Matthew 13:31-33; Psalm 107:10-16

Matthew 13:31-33
Here we find two more very short parables. Like the other parables in this series, they are about "the kingdom of heaven." It seems to me that this phrase has to do with how the Gospel would go out into the world. If you think about the ones we've already seen including the sowing of the seeds and the opposition of Satan, this seems to be true.

The parable of the mustard seed is found in vv. 31-32. The mustard seed was the smallest seed used by farmers of that day. It produced a large leafy plant, but not a sturdy tree. Jesus did not explain this particular parable and so we look at the other parable for hints. The birds in the parable of the sower represented Satan--remember they snatched away the seed. And so we can assume they mean the same here. This parable seems to indicate that the kingdom of heaven might experience a counterfeit growth--not based on the truth of the Bible. When this happens, Satan can work and deceive people with false teaching.

The parable of the leaven is similar. v. 33 Throughout the Bible, leaven (or yeast) is used as a symbol of sin and evil. This is why Jewish people eat unleavened bread during Passover. Jesus used leaven to symbolize hypocrisy and false teaching. And so I think it's appropriate here to see this particular parable as a warning against false teaching which can so easily spread--just as yeast spreads throughout a lump of dough. Satan loves to deceive people. As believers, we must depend on God's Word. We should evaluate every teaching that comes our way according to the Bible so that we don't allow the leaven of false teaching to lead us in the wrong way.

Psalm 107:10-16                           
Just to remind you, we are looking at four kinds of people whom God rescues because of His great love and mercy. Last time we looked at the wanderers. Today we consider the prisoners. vv. 10-15 These poor souls were suffering because of their own rebellion against God. I guess you could say they were getting what they deserved, but God still showed them great love and compassion. "Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress." Some "prisons" where people find themselves are not made with walls or chains. People can become enslaved to drugs or alcohol or other substances. They (we) can be chained to our work or our possessions or our anxieties or any number of difficulties. But we should take heart. When we cry out to the Lord, He will bring us out of "darkness and the deepest gloom" and break away our chains! v. 14 Another thought I had was that sometimes people are imprisoned for false accusations. And sometimes Christians are imprisoned for their faith. If God is merciful to the guilty how much more will He hear the cries of the innocent!

For our meditation:  "...give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron." Psalm 107:15-16