We are on the topic of the parables of Jesus.

Today we will be talking about the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Turn to Matthew 13:31-35 …Mark 4:30-32, and Luke 13:18-19,

In the first two parables Jesus gave an explanation to His disciples but He doesn’t explain the parables we are studying this morning.

Matthew 13:31-35 ESV this morning

(31) “He put another parable before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. (32) It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’

(33) He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.’

(34) All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. (35) This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.’” (THIS IS GOD WORD)

Biblical scholars interpret these two parables about the mustard seed and leaven (yeast), in two contrasting ways. We would like to give you both sides from experts in biblical expository research, but first let’s do some review on what we already know.

(24) “Jesus told them another parable: ’The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. (25) But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. (26) When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
(27) The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
(28) ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
(29) ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. (30) Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Matthew 13:18-23

(18) Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: (19) When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. (20) The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. (21) But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (22) The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. (23) But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

This is God’s word.

Quick review, what is a parable? It is the comparison of two subjects for the purpose of teaching. It proceeds from a known truth to add meaning to something unknown. It is an everyday story that “comes alongside” something not known or difficult to understand. It is, similar to what the Hebrews called a mashal, ‘a riddle’. Jesus used parables as a means to teach truths that were not evident to hearers. The parable of the sower describes even though the Kingdom of God is available to everyone, not everyone chooses to enter in. It is an example of why the gospel falls on deaf ears, is turned down, and not worth the struggle or hardship of the journey to abundant life, a fruit-bearing purposeful life.