Setting: Contemporary worship
Length: 47:25
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Title: Parabe of the Mustard Seed and Yeast
Commentary: This sermon is part of a series on the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13. This sermon opens with an activity that helps organize all 8 parables.
Main Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33
Main Topics: parables, mustard seed, yeast, disciples, Elijah, community outreach, kingdom growth
As you listen, select, copy, and paste the following outline:
Introduction
-let’s do a quick activity to help us understand the big picture in Matthew 13
-I will need 8 volunteers
-first of all, all 8 of you need to get in the right order
-now, let’s think about relationships
-#8: move over by yourself
-you are by yourself because you are a private parable given only to the disciples….the public does not get to hear it
-that means…..
#7: you are the last one that the people will hear at Sower’s Cove
-the parable of the Net
-so, move over a little bit…you are special
-and let’s go to the beginning
#1: you are the first one…and so, move over…you are like an introduction to the entire collection
-you are very special…that’s why you are 23 verses long!
-#2, 3, and 4….stay together
-because you 3 talk about how a kingdom grows
-#2: you teach us that the kingdom growth is mixed
-the good and bad seeds are mixed and the good and bad are allowed to grow together until the final harvest
#3: you teach us that the kingdom will start small and become very big…so, you teach us more about kingdom growth
#4: you teach us that even a small part of the kingdom will impact the entire world like yeast affect the entire bread
-so, you 3 belong together
-#5 and 6….move over to the right by yourselves
-because you 2 are a set
-both of you will teach us about kingdom value
-that the kingdom is valuable like treasure found in a field
-or valuable like a prized pearl found by a merchant
-in fact, move closer to #7 because treasure and pearl will invite people to receive the kingdom and hopefully people will do that before the net comes down like final judgment
-so, #5, 6, and 7 are like a set
-just like #2, 3, and 4 are like a set
-now, everyone…take look at all the different relationships….
-even though all 8 have the same theme…the kingdom of heaven, there are sub-themes
-do you see them?
-what are the sub themes?
-#2-4 = kingdom growth
-#5-7 = kingdom value
-now, everyone can sit down
-this little activity should help you see how this collection of 8 parables is not a random collection
-there is a general theme: what is it?
-the kingdom of heaven
-and now you know there are also subthemes, what are they?
kingdom growth [mustard and yeast]
Kingdom value [treasure and pearl]
-this leads to the last tip I will give you
-remember I have given you 4 tips so far on reading parables
This is tip #5
Find sub-themes within the major theme
-kingdom growth and kingdom value
-and with that, we are finished with the tips
-here are all 5
1. understand the basic style
2. Understand its double function: To reveal and to conceal
3. Find the main point of each parable
4. Look for a major theme that holds all the parables together
5. Find sub-themes within the major theme
-and with that, we are ready to jump into today’s sermon which continues the verse by verse journey through Matthew chapter 13
-remember where we are
This is the holy land
-Jesus is up here….in the region of Galilee
-scholars believe that Jesus is in Capernaum in Peter’s house
-from here, Jesus goes to a place we now call Sower’s Cove
-where he is teach in parables about the kingdom of heaven
-and for the first time in this collection, Jesus will give back to back parables to teach the same point
-we have the Parables of the Mustard Seed and Yeast
* before we get into these 2, I need to apologize in advance that I will NOT have time to cover vs.34 and 35 which are Matthew’s editorial remarks. I will try to get to them next week.
-so, for today, we will focus specifically on the 2 parables, the mustard seed and yeast…
-now, technically, these 2 are not exactly the same
-no 2 parables are exactly the same
-think of it this way, they are fraternal twins…not identical twins, how’s that?
-so, let’s take a look at these fraternal twins
-and as always, Jesus takes something familiar (remember tip #1) to make a spiritual point
From the field (where he talked about a sower)….to the water (fishing – last week #7)….to a garden (mustard seed) and then to the kitchen (yeast)
-let’s look at the parable of the mustard seed
-so, here in the garden a mustard seed is planted
-to emphasize the small-ness of the situation, he compares the kingdom to….
