Springs Of Life Bible Church - The Mustard Seed and Yeast

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		Parable of the Mustard Seed and Yeast

KINGDOM PARABLES OF JESUS
Parable of the Mustard Seed & Yeast Matthew 13:31-33

The parable of the Mustard Seed
The parable of the mustard seed portrays the extensive growth of the kingdom while the parable of the yeast portrays the intensive growth of the kingdom.

In fact, the insignificant size of the mustard seed had become well-known in the first century. Jesus at one time said: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move.” (Matthew 17:20)

Jesus is here using an example from every day life. In every garden of that day, the mustard tree (a large plant) had a place. The plant may most often have been grown in a field bordering a garden plot because of its demand for space.

The utterly small, insignificant speck of seed, entrusted to the field, becomes a tree.

The Lesson of the Parable
By means of the parable, Jesus teaches that God’s kingdom may seem unimportant and insignificant. But the continued proclamation of gospel by Jesus’ followers will grow the kingdom and have a tremendous impact upon the world at large.

The tiny gospel seed sown has become a tree which today provides shelter and rest to believers from all over the world. And God’s kingdom is still growing and will continue to grow until Christ returns.

The Parable of the Yeast (Leaven)
Jesus goes on and tells another parable of a woman baking bread—a scene drawn from daily life.

Jesus uses the concept of yeast or leaven here because of its hidden power. Yeast and leaven cause the dough to rise by permeating the entire batch.

The Lesson of the Parable
The point of the parable is that the yeast, once added to the flour, permeates the entire batch of dough until every particle is affected.
The yeast is hidden from sight, and yet its effect is visible to all. That is how the kingdom of God demonstrates its power and presence in the world.

The mustard-seed parable illustrates the church’s global responsibility of making disciples of all the nations and thus growing the kingdom of God.
The yeast parable further illustrates the responsibility of bringing the gospel to bear upon every sector and segment of life.

The “kingdom of heaven” can be seen as synonymous for “the church.” God’s people who individually and corporately confess the name of Jesus Christ their savior.

The church then consists of Christians who apply the teachings of Christ in every sphere of life. By doing this they promote the kingdom of God in which the rule of Christ is recognized. In short, every area of life is to be affected by the teaching of Christ (the yeast).

Another Interpretation
There are some scholars who interpret the parable of the mustard seed and yeast in the context of the parable of the wheat and weeds.

Instead of seeing the growth of the kingdom or the influence of the kingdom they see Jesus warning of the devils continued infiltration of the church until Jesus returns.
They see the birds that roost in the tree as imposters sent by the evil one to infiltrate the organized church.

They see the yeast as the growth of sin and apostasy in the visible church until Christ returns.

The application of this view is that as Christians, we must be on guard against Satan’s tactics.
We are warned not only against infusion of Satan’s own people into the Christian community, but also against confusing size and structure with God’s blessing.

The organized church must keep herself from being taken over by the world’s wisdom, the world’s theology, the world’s agenda, and the world’s methods.
In order to keep the evil one from infiltrating the church with his people and to keep sin and false teaching from growing out of control the truth of God’s word must be taught and lived without compromise and practice church disciplineleaven even though unpopular. That is the only way to stop the spread of in the church.