Luke 13:18-21

Parables of mustard seed and leaven -- Luke 13:18-21: Jesus described the Kingdom of heaven as when a person planted a mustard seed in a garden. The seed grows as big as a tree and birds nest in its branches. Even though the church had a small beginning it spread throughout the world. God's work grows to fulfillment no matter how small the beginning. Many might be prejudiced against the cause of Christ because they would assume some great beginning. The church started as a small seed but it greatly increased. It is strong enough to receive all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds.

Another illustration used by Jesus was that of a woman putting leaven in three measures of meal. Leaven is often used in a bad way in the New Testament. In Matthew 16:6 we read, "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:6) The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1) In 1 Corinthians 5:6 we read, "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6) "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Corinthians 5:8) Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is "Like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." Here leaven seems to be used in a good way to show a contrast between small beginnings and large results. The meal or dough with which leaven is mixed takes on the property of the leaven. Just so a soul changed by the grace of God takes on the likeness of God's Son.