Matthew 13:31-35 NRSVue
31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden since the foundation.”,
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Reflection on Matthew 13:31-35
Inspiration from 2026-07-27 Daily Prayer
It’s staggering to think how much Jesus managed to achieve in one short life, and the mustard seed gives us some idea of what can be generated from very small beginnings. We must try not to become paralysed or despondent, just because our output is limited or less than we intended to achieve.
Further reflection
These are the most comforting of parables, because they show the kingdom of heaven as organic, with its own life-force: growing by trickling increment beyond all our expectations, inviting all sorts of birds onto its branches; and growing secretly like yeast in a loaf.