The Weekend Word

Matthew 13:31-43

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

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.”

• Ezekiel 17:23 – ²³ On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.
• Ezekiel 31:5-6 – So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots. 6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs;under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations

• Daniel 4:9-12 – ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. ¹⁰ The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ¹¹ The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
• Daniel 4:20-22 – ²⁰ The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, ²¹ whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— ²² it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
• Note the similar language of a tree to symbolize worldwide dominion.
• Critics would point out that Jesus made a mistake and this is not the smallest seed – is that credible?
• This parable again Jesus is the key
• Who is this guy who comes along proclaiming to be God, but he seems to be a nobody?
• He is this little mustard seed and he grows to be a big tree.
• Savior of all the nations and they come to live in him (nest in his 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.”

• This is the same thing – don’t be offended by this but a little leaven turns into something incredible.
• And what does leaven do? – It permeates the whole world.

Prophecy and Parables

³⁴ All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.

• Jesus was bound to keep this format.
• Not that he only spoke parables – but the parable was in there.

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.”

• Again, here is the reason, to fulfill prophecy
• Psalm 78:2 – I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,” – Jesus quotes it to fulfill it.
• Jesus quotes this Psalm as the one that recounts the history of Israel and Israel’s persistent rebellion against God’s grace and God’s promise of salvation.
• This is all coming to a head –their rejection of Jesus just as they rejected Isaiah and the other prophets.
• He is saying if you don’t believe in him it dooms you – you don’t repent, you will go to hell.

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

• OK Jesus – now explain this one. — and Jesus will

³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

³⁸ The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

• So we now have a cast of characters – like the beginning of a movie
• Jesus Christ, staring as the Son of Man- the sower of good seed
• The world as the field
• The sons of the kingdom, starring as the good seed
• The sons of the evil one, starring as the weeds
• The devil, starring as the enemy
• The angels, starring as the reapers
• The time – the end of the age – it is time for the harvest.

⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

• There are difficult passages in the Bible to understand – this is not one of them.
• What will happen at the end of the age – spelled out clearly by Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers,

⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

• Something to note here and not gloss over – this is Jesus doing this.

⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

• And then the good stuff for us … if you have ears to hear.