ONE seed, v.31
"The kingdom of heaven is like…A mustard seed
-and from this seed, a mustard plant grows…
-Jesus says is in v.32
Though it is the smallest of all your seeds…
-this is where unbelievers and even skeptical Christians challenge the Bible
-they say: hey, Jesus is wrong
-the mustard seed is NOT the smallest seed in the world
-there are other seeds that are definitely smaller than the mustard seed
-the Bible has errors
-and so, the criticism is….that the Bible is no reliable…if the Bible is wrong about the mustard seed being the smallest, then why should we believe it when it talks about other things?
-this is how we should respond
-first, we need to admit the mustard is indeed….NOT the smallest
-actually, the smallest seed belongs to epiphytic orchids that grow in the rain forest in South America….the seed is so small, it is almost like dust, measuring some 1/300th of a inch long
-take a look at the comparison and it’s clear that the mustard seed is not the smallest
-so….YES, it is not the smallest
-but…NO…the Bible does not have errors
-because Jesus is NOT making a scientific statement
-Jesus is making a comparative statement
-he is comparing the sizes of seeds that farmers used in Galilee
-vs.31 is the key. The situation in vs.31 is seeds that a farmer would plant in his field. It says:
The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
-and to state the obvious, the farmers did not work with every seed in the universe
-they worked with…lentils, wheat, barley
-and comparing the seeds, the mustard seed was the smallest seed
-remember tip #1: the strategy was to talk about things familiar to them
-their OWN garden was familiar to them
-to give a botanical lesson on the smallest seed in the world….which is from South America….epiphytic orchids….My point is…that would not mean anything to them because they would have no experience with that seed
-but the mustard seed…..yeah…it is the smallest seed they used
-so, the smallest farming seed is planted, and it grows into a TREE
….now….this analogy of a tree…
-used to describe the kingdom of God was not new
-I’m sure some in the audience were reminded of the OT where prophets compared the kingdom to a large tree
-cf. Judg.9:15; Ezek.17:22-24; 31:3-14; Dan. 4:7-23
-like the Cedars of Lebanon
-do you see the man standing there….gives you a sense of how large this tree is
-Ezekiel especially talked about how the birds will find nesting in the branches of these majestic trees
-and so, when Jesus speaks of birds finding nest on the tree branches, it had already been said
-but again, Jesus’ analogy of a mustard seed….growing into a tree has been called into question
-people wonder if it’s possible for birds to perch there
-take a look….the tree is not exactly a Cedar of Lebanon!
-in case, you don’t see it, the tree is right there
-I know, it looks a little scrawny….looks like it needs some miracle gro!
-you can see why people question Jesus….especially after the OT prophets used the Cedars of Lebanon….here is Jesus using this skinny jr. tree!
-one scholar called the choice of a mustard tree to describe the kingdom of heaven as….bizarre
-another scholar writes: “a strange choice…”
-listen, before you side with these guys and think it’s strange, let’s remind ourselves of the situation
-again, remember tip #1: using an analogy that is familiar to the people
-and the familiar situation was that the smallest seed did indeed grow into a 15 foot tree…and comparatively….that’s huge in a personal garden
-not only that….but we must stay focused on the point of this parable
-it’s not really about the size of the tree
-it’s really about a CONTRAST between the size of the seed and the size of the tree
-in other words, the focus is on the difference between the seed and the tree
-the seed is the smallest in the garden
-the tree is the….biggest in the garden
-what is this parable about?
