This past weekend at Eastbrook, I continued our series, “Stories of the Kingdom: Parables of Jesus,” by looking at the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast in Matthew 13:31-33. These two small, parallel parables open up to us some profound realities about God’s kingdom.

You can find the message video and outline below. You can also view the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

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“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.’”  (Matthew 13:31)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)

• The small size of the mustard seed – the smallest seed that Jews at the time would regularly plant in their gardens
• The external growth of the seed into a tree (10-12 feet tall)
• The word from Ezekiel 17:22-24 – the nations gathered in

The Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33)

• The small size of the yeast – hidden on the inside
• The internal transformation of the dough

Kingdom Perspective

• Don’t despise small beginnings
• Don’t rule out unseen possibilities

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Dig Deeper:

This week dig deeper into Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed and the yeast in one or more of the following ways:

• Journal about one or both of these parables, expressing your thoughts about them, what God is teaching you through them, as well as your prayers to God about them.
• Draw, paint, or ink the parables as a way of reflecting on what Jesus is saying and praying about your own response to the Lord.
• Set aside some time this week to make bread with a friend or family member. As you do that, consider the role of the yeast in the dough and what that speaks about the kingdom of God. Give the bread to someone else as a gift.
• Look up or purchase some mustard seed. Share the parable of the mustard seed with someone and give them a mustard seed or two when you do that.