The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
Series: The Gospel of the Kingdom
Speaker: Lead Pastor Dustin Aguilar
Scriptures: Matthew 13:31-35 | Ezekiel 31:6 | Daniel 4:12 | Ezekiel 17:23 | Revelations 18 | 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 | Matthew 16:6-12
What We Believe:
Introduction
If Christianity is true, why is there so much spread of other religions in the world? The parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven in Matthew 13:31–35 shed light on this question with a message that is both encouraging and challenging.
Scriptural Context: Jesus tells the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven through parables. In Matthew 13, these two parables follow the Parable of the Sower and precede Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Weeds. Jesus does not explain these two parables directly.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Parable of the Mustard Seed presents three main issues for interpretation.
Issue 1: Jesus says the mustard seed is “the smallest of all seeds” (v. 32a). Yet we know today that smaller seeds exist, such as the poppy seed.
Clarity: Jesus is speaking of seeds sown at the time. He also uses a common expression meaning the smallest unit of measurement for legal purposes.
Issue 2: Jesus says the mustard seed “becomes a tree” (v. 32). The mustard seed is a tall plant, but it is not actually a tree. It is a 9- to 10-foot-tall plant with yellow flowers. There is a mustard tree, but it was named after the fact.
Clarity: Earlier, Jesus says, “it is larger than all garden plants” (v. 32). Now, He extends the metaphor with a spiritual word picture His Jewish audience would have known. A tree with birds in its branches is prophetic language about a strong kingdom with many inhabitants.
Issue 3: The issue with us. Today, we tend to hear this parable as a Christian pep talk. Our culture says we can do all things if we only look inside ourselves. The question is, did the disciples hear this as a pep talk?
Clarity: Understood in its scriptural context (together with the Parable of the Leaven and the Parable of the Weeds), it is actually a challenge and a rebuke.
The Parable of the Leaven
In the Parable of the Leaven, the woman is commonly thought to represent the Church, and the leaven symbolizes the positive, hidden growth of the Kingdom of Heaven.
However, a strong case can be made that leaven actually represents the hidden, corrupting growth of false teaching or good teaching with bad actions. It only takes a little bit of bad teaching to corrupt.
Jesus’ Jewish audience knew that leaven had to be eradicated before they could celebrate Passover.
Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus equates leaven with hypocrisy, malice, and evil. Jesus Himself warns, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt. 16:6).
Conclusion
Jesus does not clearly explain the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven, but He does explain the Parable of the Weeds. It seems right, then, to interpret the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven through the lens of the Parable of the Weeds.
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven are contrasting parables. The Mustard Seed reflects the sowing of good seeds, while the Leaven represents the sowing of bad seeds.
The parables of the Weeds, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven are warnings about good and evil growing together until the end.
How to Obey:
Don't focus only on the evil headlines. There are also many wonderful testimonies of the Kingdom of Heaven advancing on earth.
Hold on to the hope that people currently living in sin can be adopted into the family of God.
Know that the Gospel is for everyone, including classmates, workmates, and family. These parables exhort us to sow seeds among them. The seeds may be small, but we must sow them and trust God with the rest.
How to Walk Intimately with God:
Lean into conviction (particularly of disdain for others) by confessing your sins.
Do the work of an evangelist.
Pray for persecuted Christians all over the world.