-what is the sub-theme? Kingdom growth
-that the kingdom might look small at first like a mustard seed, but when it is planted, it will grow
-remember that Jesus is speaking to a crowd that heard 2 parables already
-parable #1 spoke about the various soil conditions
-it seems like hit or miss
-some seeds will grow and others will not…it depends on the condition of the soil
-the audience might wonder if the kingdom will be hit of miss
-parable #2 spoke about the mix growth of the kingdom
-the wheat…representing the kingdom is growing
-but the tares…representing the ANTI-kingdom is also growing
-the audience might wonder if the struggle between the wheat and tares might threaten the kingdom growth
-so, parable #3 is a declaration that the kingdom will surely grow
-though the kingdom might look small at first like a mustard
seed, but when it is planted, it WILL DEFINITELY GROW
-this is as parable about….kingdom growth
To reinforce his point, Jesus will bring in another parable to make the same point
The parable of the Yeast
-now, he will do that again when he COMBINES…..the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl
-so, here in these 2 parables…of the mustard seed and yeast…we see a combined effort to present the kingdom as definitely growing
-remember that these 2 are like fraternal twins and not identical twins
-they both look alike as they speak about the growing kingdom, but they also look a little different as they emphasize the grow in different ways
-let’s read…Matt.13:33
33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
-and again, Jesus takes something familiar (remember tip #1) to make a spiritual point
From the field (where he talked about a sower)….to the water (fishing – last week #7)….to a garden (mustard seed) and now we are in the kitchen (yeast)
-and the mother of the house is baking
-and she is using yeast to make the dough rise
-and boy is she baking!!!
-v.33 says that she is using a large amount of flour
-how much you ask?
-she is making about a cubic foot of dough
-that’s a lot of dough!
-must have a big family of hungry boys
-and as she kneads this dough, she takes a old piece from a previous batch
-it has yeast in it…it has already risen
-and she sticks into the new dough…
-and the small piece will work its way through the entire batch until the new batch is risen
-then she breaks off a piece and save it for the next time she
bakes
-now, some have questioned the use of yeast as an analogy of the kingdom
-for some people, the image of yeast is something negative
-they immediately think if the Pharisees and Sadducees whom Jesus criticized using the analogy of yeast
-in Matthew 16
6"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
-and because of this well know passage…and others that use yeast in a negative way, people wonder why Jesus would use yeast which has such a bad image
-my response to this is that yeast does NOT have a bad image
-yeast is actually neutral
-sometimes it is used negatively and sometimes it is used positively
-the focus should not be on the image of the word but on the USE of the word
-and the use here is definitely positive
-in fact, what is this parable about?
-what is the subtheme? Kingdom growth
-Jesus USES yeast to say again that the kingdom is growing
-and this time…the focus is on INTERNAL GROWTH…meaning…..it’s like a small piece of yeast…and it goes inside a new batch of bread…which represents the world
-and it brings about internal growth
-like a grass roots movement…from within a large group
-a small group makes an impact and brings about growth internally
-a message that is timely for us….as we apply it to ourselves as a church
-when we look at the 2 ways a kingdom grows,
-the mustard seed is about external growth
-from a seed to a large tree….you can see the external growth
-from small to large
-and the yeast is about internal growth as a small piece is embedded into the larger piece
-in the original Greek, the word for “mixed” is to hide….
