Yeshua compares the kingdom of God to both a mustard seed and leaven. As with all parables, they are not to be taken too literally, but they make an important point.
Parables of Mustard Seed and Leaven
18So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19“It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES.”
20And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21“It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”
The kingdom of God, when we first accept it, may be a very small part of our lives. However, once it takes root in our hearts and minds it grows large and is very significant part of our lives. It can not be “missed” if it truly lies within us. It is not a subtle or private part of our lives. It dominates our lives as the mustard tree would dominate a garden.
The comparison of leaven is similar, but quite ironic. Often leaven is used to represent sin, as in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, Yeshua here compares leaven to the kingdom of God. A little bit of leaven affects the whole loaf dramatically. Similarly, if the kingdom of God takes root in our hearts it has dramatic effect on all of our lives. We are changed wholly, not just in part. We can not compartmentalize the kingdom of God to one part of our lives and ignore it for other parts.
If we can live our lives as “silent” or “private” Christians, never revealing to anyone our faith so as to avoid conflict or “get along with everyone”, then we must really question if the kingdom of God is truly in our hearts and minds at all. If we truly follow Yeshua, then we submit to Him in all areas of our lives.
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