Parables of the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven – Matthew 13. 24 - 33

• Healthy growth? The parable of the wheat and tares (vv. 24 – 30), together with how the Lord explained it to his disciples (vv. 36 – 43)

• Great growth? The parable of the mustard seed (vv. 31-32)

• Extensive growth? The parable of the leaven (v. 33)

Healthy growth? The wheat and tares (vv. 24 – 30 and vv. 36 – 43)

• The purposes of Jesus´parables.

• Story and explanation are complete in themselves but interrelated.

• Which side you´re on spiritually is implied in vv. 37 – 38 in those who are good seed=sons of the kingdom / bad seed=sons of the wicked one. Leads back to the question “Where do you get your spiritual life from?”

How does the owner/ Son of Man deal with look alike growth?

1. Others can recognise that all is not well. But the owner recognises the source of the trouble (v. 28), just as the Son of Man judges who the real enemy is (v. 39).

2. The owner commands and counsels patience (v. 29) because heavyhandedness can do harm to genuine growth.

3. At the harvest, the final separation of good from bad will come, with two very different destinations ( v. 30).

Great growth? The parable of the mustard seed (vv. 31-32)

The contrast. Seed to tree

1. The apparently insignificant becomes a noticeable feature of the field.

2. “the birds of the air”.

As symbols in the Bible, good press/ bad press.

The kingdom of God evident in the world (v. 38) shelters all types. A warning to not judge by religious appearances?

Extensive growth? The parable of the leaven (v. 33)

Leaven/ yeast = unseen influence. Could be good, as in this case.

How far does the influence of the Kingdom go? The womans´ action is deliberate and patient.

The nature of the leaven is to spread.

The challenge is whether we recognise and rejoice, or reject it.

Summing up

1. The Kingdom of God is about letting God be the owner/decision maker in our life. We will produce a harvest, despite apparent confusion with look alike growths.

2. The Kingdom of God is not always big scale, but its useful and influential.

3. The Son of Man decides who´s who, but he let´s us know what is good (v. 41), what is unacceptable and how he´s going to deal with our different decisions about the kingdom, which His cross came to establish (vv. 42 – 43).