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Luke 13:18–21
“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches” (vv. 18–19).
For eighteen years, Satan had control over the Jewish woman whose healing is described in Luke 13:10–17. Jesus broke the devil’s hold on her, restoring her ability to walk upright. Christ, in effect, rescued her from demonic oppression and granted her the blessings of the kingdom of God.
That created the perfect opportunity for Jesus to deliver some teaching on the kingdom of God, as we see in today’s passage. Our Savior compares the kingdom of God to a seed that grows into a mustard tree and to leaven that is worked through measures of flour (vv. 18–21). As we will see, the main point of these parables is to describe how the kingdom comes and grows.
The mustard plant that Jesus describes starts out small, just a tiny seed, but then becomes a tree ranging anywhere from four to ten feet tall. In the parable, our Lord focuses on the difference between the small beginnings of the kingdom and its final, mature size (vv. 18–19). The kingdom of God breaks into human history in a manner that is hardly discernible, but like a tree, it will grow slowly and steadily larger. It does not come all at once in a grand display but arrives in seed form and takes time to reach full maturity. When Jesus inaugurated God’s kingdom, He came as an individual in a tiny, insignificant part of the mighty Roman Empire (Galilee), gathering a small following of twelve Apostles. Yet from those humble beginnings, the kingdom has grown to become the worldwide church and is continuing to grow in our day. Notably, the parable speaks of birds’ finding shelter in the branches of the mustard tree. The kingdom of God provides protection to the peoples of the world who enter it by faith in Christ alone.
Jesus’ parable of the leaven makes a similar point. Just as the small measure of leaven that a woman puts into flour eventually comes to characterize everything made with the flour, so the kingdom of God starts in one corner of the world and then spreads across the globe until it shows up everywhere (vv. 20–21). The Lord’s kingdom starts in one place but will not be confined to that one place. It will certainly spread out through the mission of the church so that it will be found in every place and include members of every tribe and tongue (see Isa. 60:1–3; Rev. 7:9–17). It will take time for this to happen, but no one will be able to stop its growth.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Today’s passage shows that we should not be surprised at the kingdom’s slow growth. We are not to grow impatient and change the methods that God has given to extend His kingdom but are to continue the steady work of making disciples by teaching the Word of God. Matthew Henry comments that we “must give [the kingdom] time, wait for the issue of the preaching of the gospel to the world, and you will find it does wonders, and alters the property of the souls of men.”
for further study
- Psalm 104
- Ezekiel 17:22–24
- Matthew 13:31–33
- 1 Corinthians 3:1–9
the bible in a year
- Psalms 25–27
- Acts 20:17–38