Christian Art | Parables Of The Grain Of Mustard Seed And The Leaven
Mathew 13: 31-35 – Week 17 Ordinary Time, Monday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Verse)
31 ¶ 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:
32 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.
33 ¶ 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.
34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 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.
Cf. Luke 13: 18-21. The two parables make it clear that Christ intended the newly inaugurated phase of the history of our salvation to be the work of ages. His second coming was not to be an apocalyptic end of the world as we know it in weeks, months or just a few years after that first Easter. The world’s faith would grow with time. Christ’s Church would grow, to encompass the whole world. Christ intended the Gospel be preached to everyone the world over and through all subsequent history.
Jesus teaches the disciples these parables to give them confidence. The beginnings of Christianity must have seemed very small, with just a little group of disciples to carry God’s word to the nations, but just as a little mustard seed grows to become a tree, or as a small lump of leaven causes the whole new dough to ferment and rise, so the disciples can believe that the Lord is with them and the preaching of the Gospel will spread despite everything.
The seed, cast into the ground, as it were dies and is buried, then the new life grows. The leaven is hidden in the flour, and the whole of the dough is leavened. The parables anticipate Christ’s death and resurrection. This is their hidden meaning, which will be fully revealed through the events of Easter.
Additionally: Just as Jesus teaches in these parables of that which is small becoming great, through the process of being hidden, in the earth or in the as yet unleavened dough, so Jesus teaches us, as the Gospel Evangelist teaches us, that the parables themselves reveal that which has been hidden, drawing the listener from a particular instance, readily recognizable from everyday life, to an understanding of matters of deep spiritual and cosmic significance.
We think in this context of God’s previous interventions in history, particularly his revealing himself to the people of Israel, and the giving of the Law to Moses. Humanity had fallen away from our first easy knowledge of God. Thenceforth, it was for God to manifest himself gradually in history, giving the Law, calling and guiding the chosen people, while in many ways remaining obscure, awaiting the time we should be ready to receive a more complete revelation.
Now, in the person of Jesus, that which was hidden has been revealed. Jesus, the new Torah, is God fully present among us, enabling our salvation, such that, to those who are of good disposition, the truth is now fully revealed. As we listen to the parables, we listen to Jesus revealing himself and calling us, through the texture of everyday life, through which we may now discover God with us, Christ our brother drawing us to him, to complete our lives, unveiling the truth of our relationship with God, helping us toward being perfect.
Concluding Prayer
Lord, be the beginning and end
of all that we do and say.
Prompt our actions with your grace,
and complete them with your all-powerful help.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
Parables Of The Kingdom Of Heaven
The Parables of the Grain of Mustard Seed and the Leaven are two related parables told by Jesus. They serve as illustrations of the transformative power of God’s kingdom and are among the many parables of Jesus that hold a significant place in the teachings of Christianity.
The Parable of the Grain of Mustard Seed is found in Matthew 13:31-32 and Mark 4:30. In this parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed, which, although it is small, grows into a large tree where birds can come and find shelter. The parable emphasizes the transformative power of the Gospel and the growth of God’s kingdom from small beginnings. It is to encourage Christians to trust in the growth of the Gospel – indeed to know that this is Jesus of Nazareth, such an obscure little place, and that from Nazareth he is sent to redeem the whole world.
The Parable of the Leaven is found in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21. In this parable, Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a woman who took leaven and mixed it into three measures of flour until all of it was leavened. This parable is often interpreted as a warning against complacency in one’s faith and the need to seek continually the transformative power of God’s Kingdom. According to some religious authorities and scholars, the leaven symbolizes the transformative power of the gospel to change lives and bring us to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The parables are related in that they emphasize the transformative power of God’s kingdom and the increase of the Gospel. The Christian Cross and other Christian gifts serve as a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the ultimate victory of good over evil. The teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ stress the importance of living a righteous life in accordance with God’s will, and Christian prayer is an important part of this process.
