LUKE 13:19-29
The Lord said this parable, “The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ There you will weep and gnash your teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.
Jesus Spoke in Parables
Jesus spoke to the crowds using parables.
Mat 13:34-35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.
Purpose of the Parables
The parables are ways of illustrating the Kingdom of God using everyday things. If the listeners couldn’t understand the examples from real life, how could they understand spiritual things?
John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
The Mustard Seed Parable
The mustard seed is a small seed. If you dropped one of the seds onto the ground you couldn’t find it. However, when the mustard seed grows it becomes something everyone can see. You can look at a tree and see the structure of the tree and its ports – stem, root, branches, and leaves.
Likewise, the Kingdom of God which is the Church, started small with just a few disciples but now it has grown to cover the world. You can look at the church and see the structure and parts of the Church.
Just as the tree is not some invisible hidden tree, but a real tree, the Church today has a visible body. It is composed of people who are baptized and are in the Church.
Leaven in the Loaf
Leaven is also a very small thing. Leaven is microscopically small.
Background from the microcosm of milk bacteria from leaven in a microscope. The theme of lactic acid foods is under 1000x magnification
It takes very little leaven to make a loaf of bread rise. For commercial yeast in bread recipes (like instant or active dry yeast): For a standard loaf (about 500g of flour): 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant yeast (approximately 3 to 6 grams). Traditional years would likely have needed more yeast but perhaps not since they were more likely to be live.
In that formula, leaven is only about 1% of the weight of the flour but that’s all that is needed to make the whole loaf rise.
This parable is like the other parable. Jesus started with just a small group of disciples, but the Church grew from this small amount. Just as everyone can see the bread when it was done, everyone can see the Church.
There’s no secret/hidden Mustard Seed tree and no secret/hidden loafs of bread. And the Church is not some secret/hidden thing.
How Many are Saved?
Jesus speaks here of the narrow door into the Kingdom of God. He is the door. There is no other door. All the others are fake and they were doors that led to death and destruction.
John 10:7-10 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus’ words were different than any of the prophets that came before Him. They were pointing to the One who was to come. He was that promised one.
Even today there are false doors. They are false prophets and false Messiahs. Those who put their trust in them are led to destruction.
The Jews who heard Jesus speak but rejected him as their Messiah were to be cast of out of the Kingdom. They would not be with the Patriarchs of Israel, nor the prophets.
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