great growth.
While the seed grows, however, the yeast (or leaven) permeates and transforms;
thus we see another aspect of the kingdom. Although yeast looks like a minor
ingredient, it permeates the whole loaf. Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God
without display or pomp; its silent, secret character must have surprised those
who were zealously impatient for its expected manifestation in power and glory.
Although the kingdom had small
beginnings, it would grow to have a great impact on the world. What the Jews
saw as insignificant, the man Jesus and His little band of followers was
actually the start of a great and world-changing event. Like leaven working its
way through the dough, the kingdom message would spread across the entire
world. Today, if you are genuinely born again; if you have indeed received
Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, you belong to the kingdom of
God.
If Peter, John, James, and the rest of
the disciples were here to witness the impact of what Christ empowered them to
begin, they would be surprised and grateful to Him for what He is doing in the
present world. They would have known that their labors in and for Christ were
not in vain.
Sometimes when you read newspapers,
listen to the news on TV and Radio, and you see all the bad things that are
happening in the world, it seems to you that Christ has failed. However, before
you jump to such conclusion and throw in the towel, wait a minute because the
whole truth is not being told. These news media will not tell you the thousands
of people that are being saved everyday. The media will not cover those who
have given up their idols to serve Jesus Christ. The news media will not print
in the front page prostitutes and gangsters who are coming to Jesus Christ in
great numbers. The media will not tell you what Christ is doing in Eastern Europe,
Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Kingdom of God is taking over the control
of the kingdoms of this present world. That is why the Muslims are angry; that
is why the “Gay people are mad; that is why the Hindus and other religious
sects are upset.” They are upset because the kingdom of God is moving like a
flood.
Do not be fooled into thinking that
wealth, prestige, and huge donor base are typical for God’s church. The
movement Jesus started and His followers continue today more often has a humble
look to it—not very impressive at all, by modern standards. But the church
endures while other movements disappear, and it grows while others crest and
fall.
The church is thriving and the kingdom
of God is spreading because their source of power and purpose is supernatural.
The question I have for you is this: Are you a part of this kingdom? Do you
belong to this kingdom? What role do you play in this kingdom? What
contribution do you make towards this kingdom? What investment are you making
in this kingdom? As the kingdom is growing outwardly, it is also spreading
internally in the believer’s soul. Are you allowing Christ to saturate His
kingdom work in your life? Are you on daily basis becoming more conformed to
the image of Christ? Are you renewing your mind daily and not be conformed to
this world? When the kingdom has done its internal work in your life, you
cannot help but allow the Spirit of God to use you to share the kingdom’s
gospel with others who are yet to hear it. This is the final question to you.
“Have you allowed the kingdom; that is the rule of Christ to permeate your
heart and life? If you are not sure we can help you to be absolutely sure
today. First, acknowledge that you are a sinner and cannot save yourself.
Second, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Finally, confess your
sins to Him and confess Him as the Lord of your life. If you have taken these
simple steps then, you are welcome into the kingdom of God.
