“The Impact of the Kingdom!”

After hearing the parable of the Sower and of the Wheat and Weeds, the disciples no doubt wondered how the Kingdom of God would survive with so many folks either rejecting the message; beginning, but not remaining; or, as we learned last week, how would they deal with the attacks from “…the children of the evil one” (v.38b)?

“How could God’s people survive, much less thrive, in the midst of such unfavorable circumstances?” – John MacArthur.

Which was a very good question!

Long before Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion, it was evident that the Jewish leaders rejected His claims to be Messiah! It also seemed clear that while the crowds followed Him, they did not understand Jesus’ true mission and nature, and that their commitment to Him was superficial!

His disciples would be a handful against the nation of Israel and the Empire of Rome!

Perhaps it was in RESPONSE to these concerns that Jesus spoke two parables that emphasize that small things can have far-reaching impact!

Think of the music we just sang together. Western music is composed of only twelve notes (the seven basic and their five sharps/flats), and yet every symphony, hymn, song, or piece of music is made up of various combinations and octaves of those same few notes!

In an immeasurably more dramatic and important way, God would demonstrate through the Kingdom of God—through the Church how a handful of believers, each with their own weaknesses and failings in themselves, would in His power turn the world upside down!

The Kingdom of Heaven would GROW and PROSPER despite Satan’s opposition and would ultimately permeate and influence the whole world in Jesus’ Name!

Matthew 13:31–32 CSB

He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

I. The Parable of the MUSTARD SEED! – (13:31-32)

A. The WHAT is a Man Sowing a Tiny Mustard Seed!

When Jesus states, “It’s the smallest of all the seeds…”, He is referring to seeds typically sown in “…the garden” in Palestine at the time.

There are certainly flower seeds that are smaller than the mustard seed, but not garden seeds at the time (barley, wheat, lentils, beans, and other herbs). Compared to those seeds, the mustard seed is the smallest!

This parable has also been criticized for supposedly exaggerating the size of the mustard plant, referring to it as “…a tree” (v.32b).

Many varieties of mustard plants are rather small bushes, but in Palestine the mustard plant often grows to a height of twelve to fifteen feet – (v.32b)!

Again, from MacArthur, “It is important to remember that Jesus’ purpose was not scientific, or technical, but rather proverbial.”

Because of the tiny size, the mustard seed was commonly used in the ancient Near East to represent things that were very small!

Matthew 17:20 CSB

“Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

– “…if you have faith the size of a mustard seed…”

B. The SO WHAT (Explanation) and NOW WHAT (Application)?

There is no written explanation from Jesus, but in the context of His teaching about the Kingdom, the meaning is self-evident: BIG THINGS START SMALL!

There are TWO obvious APPLICATIONS:

1. The Kingdom of Heaven, though at the start was small and seemingly insignificant, yet it quickly grew into a large body of believers!

That is the central lesson of this parable! During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the kingdom was almost imperceptible, because of both the number of its citizens and the nature of the kingdom!

Luke 17:20–21 CSB

When he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, ‘See here!’ or ‘There!’ For you see, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Think about it! When Jesus was born, he was placed in a manger—a feeding trough, amid cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, and other animals! He was truly, “born in a barn!”

The region of Judea, in which He was born, and Galilee, where He grew up were insignificant backwaters of the Roman empire!

And in the region of Galilee, Nazareth was among the least promising towns—a fact that prompted Nathanael to ask Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

NONE of the Twelve Disciples came from any prominent Jewish religious, economic, or social leadership! They were few in number, uneducated, fearful, slow to understand and believe, and would be considered unqualified to be leaders of a new kingdom!

When Jesus ascended to Heaven, His kingdom on earth was, both figuratively and relatively speaking, much smaller than a mustard seed!

AND YET –

Revelation 5:9–13 CSB

And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and you purchased people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing! I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

Revelation 7:9 CSB

After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.

Revelation 11:15 CSB

The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.

2. The Kingdom of Heaven will, and continues to be, a BLESSING to Others! – (v.32b)

Nesting birds carries the idea of protection, safety, refugee, provision, and sanctuary, which the mother bird provides for her young.

Again, the lesson is obvious: The Kingdom of Heaven will grow from tiny beginnings to a great tree that will become a place of shelter, protection, and benefit to all who would make their habitation there!

DESPITE great opposition, represented by the bad soils and the weeds/tares, God’s Kingdom will start small and spread in power and influence to become victorious!

“How is God doing this?”

Matthew 13:33 CSB

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.”

II. The Parable of the LEAVEN – (13:33)

A. The WHAT?

As always, Jesus constructed the parable out of the common experiences of His hearers.

In every household “…a woman” responsible for baking would save a piece of “leaven” from a risen batch just before it was baked. When the next batch of dough was mixed, she “…took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour” the piece she saved to introduce yeast to make it rise!

Which is, the Biblical amount of bread! This is about the same amount Abraham asked Sarah to make for the Lord and the two angelic visitors in (Genesis 18:6), and the amount Gideon prepared before the angel of the Lord at Ophrah in (Judges 6:19).

B. The SO WHAT and NOW WHAT?

As in the previous parable, the lessons are obvious:

1. Small things have great INFLUENCE!

In the same way that a small piece of leavened dough can permeate a large batch, the smallest part of the kingdom of God is sure to have influence because it contains the power of God’s own Spirit!

2. The influence is POSITIVE!

Leavened bread—yeast bread has always been considered tastier and more enjoyable than unleavened!

To symbolize the break with their former life in Egypt, God commanded the nation of Israel to eat only unleavened bread during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began on Passover and lasted seven days.

But they ate leavened bread the rest of the year and it was perfectly acceptable!

When a Jewish girl was married, her mother would give her a small piece of the leavened dough from a batch baked just before the wedding. From that gift the bride would bake bread for her own household throughout her married life!

This simple gift was among the most cherished the bride received, because it represented the love and blessing of the household she grew up in!

3. The positive influence COMES FROM WITHIN!

The leaven must be “mixed in” to have any impact!

John 17:14–18 CSB

I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

– We are to be in the world, but not of the world!

Never underestimate the power of the life of Jesus in you!

SENDING PRAYER:

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.