Parables Of The Kingdom, 13:1-39

(Ordinary 17a; All Saints)

Mat 13:31-32; Mar 4:30-32; Lu 13:18-19, 20-21

Theme: the churches growth (appreciating small beginnings) and influence

In chapter 13 of Matthew, the multitudes had come to hear Jesus teach and he taught them with 13 parables regarding his kingdom. Each parable was an explanation of the unknown by the known and conveyed a single main idea. Some attempt to explain the meanings of them by symbolizing everything in each parable, which only leads to the wrong conclusion. Jesus taught the parable of the four soils (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23) and the wheat and tares, 13:24-30, 36-39. Inserted between those two parables were two other parables: The Parable Of The Mustard Seed (13:31-32), which described the growth of the kingdom, and The Parable Of The Leaven (13:33) which described the influence of the kingdom on others.

I. SMALL BEGINNINGS, BIG EFFECTS, 13:31-32

A. ... The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed ..., 13:31.

31 Another <243> parable <3850> [set before ASV] put he forth <3908> (5656) unto them <846>, saying <3004> (5723), The kingdom <932> of heaven <3772> is <2076> (5748) like <3664> [unto ASV] to a grain <2848> of mustard seed <4615>, which <3739> a man <444> took <2983> (5631), and sowed <4687> (5656) in <1722> his <846> field <68>:

1. With the first and second parables Jesus taught in chapter 13, his disciples may have been discouraged.

a. They were told in "The Parable Of The Sower", only one in four would be truly receptive to the word of God and in "The Parable Of The Wheat And Tares", they learned that Satan would be doing his best to undermine the efforts of the sower.

(1) Who were they to overcome such great obstacles.

(2) Their little band was so small, how could they ever hope to change it something as huge as world?

b. The thought of small verses big probably discouraged them as some today who flee the truth taught in the church for the error of the larger denominations and what they provide.

2. In our society we are taught very early to think of things in terms of big: big business; a big job, big salary, big recognition, big ....

3. Jesus often spoke of the importance of little things: the tongue, a sparrow, a blade of grass, a mustard seed.

a. Small things can and often should also have as much importance.

b. Children are a very good example.

c. Like children, the mustard seed starts out small and grows into something large. That was the purpose of Jesus using the mustard seen as an illustration.

4. Jesus used the mustard seed on another occasion to describe one's faith (Matt. 17:2.) but on the occasion he spoke of it in our text, Jesus was describing the growth of the kingdom.

a. Among seeds sown in a gardens in Palestine the mustard seed (not the smallest in the world -the seed of the cypress tree is smaller) was proverbial for smallness. Beginning as a small seed, it grows into a plant that reaches ten, sometimes fifteen feet in height.. In the fall of the year, the plant’s branches become rigid enough to serve as a shelter for the birds.

b. The idea is that as the mustard plant has a small beginning but then becomes great so even the kingdom of heaven with only a fourth in receptivity, will become great in size.

c. In the interpretation Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, Daniel described the kingdom as beginning with just a stone (Da 2:34) but one which would break all kingdoms and consume them (Da 2:44-45).

d. The fulfillment of the parable was evident in the first century A.D., Acts 1:12-15

(1) The 120 disciples (Ac 1:15) grew to over 3000 just in one day, 2:41-42, 47.

(a) It was soon to over 5000, Ac 4:4.

(b) The number of the disciples continued to multiply, Ac 5:14:

i) in Jerusalem so much so that they were said to have filled Jerusalem, Ac 5:28; 6:7; 21:20.

ii) Throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, Ac 9:31.

iii) eventually they went to all of the known world, Ac 11:23-24; 16:5; 19:20; Ro 10:18; Co 1:23

e. The reason was obvious for the growth, every where they went they preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, no doubt in the lives, but definitely from their mouths, 8:4

(1) More than a century ago, someone once proposed building a bridge across the Niagara to save miles of travel and solve many problems. But how were they to begin? The canyon walls were too steep, and the rapids were too wild to get that first strand across from cliff to cliff. Someone else proposed an offer of a ten dollar prize to the child who could fly a kite from one side to the other. That's how the first string got across. It was then attached to larger string which in turn was connected to a slender cable. The slender cable was connected to the strong cable that made the entire construction possible. So the next time you have a great problem remember a solution might be to go fly a kite.

(2) When the project was first announced, the critics laughed at the project. When they heard that a "kite was going to solve the problem," the sophisticated engineers had a field day. Well, history had the last laugh. One young boy, Homan Walsh, flew the first string across the chasm with his kite in 1848. He succeeded and the process worked just as it was envisioned. The boy collected his ten dollars; the great suspension bridge was started with a single string. ^[1]

f. Often with our minds filled with dissatisfaction, we focus on a large congregation, and not where we are presently.

(1) We have to start somewhere.

(2) Moving further takes a lot effort on the part of each of us.

g. The church is still a vital force in the world as God’s missionary agency, Ep 3:21.

h. The gospel is still the message, Joh 6:44-45.

i. Evangelizing our communities is still God’s program, Re 22:17.

j. Jesus began his kingdom and beginning with a handful of ordinary men of little power, popularity or prestige, the kingdom began to grow. Through persecution and persistence, the gospel message was preached, Mat 28:19; Ro 10:18; Ac 17:6; Co 1:23.

k. That message was passed on to other who were able to pass it on still further ( ) and so we have it today.

l. Though the kingdom may have had what seemed a small beginning, its growth, influence and impact have been phenomenal.

m. The same can continue in our communities if we are willing to face the struggles together, each of us and to put in the needed effort.

