Luke 13:18-21

Butler's Comments

SECTION 3

Repentance in Destiny (Luke 13:18-21)

18 He said therefore, What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which 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? 21It is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.

Luke 13:18-19 Infamous Kingdom: Jewish rabbis and politicians expected the messianic kingdom of God to begin in splendor, hugeness and power. Jesus tells this audience, especially the officials of the synagogue, that the messianic kingdom will begin very unpretentiously. It will begin like the tiny, speck-like mustard seed, but it will grow into a great tree. The Greek word for mustard seed, is sinapi, a word of Egyptian origin. The domestic mustard plant was known as sinapis nigra. The seed was well known for its minuteness. In good soil the plant often attained a height of 10 or 12 feet and had branches in which birds could nest or perch. The tree is a familiar figure of speech in the O.T. to portray a grand, great, benevolent kingdom (cf. Daniel 4:10-27; Ezekiel 17:22-23; Ezekiel 31:6; Ezekiel 31:12).

That the messianic kingdom of God could arrive at such greatness with such an unpretentious beginning through the Rabbi from Nazareth and His fishermen-disciples was incredible to the apocalyptic-minded Jews of that day. While Jesus Himself was in His fleshly ministry, a statistical review of His hard countable successes would have confirmed their estimate of failure. Jesus-' kingdom did not reach the proportions of a tree while He was here on earth. God's messianic kingdom must, by its very nature, begin unpretentiously. It does not have its origin in force, but in the acceptance of His word by free choice. His kingdom is not concerned primarily with any of this world's riches or fame, but in character and eternity. It has no power-structures through which men must climb to the top. Its King proved that greatness is found in humble service for others. God's great universal kingdom began in Palestine, the most obscure, despised and unlikely province of the glorious Roman empire of the first century. Its founder was a Jew, from Nazareth, in Galileea carpenter's son, despised and hated by His own political leaders. Both He and His principal assistants were unknown, unschooled, uninfluential people. They had no army, no budget, no capital city and no support from the masses. But after the death of its founder, this kingdom grew and grew and permeated the whole world (cf. Romans 16:25-26; Colossians 1:6; Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Acts 28:22; Acts 17:6, etc.). But that is the way God chose to conquer (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29) and conquer He did! In Paul's day some even of Caesar's own household had come into this universal kingdom (cf. Philippians 1:12-13)!

Luke 13:20-21 Infectious Kingdom: The Greek word for leaven is zume. It is sour dough in a high state of fermentation. Today's housewife uses yeast. Such fermentation makes bread dough rise giving it lightness and flavor. Unleavened bread is heavy, hard and tasteless. Leaven is used in the scriptures mostly to symbolize defilement or uncleannessto characterize the pervasive nature of evil. In this case, however, the only point to be symbolized is the infectious, contagious nature of the messianic kingdom of God. The small, insignificant kingdom provides spiritual leavening for the whole world. Quietly, silently, unobtrusively the truth of Jesus made its way into the hearts of men and women. The word of God is like leaven. It works slowly (cf. Mark 4:26-32), unseen in its working, but dynamically. It transforms as it permeates. God's truth, heralded by the church, has its influence in all of human culture (e.g. politics, commerce, science, arts, etc.), as well as in the transformation of individual people into the image of Christ, (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 16:19; Romans 16:26; Colossians 1:6; Colossians 1:23; Revelation 11:15; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Even by the time the apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Colossians (about 60 A.D.) this leaven-like working of the Gospel had infected the known civilized world (Colossians 1:6; Colossians 1:23) and by 313 A.D. (the edict of Constantine) it had conquered Western civilization. The Jews expected the messianic kingdom to be established almost instantaneously, spectacularly, powerfully and Jewishly. Never did they expect it to come slowly, quietly and universally. The Jews expected God to signal with some cosmic, catastrophic upheaval of political structuresthey were so accustomed to God working through such natural spectacles they could hardly envision Him working otherwise. Elijah looked for God to come in an earthquake or stormbut God came in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12). The prophet Zechariah had to remind the people of his day that God most often works not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6). Jesus cautioned the Jews that the kingdom would come not with observation, but within the hearts of men (Luke 17:20-21; Romans 14:17).

There are very important lessons for all followers of Jesus to learn from these two parables, First, we must not despise the smallness of things in the kingdom, God works with things small in the eyes of men (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:1-31). Second, we must not try to make the kingdom into some humanistic, big-time, proud, world-like corporation and manipulate or regiment men and women. The kingdom works like leaven. All that is necessary is that the Word of God make contact with the hearts of menthe Word itself is the only agent able to transform the dough, (cf. Hebrews 4:11-13, John 6:63, James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:22-24, etc.). Third, we must believe that the kingdom, though its beginnings are small and its working is unnoticed, will become great and accomplish its purpose and endure forever. These parables permit no pessimism or despondency. Men may take the good things of God's creation (like the Sabbath) and violently pervert them and it may appear that such evil men control God's kingdom. But the truth of the matter is, things are not as they appear. God's kingdom does not operate as the kingdoms of menbut His kingdom will survive and conquer.

Applebury's Comments

What is the Kingdom Like?
Scripture

Luke 13:18-21 He said therefore, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I liken it? 19 It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches thereof.

20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.

Comments

He said therefore.The response of the people to the miracle of healing the woman suggested the growth of the kingdom as illustrated by these parables. It is true that Matthew records them in another context which simply shows that Jesus used the parables more than once.

It is like unto a grain of mustard seed.The seed is small but the plant that grows from it is large enough for birds to build their nests in. Jesus had planted the seed of the kingdom, the Word of God; the people were already beginning to praise God for the things that He was doing for them.

When the kingdom was ushered in on the Day of Pentecost, the beginning was in reality small, for only three thousand out of the many that had heard the Lord or who may have heard the apostles responded to the gospel. Soon the number came to be about five thousand; then a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). Ultimately, it will be a countless number that will wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb and make them white (Revelation 7:9-17). In triumph, the voices of heaven said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 11:15).

It is like unto leaven.While the parable of the Mustard Seed shows the visible, outward growth of the kingdom as presented in the history of Acts and the prophecy of Revelation, the parable of the Leaven shows how this growth is to be accomplished. See note on Luke 12:1. The teaching of Jesus was already transforming the lives of people. The record in Acts shows how the gospel as it was preached by the apostles transformed lives of men and women. The transforming power of the gospel is equally effective today. But the gospel must be preached, for the leaven must be hid in the meal. The church loses sight of its mission when it turns aside to any other issue than the effective implanting of the leaven of God's Word in the minds and hearts of people.