The Lord now puts forth another parable. “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.” Mustard in Palestine will grow ten feet high, quite large enough for the birds to come and rest in its branches. The figure of a tree has often been used in Scripture for a great power on earth, such as Egypt (Ezek. 31) and Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4). That which professed the name of Christ, while it had such a humble beginning as regards this world, has become a system of vast power and influence in the earth. Furthermore, the emissaries of Satan, which preyed on the seed that Christ sowed (see verses 4 and 19), are found sheltered by that which is seen in its outward form as the kingdom of heaven.
Again, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Leaven is always used in Scripture as a type of evil. It would seem to all outward appearances that she was preparing food for the household. The three measures of meal would perhaps present Christ in His perfection — three speaking of completeness — as the food of God’s children. Here, through carelessness or evil intent, corruption has been allowed to enter and remain until all is corrupted. We can see in the church the sad effects of corrupting the Word of God, and these things are allowed to go on unchecked. Thus we have the Lord disclosing the sad end of the outward effect of the kingdom of heaven in this world.
Mercy, Love and Judgment
In explaining the parable of the tares, the Lord tells His disciples that “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” The tare is a noxious weed resembling wheat, and answers to those who, while professing to be Christians, nevertheless show by their ways that there is no real faith in them. When Christianity began to grow popular in the world, instead of being persecuted and a reproach, we read of great crowds being brought in. Now there are vast multitudes in Christendom today who are mere professors and not possessors of Christ.
The servants had asked in verse 28 if they should go and gather up the tares, but the master tells them no, lest they root up the wheat also. The Lord has not yet come to judge the earth, but to save souls. Believers now are called to be witnesses of the mercy of God and of the love of Jesus to the world. This does not refer to discipline in the assembly, for there it is not a question of whether one is saved or lost, but whether one’s ways are contrary to the Word of God.
Further Meditation
1. Where else in Scripture is leaven used as a picture of evil?
2. Did New Testament Christians find prominent positions in the Roman world of their day?
3. For a simple presentation of what the church was meant to be, consider The Church of God as Found in the Scriptures by C. Stanley.