The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven (Luke 13:18-21)

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven in Luke 13:18-21 describe the growth and spreading influence of the church, but from different approaches. The parable of the mustard seed is about outward growth. Birds from outside fly into and become part of the tree. The parable of the leaven is about inward growth. The leaven works from inside the dough. Leaven makes dough rise from within which pictures the way the gospel changes us inwardly: it changes our hearts and then works its way into our actions. https://youtu.be/jqYR-es4vUg The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven Jesus taught in Luke 13:18-21 describe the growth and spreading influence of the church. Table of ContentsFamily Worship Guide for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and LeavenSermon Notes for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and LeavenLesson one: the parable of the mustard seed illustrates the outward growth of the kingdom of God.Lesson two: the parable of the leaven illustrates the inward growth of the kingdom of God.Lesson three: nobody is physically born in the kingdom of God. Family Worship Guide for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven Directions: Read the verses and then answer the questions: Day 1: Luke 13:18-19, Revelation 7:9, Psalm 72:19, Daniel 2:35, Habakkuk 2:14—How does the parable of the mustard seed illustrate the outward growth of the kingdom of God? In what ways is a mustard seed a fitting metaphor for the kingdom of God? In what ways do you see the kingdom of God spreading throughout the world?Day 2: Luke 13:20-21, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 10:5—How does the parable of the leaven illustrate the inward growth of the kingdom of God? What similarities does the parable of the leaven have with the parable of the mustard seed? What difference or differences are there between the two parables? How do you see the kingdom of God working in people’s hearts?Day 3: John 3:3, Colossians 1:13—What kingdom are we born into? What does it mean to be born again? Why must we be born again? How can we be born again? What takes place spiritually when we repent of our sins and put our faith in Christ? Sermon Notes for The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven The title of this morning’s sermon is, “The Parables of the Mustard Seed and Leaven.” On Sunday mornings we’re working our way through Luke’s gospel verse by verse and we find ourselves at chapter 13, verses 18 through 21. Please stand for the reading of God’s Word… Luke 13:18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that 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.” 20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” Let’s pray. I have to tell you that these were some of the most difficult verses that I have preached on in a long time. The reason is that there is such strong, even diametrically opposed interpretations among commentators, about these two short parables. One interpretation holds that the kingdom of God, and by extension the church, grows and then experiences corruption. This interpretation makes sense, because in the parables the kingdom of God ends up containing birds and leaven, which are both presented negatively in Scripture. For example… In the Parable of the Sower birds come and snatch away the seed… Matthew 13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Then when Jesus interpreted the parable he said… Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. The birds are associated with the devil himself, which obviously makes birds look bad. When Babylon is destroyed during the tribulation it becomes filled with demons and birds… Revelation 18:2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Seeing birds live with demons also makes them look bad. D.A. Carson says, “Close study of birds as symbols in the Old Testament and especially in the literature of later Judaism shows that birds regularly symbolize evil and even demons or Satan.” So, when there’s a parable about birds coming into the kingdom of God it looks like a parable about corruption coming into the church. Leaven isn’t any better. It is one of the strongest pictures or types of sin: Leaven is a fungus that grows in bread dough…just like sin grows in a person’s life.You can never completely get leaven out of dough…like we can never completely get sin out of our lives.Leaven “puffs up” bread…like sin puffs up or leads to pride.A small amount of leaven spreads through a batch of dough, like a small amount of sin spreads through:A person’s life…A marriage…A family…think of Achen and his sin affecting his entire family.A church…many of Paul’s letters condemned people whose sin affected the whole church. So, when Jesus preaches two parables about birds and leaven inhabiting the kingdom of God you can understand why some commentators think this prophesies of sin and corruption in the church. Maybe you say, “But there is no sin and corruption in the church. The church is holy and pure.” Definitely not! Most of Paul’s letters were corrective in nature dealing with the sin and corruption in churches. If you think of Jesus’s letters to the seven churches in Revelation, he rebuked five of the churches, and he couldn’t find anything good to say to two of the churches. We will look at the parables in detail in a moment, but I will say at the beginning that I hold to the interpretation that the parables describe the growth and spreading influence of the church. Let me give you four reasons I hold to this interpretation… First, the second parable doesn’t compare the kingdom of God with dough that has leaven put into it. Instead, it compares the kingdom of God with leaven itself. Briefly look at verse 20… Luke 13:20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 IT IS LIKE LEAVEN that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” If leaven is a picture or type of sin in these verses then I don’t see how it can be compared with the kingdom of God. Instead, the idea is the kingdom of God will spread throughout the world like leaven spreads through a batch of dough. Second, when we look at a passage in one of the Gospels and we have trouble interpreting it, we can often look at the parallel account in one of the other Gospels. In this situation, when Jesus preached these parables in Matthew and Mark, in the context he is repeatedly describing the kingdom as a positive and pervading influence…versus talking about sin and corruption coming into the church. Third, in Luke’s gospel the context also looks like Jesus is saying something positive about the kingdom of God. Verse 18 begins with the words, “He said therefore,” which connects the parables with the previous account. And what happened in the previous account? Jesus healed the woman with the disabling spirit and look at the last verse of the account… Luke 13:17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him. This is about two things: First, Jesus being vindicated over his enemies who are opposing him.Second, the people rejoicing over what he did. In other words, the account concludes with the kingdom of God becoming greater, and these parables flow from that. Fourth, we want to harmonize the Old and New Testaments. This means if we can interpret something two ways in the New Testament and one of those interpretations harmonizes with the Old Testament, we choose that interpretation. Similarly, if we are looking at something in the Old Testament that can be interpreted two ways and one of those interpretations harmonizes with the New Testament, we choose that interpretation. We are going to look at two passages that prefigure these parables to help us interpret them. Go ahead and mark your spot in Luke and turn to Ezekiel 17. These verses are a messianic prophecy, which means they are about Christ and his kingdom. Look at verse 22… Ezekiel 17:22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig Jesus is the sprig, or some translations say twig or shoot. Think of the familiar title of Jesus being a shoot from the root of Jesse, David’s father. from the lofty top of the cedar The cedar is the royal line of David, which Jesus will be plucked from. and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, Again, this is Jesus. and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. Remember Ezekiel is speaking to the Jews in exile. They disobeyed God, so he sent them to Babylon for 70 years. Then they knew they really messed up and were worried about being cut off completely. But God will not allow that to happen because of the covenant he made with them. And the evidence in these verses that he is not done with them is the Messiah is going to come from them. God is going to pluck a branch from them and plant it, or establish it, on a high and lofty mountain. This refers to Mount Zion, or Jerusalem, where the Messiah, or Jesus, will reign as King. This prophecy wasn’t fulfilled when the Jews returned to the land after their exile. Instead, the fulfillment awaits the millennial kingdom when Christ rules and reigns over the whole world.