An understanding of the meaning of parables is that within the context of engagement with the parables we are present with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane – toward crucifixion of Jesus and hence redemption.
In the Bible, a miracle is an event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency. Miracles are often seen as a sign of the intervention of God in the affairs of human beings. In the Old Testament, the most famous miracles are the Ten Plagues of Egypt, in which God punished the Pharaoh for refusing to release the Israelites from slavery, and the parting of the Red Sea, in which God allowed the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptians by opening a path through the sea. In the New Testament, the miracles of Jesus are a central part of his ministry and are seen as evidence of his divinity. These include healings, such as the restoration of sight to the blind and the raising of the dead, and acts of nature, such as turning water into wine and walking on water. Is There A Theological Significance To Jesus’ Miracles? In the Christian tradition, the miracles performed by Jesus are seen as a manifestation of his divinity and as proof of his authority to teach and heal. Many of these miracles are described in the Gospels of the New Testament, which are the primary source of information about the life and teachings of Jesus. The purpose of the miracles, according to the Gospels, was to demonstrate Jesus’ power over natural forces and to show that he had the authority to forgive sins and offer salvation to those who believed in him. Why Did Jesus Ask To Keep His Miracles Secret? ‘Tell No One Of This.’ In the Gospels, there are a few instances where Jesus tells people not to tell others about what he has done for them. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus healed a man who was possessed by demons, he told the man, ‘See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a proof to them’ (Matthew 8:4). In this case, it seems that Jesus was concerned that the man’s testimony might not be believed or might be misunderstood, and so he asked him to keep the experience to himself for the time being. It is difficult to say for sure why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle without knowing the specific context in which the request was made. However, some possible reasons that come to mind include: To avoid drawing unnecessary attention to himself. In the Gospels, Jesus often tries to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, especially from the authorities who are hostile to him. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding unwanted attention and allowing Jesus to continue his ministry without interference. To allow the person who was healed to experience the transformation for themselves. In some cases, the person who was healed might have been skeptical or unsure of what had happened to them. Asking them to keep quiet about the miracle might have given them time to reflect on the experience and come to their own understanding of it without being influenced by others. To test the person’s faith. In some cases, Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle as a test of their faith. If they were truly grateful for what Jesus had done for them, they would be willing to follow his instructions and trust that he had a good reason for asking them to keep quiet. These are just a few possible reasons why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle. It is important to remember that the Gospels are ancient texts and that we must be careful not to impose our own interpretations on them without considering the historical and cultural context in which they were written. To avoid creating conflict or division. In the Gospels, Jesus often encounters people who are skeptical or hostile to his teachings, and he sometimes tries to avoid confrontations with them. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding a confrontation or a heated debate that could disrupt his ministry. To avoid being misunderstood or misrepresented. In some cases, the person who was healed might not have understood the full significance of what Jesus had done for them, and they might have tried to explain it in a way that distorted or misrepresented the truth. Asking them to keep quiet might have given Jesus time to explain things to them more fully and help them to understand the true meaning of the miracle. To avoid becoming a spectacle. In the Gospels, there are many instances where people are amazed by the miracles that Jesus performs, and they often try to make him into a kind of celebrity or showman. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might have been one way of avoiding this kind of attention and keeping the focus on the message that Jesus was trying to convey. What Is The Significance Of Miracle Of The Wedding At Cana? In the Christian tradition, the wedding at Cana is significant because it is the first of the miracles performed by Jesus that is recorded in the Gospels of the New Testament. This event is described in the Gospel of John, where it is said that Jesus, along with his mother Mary and his disciples, attended a wedding in the town of Cana. At the wedding, the host ran out of wine, and Mary asked Jesus to help. In response, Jesus turned water into wine, which is seen as a miraculous act that demonstrated his power and authority. In the Gospel of John, after Mary asks Jesus to help with the wine at the wedding in Cana, he replies, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). 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