-so, the small piece is embedded….or hidden inside the large piece
-and it makes an impact from the inside
-like a small band of believers….the original disciples…from a small local area….will eventually start a grass roots movement and spread the kingdom across the world
-and I’m sure this was a new way for the disciples to look at kingdom growth
-we saw this back at the parable of the wheat and tares where they were confused about the mixed growth because they wanted the kingdom to suddenly grow and make everything right….right now
-Jesus would teach them that the kingdom now…is about patience and mercy as God allows both the good AND bad to grow together
-and further teaching them…the kingdom will start small
-like a mustard seed…and yeast….but it will grow and someday become a great kingdom
-this is a new way to look at the kingdom
-but the parables taught at Sower’s Cove is just as much about the disciple acquiring new eyes to see the kingdom….in a new way as Jesus is now teaching them
-and for us, it’s also about having the new eyes to see the kingdom as in the world…and growing
-I believe the parable is a great reminder to believers today who often lose sight of what is Jesus here
Allow me to point out 2 things that we can learn from the mustard seed and yeast
1. We need to go out into the world and participate in kingdom growth
-since the early days, Christians have removed themselves from the world
-the world is evil and they want no part of it
-some so-called spiritual leaders sat on poles…as a way to separate themselves from the world
-the purpose of life was to separate oneself
-others locked themselves in caves….or their own personal libraries and just studied about God
-the purpose of life was to separate oneself
-and even today, Christians are hesitant to go out into the world
-they have a more defensive attitude about their faith
-instead of going on the offense and going out into world, they get more defensive and just try preserve what little they have
-many Christians have a circle the wagon mentality
-the enemy is coming and we have to fight and defend
-and…we do….but we have to go out and impact the world
-the message found in these 2 parables was needed back them…and is timely even today….and even for us today
-as God calls us to participate in kingdom growth in our community
-after all, our very church name has the word “community” in it
-the second thing we need to learn from these 2 parables is that…
2. We need to be encouraged that the kingdom is indeed growing
-often times, we lose sight of kingdom growth
-we begin to think that we are the only ones in our community that believes
-we begin to think that everyone else has turned away
-and we begin to think that this is one lonely race…
-and this can lead to great discouragement and loss of hope
-and a loss of desire to serve
-we can begin to slip into self pity, thinking we are all alone
-some of the greatest leaders felt alone
-Elijah was one of the greatest
-if you visit Mount Carmel in Israel, you will see a statue commemorating one of the most famous battles of all time when Elijah face 400 prophets of Baal and killed them all
-has there ever been a greater battle? one man vs.400
-the wicked king Ahab felt defeated
-but his even more wicked wife, Jezebel, was furious
-and she sends out a death command against Elijah
-and the Bible says in 1 Kings 19:3 that Elijah was afraid
-so afraid that he began to run
-400 prophets of Baal….no fear
-1 scary woman….he runs for his life
-and boy, does he run
-all the way down to Beersheba
-and when he gets there, he runs even more
-into the Judean wilderness
-and finds a tree….
-and begins to pray that he might die
"I have had enough, LORD ," he said. "Take my life
-the great Elijah is breaking down
-he is losing perspective
-but God in His mercy sends an angel with food
-but Elijah continues to struggle
-he wanders for 40 days and nights until he finds a cave and hides in it
-the man is depressed
-swallowed up in self-pity
-a deep sense of loneliness
-God comes and speaks to him
"What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14 He replied,
"I have been very zealous for the LORD
God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
-some of the greatest leaders felt all alone
-thinking that’s God’s kingdom is whittling down to nothing
-Elijah thinks he is the only one left
-and if he dies…well…no more believers
-but God is quick to show him the big picture
18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-all whose
knees have not bowed down to Baal
-God kingdom is not as small as we sometimes think
-we are not the only ones
-the kingdom will continue to grow
-even though it might seem small to our eyes….it will continue to grow
-like a small seed growing into a tree
-and like a yeast working its way internally through the dough
-we are not alone
-we do not run the race alone
-in fact, we run in front of a great audience
-Hebrews 12:2 calls it a great cloud of witnesses
-and these witnesses refer to all the ones who ran the race before us as mentioned in the previous chapter…chapter 11 of Hebrews
-all those who ran before are a witness to many things including the ONGOING growth of the kingdom
-and WE are just ONE runner is a massive marathon
-so, we ought not be discouraged but run the race with focus and tenacity
-knowing that God reigns on the throne
-His kingdom will advance
-and His will….will be done on earth and it is in heaven
As explained in the opening activity (on audio), the following parable also speak to kingdom growth
Compare the Wheat and Tares to the Parable of the Net.
They have the same message, but have some important differences.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl also are back to back parables with the same message. Click:
The series of parables in Matthew 13 ends with a tragic event. Click to find out:
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