The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven (Matthew 13:24–43)

[Stephan Choe]

May 16, 2026

Key Verse 33: “He presented another parable to them, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into half a hundredweight of flour, until it was completely leavened.’”

Children love reading fairy tales; fairy tales offer us interesting stories while simultaneously conveying edifying lessons.

In a certain sense, we could describe Jesus’ parables as spiritual fairy tales for adults; they are captivating and impart heavenly truths to us.

Last Sunday, we explored the Parable of the Sower. Today, we will examine three short parables: that of the weeds among the wheat, that of the mustard seed, and that of the leaven. Each of these parables conveys one or more spiritual lessons.

May God’s Spirit help us to understand these lessons well and to put them into practice in our lives.

The First Parable: Of the Weeds (24–30 & 36–43)

Young wheat [1], young weeds [2], weeds amidst the ripe wheat field [3], and wheat ears [4].

The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who sows good seed in his field. While he sleeps at night, his enemy comes into the field, scatters weed seeds there, and goes away again.

When the wheat sprouts and begins to grow, the weed seeds also germinate and shoot up. The farmer’s servants notice this; they go to their master and say, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, do these weeds come from?”

Then their master said to them, “An enemy has done this.”

The servants asked him, “Shall we go and pull up the weeds?”

But the master answered them, “No! If you try to pull up the weeds, you will pull up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. When the harvest time has come, I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather the weeds and tie them into bundles to be burned. But bring the wheat into my barn.’”

Initially, the ryegrass resembles the wheat so closely that one can hardly distinguish between them. However, as soon as the ryegrass forms heads, they look distinctly different from those of the wheat.

The imagery of this parable was well known to the people of Galilee. Jesus told this parable to the crowd but did not explain its meaning. After Jesus had sent the crowd away and returned home with his disciples, his disciples asked him, “Please, explain to us the parable of the weeds!” (36). Then he explained it to them, “The field represents the world; the good seed represents the children of the Kingdom; and the weeds represent the children of the Evil One. The enemy who sowed the weeds among the wheat represents the Devil. The harvest represents the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather all those who cause others to stumble, and all those who do evil, and they will cast them into the fiery furnace, where they will be consumed by the fire. There they will weep and gnash their teeth. But the righteous will enter into the Kingdom of their Father and shine there like the sun. