Matthew 13:31-33Page 826 in Pew Bibles

31. He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.

32. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

33. He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

THE QUESTIONS

The Questions

• A previous question: If the kingdom of heaven has arrived, why has it not triumphed more overtly and visibly? (New American Commentary)

• Why is Christianity so unpopular?• Why are Christians so unpopular?• Why do so many churches struggle?

. >

Small Beginnings

• Vs. 31-32 “He presented another parable to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds…”

Pic >

Examples of Small Beginnings

• New Sunday School classes• New ministries in the church• New church plants• Small beginnings are all work and no

glory

>

Big Things Come Outof Small Beginnings

• Vs. 32 “It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

Pic >

Black mustardGrows up to 15 feet tall

and grows fast Pic >

ESV Study Bible• On Luke 13:19: The Jews expected the

kingdom to come with apocalyptic power, bringing God’s judgment on all evil, and hence Jesus’ teaching that it would arrive in such an “insignificant” way was surprising.

• On this passage: Israel was not prepared for an insignificant beginning to the kingdom of God, so this image would have shocked the listeners.

>

Lessons from Mustard• No matter what it looks like now, the

Kingdom of God will prevail• To align ourselves with what God is doing,

we have to embrace small beginnings• We shouldn’t cling to the glory days of the

past when we should begin today’s new work

• William Hendriksen: “Have patience, exercise faith, keep on praying, and keep on working. God’s program cannot fail.”

. >

The Parable of the Leaven

• Vs. 33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

>

Sour dough yeast

The Principle of Permeation

• Vs. 33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

• Kneading: Literally, “hid in it”

>

Kneading

The Principle of Permeation

• Vs. 33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds of flour until it spread through all of it.”

• Fermenting, acidic, decayative

>

Why Some Believe Leaven Represents Evil in the Kingdom

• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 “…Don’t you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch, since you are unleavened… Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old yeast, or with the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” >

Why Some Believe Leaven Represents Evil in the Kingdom

• Matthew 16:6, 12 “Then Jesus told them, “Watch out and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

• 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

>

Why Some Are Wrong

• One thing can be compared to good things and to bad things– Jesus: Lion of Judah– Devil: Walks about like a roaring lion

• In the OT Leavened Bread was offered to the Lord (Lev 7:13–14)

• Vs. 33 “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast…”

>

Permeation & Transformation

• The leaven not only permeates the bread, but changes it from the inside

>

Lessons from the Leaven

• ESV Study Bible: “The kingdom is indeed fully active though not fully visible to the world…”

• “…because it begins with an inner transformation.”

• When God wants to use you to bless to others, He starts inside of you– Enough bread in parable to feed 100

. .