MUSTARD SEED
MUSTARD SEED
(CP Mt 13:31-32) This parable is also found in Mk 4:30-32 and Lu 13:18-19. Jesus did not interpret this parable, nor the ones that follow in Mt 13, and consequently there are many contrasting views among Christians as to what they teach. Every view must be respected, but they cannot all be right, and we can only agree with those that are strictly grounded in scripture and conform to the principles of interpretation Jesus outlined for us in the two previous parables.
The most popular view of this parable is that the enormous growth of the tree from such a small seed illustrates the rapid spread of the gospel and the growth of Christianity throughout the earth from a very small beginning, with the figure of the birds of the air lodging in the branches of the tree as typifying new converts to Christianity finding shelter in the church. The problem with this view however is that it illustrates the growth of Christianity and the professing church in the earth, whereas Jesus used the mustard seed to illustrate the present earthly aspect of the kingdom of heaven, which as we learned earlier, having a much broader aspect than the professing church, covers the whole of human society (V32). The field represents the world here too the same as it does in the parable of the tares of the field, so the mustard seed represents the kingdom of heaven embracing all nations and filling all ages throughout the earth until Jesus' second coming at the end of this age.
Another view of this parable is that it teaches the destined greatness of the kingdom; that the kingdom fulfilled by Jesus now looks insignificant, but its greatness will be apparent in its consummation at the end of the age. This view is plausible but it does not harmonise with what Jesus teaches concerning the nature and development of the kingdom in the preceding two parables and the parables of "the leaven" and "the net" which follow in Mt 13. We learned earlier that in order to correctly interpret the parables of Jesus, we must study them in the context in which they are spoken, taking into account the teaching which precedes them, and that which follows.
In the parable of the sower Jesus showed us that as well as faithfulness and godliness among those who profess Christ, there will also be apostasy and worldliness, and in the parable of the tares of the field He showed us that the emissaries of Satan will always be present in the world in opposition to the children of the kingdom throughout the kingdom age. When studied in this context the parable of the mustard seed takes on a different meaning altogether to either of the views expressed above. It illustrates the abnormal growth of the kingdom from a small beginning to a vast sphere of operation for demon powers, represented by the birds of the air who lodge in the branches of the tree. As Jesus, when outlining the principles of interpretation used the figure of birds, or fowls of the air to symbolize demon powers in the parable of the sower, so too He uses them to symbolize demon powers here. Jesus would not use the same figure of speech in two different senses, making one parable contradict the teaching of another. The birds of the air do not represent the devil in one parable and Christians in another. The birds, or fowls of the air which lodge in the branches of the tree here, are a figure of the emissaries of Satan hiding behind the cloak of Christianity, disguised as apostles of Christ and ministers of righteousness (CP Mat 24:5 with 2Cor 11:13-15).
Satan has had to watch the spread of the gospel and the growth of Christianity throughout the earth from the time Jesus ushered in the kingdom, and he has ever sought to find a shelter in it. In the early centuries of church history he attacked the church from outside the kingdom, but when that failed to extinguish the light of the gospel he changed his tactics and moved his forces inside the kingdom, and since then countless millions of sincere people genuinely seeking the truth have been condemned to hell after being waylaid and deceived by his false apostles and caught up in their counterfeit Christianity.
LEAVEN, LEAVEN OF PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES, LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND OF THE LEAVEN OF THE HEROD
(CP Mt 13:33) This parable is also found in Lu 13:20-21. Leaven is a fermenting agent used in bread-making to make the dough rise. It requires time to fulfill the process, but once introduced to the dough it permeates the whole mass, and the process is irreversible. Because of its pervasive nature leaven signifies a corrupting influence among God's people, and throughout scripture it is used to symbolize evil. The common bread in the Old Testament was made with leaven and was acceptable as wave offerings to the priests, and as loaves to accompany the peace offerings (CP Lev 7:11-13; 23:17). However, leaven and honey, which is a fermenting agent too, and thus also a symbolic source of corruption in the Old Testament, were strictly forbidden to be used in any sacrifice made by fire unto God, because these were typical (a type) of the offering up of the sinless sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ (CP 2Cor 5:21). Typical bread representing Christ had to be unleavened (CP Lev 2:4, 11; 6:14-17).
