Small Things

The PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED is mentioned three times. We find it in:

• Matthew 13:31-35

• Mark 4:30-32

• Luke 13:18

The Lord must have considered this parable to be important to allow it to be mentioned three different times in the Scriptures.

We want to look at Matt. 13:31-35, we read, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

Notice, the Lord takes two things:

• The Mustard Seed

• The Leaven

He uses them to teach us a spiritual lesson. These were two things that his audience was familiar with.

WHAT DID THE LORD TEACH THEM ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD FROM A MUSTARD SEED AND LEAVEN?

A very important lesson. These two parables are so easy to understand that the Lord does not interpret what they mean. However, in Chapter 16 He does touch on what the Leaven represents.

But the reason He does not go into a big explanation of what these parables mean is because the meaning of these parables is obvious.

What can mustard seeds and leaven teach us about the kingdom of God? Basically the reason He gave us these two parables was to teach us what the song writer said, “Little is much if God is in it!”

That is, God can take something that is small and insignificant and make it into something GREAT!

By using the MUSTARD SEED and the LEAVEN He is showing us how this can be done in a POSITIVE manner and in a NEGATIVE manner!

I. LOOK AT THE POSITIVE (The Mustard Seed)

Look again at verses 31-32, we read, “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”

There are several kinds of mustard seeds that have to be considered as we look at this parable of the Mustard Seed.

(1) Many of the botanists suggest that the kind the scripture is speaking of here is “The Khardah” mustard seed.

• This particular seed is known among all the various kinds of seeds as the smallest in size

• It is known to grow from a small seed to a tree 10 to 15 feet tall that attracted the birds

(2) Westminster Dictionary of the Bible suggest that the seed that the Bible is speaking of is the common mustard seed that is in Palestine, which was the “Sinapis Nigra”, or black mustard.

According to the Westminster Dictionary of the Bible, it grows wild, attaining the height of a horse and rider. “…it is also cultivated in gardens for its seed, which is used as a condiment."

The type of the seed is not important. What is important is that both of these seeds were known to be the smallest of seeds and grew very rapidly into trees that the birds of the air could land on and receive nourishment from.

Many have the idea that:

• Everything that is big has always been big

• Everything that is successful has always been successful

But this is not the case.

Illus: Look at the success of Bill Gates. Bill Gates dominates the home computer market. He is known around the world for his success, but he was not always successful.

Before his success came into existence, he was a student at Harvard. He, and his friend Paul Allen, came to recognize that the home computer business was preparing to prosper because many folks wanted them in their homes. They recognized that people would soon have computers in their homes just as they have radios and televisions.

He quit Harvard Law school and he began to read everything he could get his hands on that dealt with computers.