The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

"I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

- Matthew 13:31-35

In our recent readings in Matthew's gospel, we have learned about Jesus' use of parables. First, on Tuesday, we read the first parable we're told, the parable of the Sower. Next, on Wednesday, Jesus explained, in answer to His disciples questions, why He spoke to the multitudes in parables. In Thursday's reading, He explained the parable of the Sower to His disciples. In yesterday's reading, we were given a new parable in Jesus' teaching, a parable used to illustrate yet another aspect of the Kingdom He is bringing into the world. This is the parable of the wheat and the tares. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. When the wheat sprouted, so did the tares. But all will be left to grow together until the harvest, so that the good wheat is not uprooted with the tares. Then the wheat will be gathered into the barn, while the tares will be bundled and burnt. In today's reading, Jesus (via Matthew's gospel) gives us yet more parables.

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." I quite love the parable of the mustard seed, and in the telling of this parable on top of the two we have already read, we are given yet another aspect of the kingdom. First, we were taught about the good seed sowed by the sower, the word, and the different types of soil in which it may grow or not. Next was the parable that taught that wheat and weeds, good seed and bad, will grow next to one another -- both resembling each other. Now, here we have another aspect of the kingdom -- its phenomenal growth. While the seed may find difficulty in this world, and there is bad seed as well, its growth is unanticipated, tremendous -- so that even the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. What looks like a small beginning will produce great things. My study bible points out that the two parables given today illustrate the startling success of God's Kingdom. "A few weak fishermen will convert the whole world because of the divine power of the gospel."

Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." Not only is the word, the gospel message, filled with the power of promise and growth, it also acts within: it leavens with its own message and strength, to heal and save and transform. Of course this is how it works within us, and also among us. It's power is both of growth and transformation. In such short verses, we are given the tremendous illustrations of the mustard seed and the leaven, which have fueled thousands of years of understanding and expression. In themselves, these words are a poetic illustration of the power of Christ's word!

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." Again, we have a poetic illustration of these very words: these two verses are in themselves a great prophecy, and the quotation teaches us the power of the few parables we've read about this week: the fruits they produce extend in infinite blessing -- to things "kept secret from the foundation of the world" and into the future to continue to reveal to our understanding the aspects of the kingdom not yet known to us.

Psalm 78:2 gives us the beginning of Jesus' quotation: "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old." But let us consider all of His words: "I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." The parables continue to open up to us things we need to learn and know and understand. The growth of the Church, the growth of faith within ourselves, a complex world where wheat and tares seemingly look alike and are impossible to separate before Judgment -- so that the good crop is not uprooted, the transforming power of its leaven: all of these illustrations will continue to reveal to us an understanding about the Kingdom coming into this world, and our part in it. In 2,000 years of history we have not exhausted these illustrations nor their application to the way the world works and the power of the gospel in it, even as the world changes and grows and we enter into a new millenium. And there is more: the "things kept secret from the foundation of the world" are also revealed. Through Christ's word, we see into the ancient Scriptures of the Old Testament, and new things are also revealed to us there that were not apparent to its earlier readers. This is the nature of inspired Scripture. It applies to time in a timeless sense: that is, what is used to explain to one understanding continues to reveal and enlighten to those who will come later -- and those who come later find new meaning and light in what was written of old. This is the nature of mystery -- and at the very heart of Jesus' words in His use of parables. The mysteries open to us, but only if we have ears to hear. What we hear and see really depends on what we have within us: thus, we come back once again to Jesus' illustrations about the Kingdom -- it is the leaven, the tiny grain as small as a mustard seed, the substance that will continue to grow and support, and to transform, and build our understanding. When Jesus explained His use of parables, He said: "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." In the abundance of Scripture, it is this leaven, the grain of mustard seed, that illuminates more for us, and continues to do so. In next week's readings, Jesus will also teach us of the tremendous value of the word we have been given, and what we may exchange for its worth.