I will open My mouth in parables; 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

Yesterday we read another parable given by Jesus (after the parable of the Sower, see here and here):  "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 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 notes that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples.   Theophylact comments that they began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  These parables also stand for faith entering a person's soul, causing an inward growth of virtue.  Such a soul can become godlike and can receive even angels, my study bible says (the birds of the air come and nest in its branches).  

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 quotes from Psalm 78:2, indicating that by using parables, Jesus reveals mysteries of the reality of God at work in the world. 

The two parables given in today's reading are perhaps the simplest and yet the most profoundly impressive, because they teach us about the growth of the Kingdom, and most certainly the growth of the soul.  Theophylact is quoted above (from my study bible) as applying them to the explosive growth of the Church in the wake of the mission of the apostles into the world after Pentecost.  But, also as noted in my study bible, these parables apply to the inner growth of the soul.  What's noteworthy are the different forms of growth implied in the parables.  A mustard seed, which Jesus calls the least of all the seeds, grows into a tree (perhaps a great sturdy bush) in contrast to other herbs, great enough so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.  Birds are quite clearly reminiscent of angels, the messengers of the air who find a home in such a tree.  It's also a picture of a home for ministry, for those who minister, a harbor for the thoughts and teachings and impulses that make for ministry.   Such a seed allowed to grow and expand becomes a place of nurturing for the world in this picture.  Then we come to the parable of the leaven.  Leaven is enzymatic in its work (our word enzyme comes from the Greek word for leaven).  It changes and transforms flour -- making bread more digestible for human beings and changing the consistency of dough.  Just a little leavens the whole and works to transform.  This image of the growth of the Kingdom is a picture of the work of the Kingdom in us or in community; the mysterious changes are those we cannot claim nor control nor dictate, but the outcome is one that is good for us -- at once easy to take in and nourishing.  The transforming effects of leaven create an outcome from the inside out; such is the effect of the Kingdom within ourselves as well, and the work of the Holy Spirit.  To utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world implies the act of Creation; and that which existed before Creation and was and is active both in the creation of the world and the continual life of the world.  (If we look at Genesis and at Revelation, the tense of "create" is ongoing; for example, Revelation 21:5 can more literally be read, "I am always making all things new.")  This secret reality and work is like the hidden enzymatic action of the leaven.  It is hidden from our awareness, but made clear by the outcome suddenly apparent to us.  Christ offers us wisdom and opens the door to mystery through His parables.  The parables themselves hold a key to our understanding -- there are instruments of wisdom hidden in plain sight, couched in words and meaning but available to spiritual eyes and ears, so to speak.  How are we to receive them, or to understand?

I will open My mouth in parables; 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

We are reading about Jesus' use of parables in His ministry, in Matthew's Gospel. The readings, in context, that would proceed this one came up a little while back. See The Parable of the Sower, and Therefore hear the parable of the sower as the readings which begin Jesus' use of parables. In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His parable teaching with the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. He followed up on the parable of the Sower with one about a man who sowed good seed in a field. But when all men were asleep, an enemy sowed tares or weeds also in the field. When the grain sprouted and began to produce a crop, so also did the tares appear. Jesus continued, "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 the 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." Here we have another teaching about the Kingdom, and particular as it is related again to seed, and therefore Sower. Jesus teaches us this time about the growth of the Kingdom, the powerful energy hidden inside of these seeds He sows. My study bible says about today's parables: "These two short parables signify the startling success of God's Kingdom. A few weak fishermen will convert the whole world because of the divine power of the gospel." I really love the image of the birds nesting in the great sturdy bush that comes of the little mustard seed. It gives us an idea of the power of growth that is possible in this Kingdom, and all of the things it can grow to support as well.

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." This is a different kind of growth, a kind of permeation of something, an analogy to the work of the kingdom that takes place within us and among us, until all is changed, transformed, and creates growth. I find something comparable in the birds of the air and the leaven that permeates the meal. The action of leaven creates a kind of aeration or oxidation. If we examine the idea of "air" we see its relation to Spirit (the word in Greek is the same as the word for breath, air, wind). And so we get an analogy to Spirit in these parables, in which the birds of the air are like messengers or angels, that which comes through the action of the Spirit. And it is the action of the Spirit that permeates us, our lives, our communities, and grows and transforms with its energies, its "breath" that breathes in us.

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 go back to the power of the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus' ministry, and in His preaching in parables. The Holy Spirit will work within us and among us, growing and transforming. It is our capacity for reception of that Spirit that makes all the difference, as Christ has said in earlier readings from this week. How are we capable of receiving? Are our hearts ready for what is hidden in the parables?