5. Notice what the man did with the mustard seed.

a. The life to grow is in the seed but it has to be planted, watered.

(1) That is where each of us has our part.

(2) We need to plant and water the seed if we want it to grow, cp. Mar 4:26-29.

(3) There is no way to eliminate our person part in the growth of the congregation.

B. ... when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs ..., 13:32.

32 [which ASV] Which <3739> indeed <3303> is <2076> (5748) [less than ASV] the least <3398> of all <3956> seeds <4690>: but <1161> when <3752> it is grown <837> (5686), it is <2076> (5748) [greater than the ASV] the greatest <3187> among herbs <3001>, and <2532> becometh <1096> (5736) a tree <1186>, so that <5620> the birds <4071> of the [heaven ASV] air <3772> come <2064> (5629) and <2532> lodge <2681> (5721) in <1722> the branches <2798> thereof <846>.

1. The kingdom of heaven continues to grow and spread out is branches to whosoever will come.

2. Jesus certain offered rest for weary souls, cp. Mat 11:28-30; cp. Ro 14:17.

a. If you haven’t started the walk yet, will you come?

b. If you have started the walk but have strayed to a different road, will you return?

c. Will you do it today?

Transition: the parable of the Mustard Seed depicted the remarkable growth of the kingdom, despite humble beginnings. The parable of the Leaven depicts the kingdom’s influence which results in the growth.

II. SMALL EFFORT, BIG EFFECTS, 13:33.

A. ... The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven ..., 13:33.

33 Another <243> parable <3850> spake he <2980> (5656) unto them <846>; The kingdom <932> of heaven <3772> is <2076> (5748) like <3664> unto leaven <2219>, which <3739> a woman <1135> took <2983> (5631), and hid <1470> (5656) in <1519> three <5140> measures <4568> of meal <224>, till <2193> [it was all ASV] the whole <3650> was <3739> leavened <2220> (5681).

1. Leaven was a small portion of fermented dough used to ferment other dough, much as in making sour dough bread.

a. Once inserted into a batch of dough, the leaven continues its process of fermentation until the whole batch has risen.

b. The same idea could have just as easily been conveyed for today with a Parable of the Bread Yeast.

c. The Bible does convey the idea of what leaven does using negative ideas:

(1) Jesus warned of "the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees", which included their teaching and hypocrisy, cf. Mat 16:5-12; Lu 12:1

(2) Paul wrote of the danger of how "a little leaven leavens the whole lump", as he addressed the need to withdraw from the ungodly brethren, 1Co 5:1-13.

(3) It this parable Jesus is using leaven positively to convey a good idea of influence.

(4) A gradual but undeniable influence.

d. Jesus was speaking of the impact that the church and the teaching of the gospel should have upon the world as a whole.

e. For the leaven parable to have its application in us, we must use our lives, our speech, our actions and our thoughts, to lead people to Christ, cp. 1Pe 3:15.

(1) Do you realize the cumulative effect we could have in our communities, each of us working together to doing our personal part?

(2) If each of us committed ourselves to trying to lead just one person a year, to the Lord, teaching those converts to do the same, from just a congregation of 20 people starting, at the end of the:

(a) first year there would be 40 people

(b) second year there would be 80 people

(d) forth year their would be 320

(e) fifth year their would be 640

(f) tenth year their would be 20,480

(g) twenty-fifth their would be 1,342,177,280

(h) If only half a fourth of those people remained faithful at the end of the fifth year there would still be 160 people and if half moved away their would still be 80. Given the same rate of decline, for the tenth year, at the end of it, their would still be 2560. Let’s just say only half of us each year manage to lead a person to the Lord, though we actively try, and still one only quarter of those remain faithful with half of those left, moving away. That is still 447 people remaining at the end of 13 years. That is 447 people at the end of 13 years with just about the worst case scenario.

(i) “Impossible,” you may say! Not at all. All it takes is for each person to bring one soul to Christ each and every year! That is not a big task to work towards each year. God doesn’t ask for much of us. Surely we can work to words just one person a year each.

(j) We have the same "seed" of the kingdom, the Word of God, cp. Is 55:10-11!

f. Above all, in trying to take the lost to Jesus, let’s remember, the power to save is not in programs, benevolence or other such things. It is in the gospel of Jesus Christ, Ro 1:16; 1Co 1:18, 23-24.

g. How does God’s word transform, Pr 4:20-23?

h. We have the power to lead people to Christ, what hinders us from doing it?

2. The whole point of the parable lies in one thing-the transforming power of the leaven.

3. However, the leaven of the kingdom, the word of God, can’t do it’s work if we personally, do not put into action.

CONCLUSION:

With this simple parable, Jesus offered encouragement to his small band of disciples who followed him. As we consider our size, we too can take encouragement from the same parable.

Questions:

Preached:

Fargo, ND October 24, 1999

Bibliography:

^[1] idea from paulc, A GLORIOUS CHURCH!

Mark Copeland, The "Executable Outlines" Series, "THE PARABLES OF JESUS, The Mustard Seed; The Leaven