Leaven was forbidden in all offerings to God by fire. Being bred of corruption and spreading through the mass into which it is introduced, and therefore symbolising the pervasive character of evil, leaven was utterly inconsistent in offerings which typified the propitiatory (atoning) sacrifice of Christ. Leaven was also forbidden to be used in the feast of unleavened bread which was celebrated in conjunction with the Old Testament Passover festival (CP Ex 12:14-20; 23:15; 34:18; De 16:1-4). The Passover festival commemorated God's deliverance of the children of Israel from the corruption of Egypt where they had been kept in bondage for over 400 years. The Passover Lamb was an Old Testament type of Christ (CP 1Cor 5:7).
In the New Testament leaven is symbolic of any evil influence in the church which, if allowed to remain, can corrupt the whole body of believers (CP V1-8). Paul uses leaven here in the same sense Jesus does - as a type of sin in its development (CP Mt 16:6-12). Here we have the parable of the Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Leaven here symbolizes false doctrines which can penetrate and influence the whole church (CP Ga 5:6-9). Here leaven typifies the harmful effects of false doctrine. Paul refers to it as a "persuasion" - something that exerts a powerful and moving influence - hindering men from obeying the truth of God (CP Lu 12:1-3). This is called the parable of the Leaven of the Pharisees. The hypocrisy that leaven symbolizes here is pretending to be something we are not - acting publicly as godly and faithful Christians when in reality we harbour sin, immorality, greed, lust and unrighteousness (CP Mk 8:15). This is the parable of the Leaven Of The Pharisees and of the Leaven of Herod. The word "Herod" in this context is used collectively of the Herodians - those belonging to the court of Herod Antipas, also known as Herod the Tetrarch - who combined with the Pharisees in an attempt to kill Jesus. The leaven here symbolizes the hypocrisy of both the Pharisees and the Herodians in asking Jesus for a sign although their minds were already made up to kill him (CP V11-12; 3:1-6).
Both Jesus and Paul use leaven to symbolize the pervasive character of evil permeating the professing church, which is the visible manifestation of the kingdom of heaven in its present earthly aspect, yet a great many Christians believe that in the parable of the leaven our Lord uses leaven in a good sense to symbolize the permeating effects of the gospel in Christianising the world. It seems incongruous that they could believe that because firstly, nowhere in scripture are we taught that the world will ever be Christianised. In fact the opposite is true - in the parable of the sower we learned that most people who hear the gospel will reject it, and this is the teaching throughout the whole of the New Testament (CP Mt 24:3-13; Ro 1:18-32; 2Th 2:7-12; 1Ti 4:1; 2Pe 3:3-4; Jude 17-19; Rev 3:14-16). Secondly, there is complete harmony in Jesus' parables concerning the nature and development of the kingdom in Mt 13, and it must be restated here that Jesus would never use a figure of speech in two different senses making one parable contradict the teaching of another. So, as leaven is symbolic of evil everywhere else in scripture, it is symbolic of evil in the parable of the leaven as well. Furthermore, the particular action of the woman in the parable hiding the leaven in the meal is a significant factor also in helping to interpret the parable. If the leaven represented something good, why hide it? The word "hid" means conceal. The meal typifies God's word and the leaven was concealed in it. It was not openly mixed in with the meal, but covertly introduced to it. This represents the subtle way in which the forces of Satan are at work in the kingdom spreading their corruptive influence by adulterating God's word and undermining its authority among professing Christians (CP Jude 3-4). Jesus' teaching concerning the nature and development of the kingdom of heaven in Mt 13 is quite clear - the kingdom will always be befouled by the presence and the plots of Satan.
Now let us summarise the teachings thus far: in the parable of the sower Jesus showed us that among those who profess God's name there will be apostasy and worldliness as well as faithfulness and godliness. In the parable of the tares of the field He showed us that the emissaries of Satan will always be present in the world alongside the children of the kingdom. In the parable of the mustard seed our Lord foretold the appearance of professed Christianity in its outward worldly form, and here, in the parable of the leaven He foreshows its - professed Christianity - internal corruption.