Luke 13:18-21 (NKJV), 18 “Then He said, ‘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 put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’ 20 And again He said, ‘To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven (yeast), which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.’”
The mustard seed and the leaven (yeast) are unfavorable pictures.
The nominal church began as a small seed or as a little yeast. Then designing people decided that “churches” should appeal to every person. In the early church, humble fishermen (the apostles) were leaders. However, in the great nominal church, prominent schools of theology were developed. Ministers with doctorates in divinity gained positions of status and power. “Churches” were identified as big beautiful buildings in order to draw in large numbers of people. Whereas, we know that the true church is composed of a “little flock” of saints. Presently, the gospel is preached to call and develop only the saints. The conversion of the world will happen during Christ’s reign.
In the mustard seed parable, the fowls that nested in the mustard tree included unclean birds of prey and other birds. This means that both the consecrated and unconsecrated populated these denominations.
The Apostle John identified worldly, power-hungry people as unclean, hated birds. Revelation 18:2 (NKJV), “…Babylon the great (nominal Christendom) is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!”
The second parable pictures sin as leaven. Paul elaborated on the symbol of leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6, 8 (NKJV). “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? … Therefore let us keep the feast (the memorial of Jesus’s death), not with old leaven (Adamic sin), nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
In this parable, a little yeast was placed in three loaves. The three loaves are faith, hope, and love. But these important doctrines were corrupted by prideful men.
Both parables teach that the “kingdom of God” would be perverted. As the tiniest mustard seed grows into a huge tree, so a little seed grew up into a great “church” system. And the yeast of sin grew pride as the church nominal (spiritual Babylon) grew in earthly power and glory.
