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

 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 yesterday's reading, Jesus gave a new parable to the crowd, the parable of the Wheat and the Tares.  (The lectionary skipped over the parable of the Sower, and Jesus' private explanation to His disciples;  see Matthew 13:1-23.)  Jesus taught,  "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 and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?  He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.'  The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?'  But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

 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."   My study bible suggests that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples.  According to commentary by Theophylact, they began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  These images can also stand for faith entering a person's soul, causing an inward growth of virtue.  The soul may become godlike and can receive even angels.   Three measures of meal would be approximately equivalent to 4.5 gallons.

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."  See Psalm 78:2.   After teaching the parable of the Sower, Jesus explained to His disciples why He has begun preaching to the crowds in parables.  He said, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  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.  Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."

Through His parables, Jesus tells truths about the Kingdom.  The parables are a revelation "hidden in plain sight."  It's a way of teaching that emphasizes what He's looking for in His disciples.  He's looking for those capable of faith, of seeing and hearing spiritually.  He says to them, "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;  for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."  These are the ones capable of seeing and hearing Him, of listening and desiring what He offers.  And I think that, once again, we have to consider the aspect of gratitude in terms of faith.  Can we recognize value and worth in what Christ is offering?  Jesus speaks in parables because the pearls He offers are for those who will truly value and cherish them, those who truly desire "things kept secret from the foundation of the world."   Here is the great secret of the Kingdom:  that it works like a mustard seed (and He will also use mustard seed as an image of faith), to grow all kinds of unexpected things.  We may become like that tree which can shelter even "birds of the air" (akin to angels) which can nest in its branches.  Angels are messengers, and this may be interpreted as our growth in the knowledge of "things kept secret from the foundation of the world."   We see the parallel in the second image of the leaven, used here as a positive image of the influence of a small taste of the Kingdom which eventually permeates the greater amount.  Jesus uses images of this mysterious ingredient, this small amount of faith that opens up a great abundance, a largeness of life, tremendous and unexpected growth.  And the whole process is mysterious; it's not something we can engineer or manufacture or replicate.  It's this mustard seed of cooperation -- our faith and His kingdom -- that opens up this great spring of growth that keeps giving and will not stop until its work is full.  But we have to truly value and want what this is.   So much of the world seems incapable of valuing the things of the Spirit that grow in us and among us, even recognizing its fruits which we have come to count on in our lives and culture.  Jesus gives us such an emphasis on truth and love; His story teaches us about the imperfect justice of mankind and the great value of human beings.  The fruits of His ministry are incalculable to our world, and yet so many not merely take this for granted, but fail to understand the roots of the things rare and precious that we hold dear:  concepts like personal freedom, or the value of mercy.  But the Kingdom will not stop its gifts nor its growth for those who love what is offered, those capable of seeing and hearing.  He doesn't ask us for much, and what He offers is infinite and unending.  It takes ears to hear and eyes to see what mysteriously remains hidden in plain sight, but available to all.