This past Monday, we studied the Parables of the Mustard seed and Yeast. (Matt. 13:31-35) These are the second and third parables in a series of six that talk about what the kingdom of God is like. In the parable of the wheat and the tares, we find out that the present aspect of the kingdom of God is characterized by bad mixed in with good. Jesus’ interpretation of the parable helps us to understand exactly what we are seeing in our own time period.
The parable covered this past Monday was on the mustard seed. This parable is not interpreted by Jesus. I think however that sufficient clues have been given to us in the previous parables. A mustard seed is a spice plant that, by its nature, should not grow to the enormous size it does in this parable. But this is a beautiful description of the church; not the true church, which is the body of Christ, but the outward church. You might call it Christiandom. The birds represent evil, or the devil. The teaching that Jesus reveals to he people is an outward church structure that will be marked by evil feeling very comfortable in its branches.
The parable of the woman and the yeast is looking at the same outward church, but the focus of this parable is on the inward teaching of the church. Much false teaching has been incorporated into the church over the millenium. We are also told in the Scriptures that as time goes on, this corruption will only grow worse. Compare to 2 Peter 2:1-3, I Tim. 4:1-5, 2 Tim. 4:3, Matt. 7: 15-20, I John 2:18-23, Acts 20:19-31, Jude.
In summary, Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of heaven as seen in Matthew’s gospel is a very gloomy, but accurate description of what we see going on in the church today. The next two parables are still focused on the kingdom of heaven, but Jesus shows us that even though we see all the bad, God sees the good.