If we look at the parables for today, there is a hidden secret, and something we may not even understand unless we are familiar with the action of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. These things work through experience, something that is hidden from those unwilling to go forward with a love of God and of the action of the Spirit in their own lives. Hence, our own capability, desire, and "yes" to this action then becomes important. It is all the work of the Spirit, of course. It is the seed that does its work, the Sower and Creator of the seed responsible for its action. But there is also a place at which we agree to this work, we perceive its goodness, and we are responsible for what we are capable of accepting. And then the parables fall into place. We have a choice: an acceptance or refusal. Sometimes these things happen within us without our least expecting it, and certainly without our understanding until the growth becomes apparent. But always we can count on one thing: that God will be at work in us as long as we are fertile ground. And the powerful and transforming energy of this growth can't be overestimated, nor can it be predicted. It is simply a question of allowing the sower and the seed to do its work, the leaven to work its work in the meal. We can't predict what that will be, but we can welcome it, and we certainly reap the profit from it, as it grows in us, so that "even the birds of the air may nest in its branches" -- therefore, it's ready even for a family, for new eggs, and new growth unforeseen by us in the mere seed. But what is on offer to us is of the greatest importance, hidden beauty, great treasure for those who are capable of seeing it and understanding it, even "things hidden from the foundation of the world."

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

Here in Matthew's gospel Jesus continues preaching in parables, opening up the idea that this is the way he will teach the multitudes. We began with the Parable of the Sower (see See Why do you speak to them in parables? and Therefore hear the parable of the sower ), and continued with the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. In today's reading, Jesus expands on the nature of the kingdom with new parables, the story of the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven.

My study bible has a note on the two parables taught today: "These two short parables signify the startling success of God's Kingdom. A few weak fishermen will convert the whole world because of the divine power of the gospel." Let us examine the two parables for today's reading.

"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 love the parable of the mustard seed, because it gives us another perspective on sowing and harvesting. Each of the parables Jesus has taught in this sequence of readings (the Sower, the Wheat and the Tares, the Mustard Seed) has given us a glimpse of an aspect of the kingdom, of the word Jesus is teaching and preaching, his good news. In this one, sowing and harvesting is shown to the effect of giving us a glimpse of the power of its growth. The mustard seed does not exactly become a tree but rather a great and sturdy shrub, so indeed the birds can nest in its branches. This parable is not only about the great growth of the kingdom in the world, but also can be likened to its growth in us. Once it takes root in the heart, there is no telling how far it can spread in our own awareness and growth, and the power of what we can do in turn to bring it to others through active works of love in myriad forms. The image of the birds of the air taking nest in the branches gives me a picture of safe haven for the gentle things, including angelic presence. It is a vivid, wonderful image of the capacity hidden in the tiny seeds, in the word of the gospel.

"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." This, again, is a powerful metaphor about growth - and transformation. Leaven is a transforming agent, that once mixed in any form of dough creates an action of change: usually lightening and softening because of the enzymatic action of the leaven, transforming the entire quantity of meal in the parable. Once again, we are to understand Jesus' words, his gospel, as a powerful agent of transformation - within a community, within the world, within ourselves. In this case, perhaps a few people (such as the apostles) will transform a community, and the known world. Its measured start creates immeasurable effects that transform the whole. It is a story of energy and power contained in this agent of change, and the effects it creates.

Finally, we are given a quotation: "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world." It is from Psalm 78:2. Jesus explains once again the power of his teaching in parables. He reveals what has not been revealed - through language that speaks to the inmost self that perceives spiritual reality. This leaven, and the mustard seed, as he has explained through his parables, is something that must take hold in us. We are capable of understanding at once through this transformational activity, and at the same time through our own deep hidden choices. Somewhere in our hearts, we ask to know, to receive, our hearts are open to wisdom. The notion of hard-heartedness, again, must be reviewed. We ask and we shall receive. If we refuse, if we do not want to know or to perceive spiritual wisdom (and of course this includes an understanding of love and relationship), then we are "hard-hearted." We take all the parables together that we have so far received, and we understand the rootedness of the seeds, the fermentation and transformational activity of the leaven, the powerful growth of the mustard seed. It all begins with our "yes" to the action of grace, when we open the door of our hearts. How will this seed take root in you? How will you embrace the transforming action of the leaven? These are the questions that, to me, Jesus asks of all of us. At the same time, he is teaching about its powerful growth - the reality of the kingdom is one that takes on the world and transforms and builds. The myriad birds of the air that may make their nests in the mustard "tree" testify to the new forms of holiness, the gifts that can be received. Its ever-growing nature is in the transforming agent of the leaven: as we are changed, as community changes and grows, we will see its action, its bubbles permeating and transforming, lightening and softening, growing new action and new forms of holiness in its effect.

How does growth and transformation affect your life? To what new things do you open the door when you receive the word, in faith? This is an ongoing process, not one written in stone - static and complete in one fell swoop. No, it is something that takes hold, and grows, with a growth that never stops as long as we keep saying our "yes" to its grace. Its growth will surprise us, and what we can do in its spirit can amaze. Be that sturdy shrub with its branches, allow its leaven to permeate, and see what it can do in you, and in your life.