Rev. David Holwick ZB
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
August 2, 1992
Matthew 13:31-33
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I. Small beginnings.
Illustration - birth of Abraham Lincoln.
On a plaque marking Abraham Lincoln's birth place near Hodgenville,
Kentucky, is recorded this scrap of conversation:
"Any news down at the village, Ezry?"
"Well, Squire McLains's gone t' Washington t' see Madison swore
in as President.
And ol' Spellman tells me this Napoleon Bonaparte fella has
captured most of Spain.
What's new out here, neighbor?"
"Nuthin', nuthin' a'tall 'cept fer a new baby born t' Tom
Lincoln's.
Nothin' ever happens out here."
Some events may not create much earthly splash, but those of
lasting importance will eventually get the notice they deserve.
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II. Deceptively simple parables about small things.
A. Mustard seed.
1) Smallest seed? 13:32
a) Not literally, but proverbially.
1> (orchid?) seed is smaller.
2> Jesus is not giving a gardening lesson.
b) Proverbial smallness used in metaphor of faith. Matt 17:20
2) Large tree - an exaggeration (bush 8 to 10 feet tall). 13:32
B. Leaven.
1) Not really yeast (NIV), but sourdough.
a) It works through the larger batch and transforms it.
2) Fantastic amount - 3 measures (lit.) equals 50 pounds.
a) Enough for 100 people.
b) Abraham's hospitality for angels of Lord. Gen 18:6
C. Fantastic elements of both stories show that divine realities
are being described.
III. What parables teach.
A. Evolutionary growth of God's kingdom? (Stein)
1) The world will become more and more loving and godly.
a) Old liberal interpretation, heavily influenced by Western
philosophy.
b) Optimism has been destroyed by World Wars and genocides.
2) Parables themselves place no emphasis on process of growth.
a) Verb tenses point to completed action, not a process.
b) The contrast between beginning and end is stressed.
B. Intrusion of heresy in church? (Scofield)
1) High tree with birds symbolizes pagan world-power.
a) Assyria. Ezekiel 31:3-9
b) Babylon & Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 4:10-12,20-22
2) Leaven is a consistent symbol for malice and wickedness.
a) False teaching of Pharisees. Matt 16:11-12
b) Corruption within Church. (Passover) 1 Cor 5:6-8
3) But emphasis in these parables is on smallness, not wickedness.
C. Contrast between small beginnings, big results.
1) God's Kingdom starts small, almost invisible, but it will
transform the earth.
2) Symbols have a negative connotation, but Jesus uses them in
an opposite sense. (Jeremias)
a) They would have shocked Jesus' hearers. (We too familiar)
b) They refer not to the forces of Evil, but to God's
royal majesty.
3) Common element of both is great results from small beginning.
a) Main emphasis is on small beginning more than end result.
b) To Jews, it was a given that God's Kingdom would be great.
c) It was harder for them to see it starting small.
IV. God's Kingdom starts out small.
A. Jews expected a thundering, triumphant coming of Messiah.
1) Accompanied by Armageddon, etc.
a) No doubts as to what is happening.
2) They applied these expectations to Jesus. John 6:13-15
3) Many Christians also yearn for a display of supernatural
power. (To calm their doubts?)
B. Small start of Kingdom.
1) Jesus had 12 pitiful disciples. Not very impressive.
2) Even today, genuine believers are few.
C. Are lots of people saved, or only a few?
1) Jesus says only a few will be saved.
a) Few saved. (narrow door) Luke 13:23f; Matthew 7:14
b) Many invited, few chosen. Matt 22:14
2) Other verses mention great multitudes saved. Rev 7:9
a) But the scene is in heaven in eternity, not on earth.
b) It takes faith to know God is doing great things TODAY.
3) What matters is being among the saved. Luke 10:20
a) Are you CERTAIN you are going to heaven? 1 John 5:13
1> You can know. (assurance)
b) Does your life back it up?
V. Discouragement at weakness of church.
A. Jesus himself faced ridicule at the smallness of his followers,
and the questionable backgrounds they had come from.
1) Today the church is huge (1 billion followers) but genuine
believers seem to be a small percentage.
2) Much of our ABC missionary work is in "Christian" lands.
3) Even in evangelical churches, more chaff than wheat?
B. We are often discouraged at the smallness of our own faith.
1) God's work starts small, but we want dramatic (easy) change.
2) Will God ever be finished with us?
3) Has he really started in us?
VI. Great things will happen.
A. True Christians are spread all over world.
1) In any one spot they are few, but taken together they are a
mighty army.
2) Millions are being transformed by Jesus today.
3) (Red China has millions, though thought to be extinct.)
B. Don't get discouraged that we seem all alone.
1) God is doing it in His own time, and in His own way.
2) God doesn't despise small things, and neither should we.
There is a story about an old man who was walking on the
beach at dawn.
He noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and
flinging them into the sea.
Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing.
The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left
until the morning sun.
"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of
starfish," argued the old man.
"How can your effort make any difference?"
The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then
threw it to safety in the waves.
"It makes a difference to this one," he said.
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C. Remember that what God starts, he finishes.
1) With you.
2) With His Kingdom.
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