Parables of the Mustard Seed & Leaven

  • Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
  • God is working, even when it doesn’t look like it.
  • The Kingdom will be victorious!

 

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Overview

  1. Parable of the Mustard Seed
    • A story of how it works
  2. Parable of the Leaven (yeast)
    • A story of how it works
  3. Why we should be hopeful for the Kingdom
    • A story of God’s Plan

1. Parable of the Mustard Seed

  • So we know what Jesus is talking about—generally recognized to be black mustard

  • Technically it’s not the smallest seed known to mankind, but in Palestine at that time it was one of the smallest seeds.
    • There was a saying then: “as small as a mustard seed”
    • So Jesus was not making a scientific statement but quoting a proverb
  • What is extraordinary is the size of the fully grown plant compared with the seed:

Black Mustard Tree

Black Mustard Tree
  • So let’s look at the parable:

Mark 4

  1. He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?
  2. It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground —
  3. when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade.”
  • It’s found in Matthew, Mark and Luke, and it is paired in Matthew & Luke with the parable about yeast spreading through the dough to make bread (which we’ll look at in a minute).

Core message of these Parables

  • Mustard seed: the surprising power of something small
  • Leaven: the surprising spreading of something invisible
  • The point is this: when you look at the seed, it doesn’t look very impressive. But one day you will be amazed at what it has produced.
  • “God loves to use the small to produce the amazing”
  • The cross!

Gladys Alyward

Gladys Alyward

Image source: “faith2share.net”

  • Gladys Alyward (1902) “Little Woman” 4 feet 10 in (less than 1.5m)
    • Gladys Alyward Story—called to China, soon by herself, prison riot, footbinding, tremendous favour—escorted to remote villages
    • God loves to do this kind of thing
  • Who here feels they are insignificant? That you don’t have much to give?
    • the Corinthian church must have thought this.

1 Corinthians 1

  1. …Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.
  2. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.
  3. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,
  4. so that no one can boast in his presence.
  • God is working!
    • Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!

2. Parable of the Leaven (yeast)

Parable about making bread

  • So, if the
    Mustard seed: the surprising effect of something small
  • Then the
    Leaven: the surprising effect of something invisible

Luke 13

  1. Again he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God?
  2. It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all the dough had risen.”

  • God is working in hidden ways all the time.
  • The kingdom is spreading all the time.
    • You may share the Gospel with someone and there doesn’t seem to be any response
    • or you may not even do that—you don’t think you have done anything, but God is using your life
  • If you are a Christian, God is using you.

First two points:

  1. Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
  2. God is working, even when it doesn’t look like it!
  • David Ruis pastors a church in Kelowna BC, has written some of the songs we sing, and is a friend of mine.
    • He’s the brother in law of Marilyn who came here to Newlife when she was younger
  • I had a talk with after he made this video, and he gave me permission to use this story:
    • David Ruis video
  • God is working—isn’t it amazing!
  • If you are not a follower of Jesus, then both these parables can help you understand what it means:
    • Like a seed of new life coming into you
    • Like the power of the Holy Spirit spreading through you.
    • Simply ask and it will be given to you. I would love it if you came and talked with me.

Summary

  1. Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
  2. God is working, even when it doesn’t look like it!
  3. The Kingdom will be victorious

3. Why we should be hopeful for the Kingdom

Daniel 2 CSB

  1. Your Majesty, as you were watching, suddenly a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying.
  2. The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze,
  3. its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay.
  4. As you were watching, a stone was cut out by no human hand, struck the statue on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.
  5. Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
Babylon (gold head),
Medo-Persia (silver chest),
Greece (bronze waist),
Rome (iron legs),
divided empire (iron and clay feet)

Statue

Statue

Summary

  1. Even though you might think you are insignificant, God is using you!
  2. God is working, even when it doesn’t look like it!
  3. The Kingdom will be victorious
  • Be encouraged! Lift up your eyes!
  • It’s so exciting to be part of what God is doing!
  • So Jesus gave this parable to encourage us that God is at work
    • If you need encouragement that God is at work in your life, your circumstances, family or friends who are not following Jesus
    • We’d like to pray with you.
    • Or if you want to talk to me about following Jesus then come and talk to me.

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