Reflections from the Pew 145

After the top ten Old Testament stories, we are now looking at the top ten Parables. These stories are are so well known that we sometimes forget their simple message. At number 4 is The Mustard Seed.

It is found in Matt 13:31-32 which is also found in Matthew’s and Mark’s gospel. It is followed by the parable of The Yeast.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

The Parable of the Yeast

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.

Both of these parables show how Jesus used everyday things to tell his stories. People could therefore understand and remember them. Today we are unfamiliar with the Mustard tree.

They both also show how not to worry about being small, small things can have an enormous effect and they can grow. This could be like the Christian community.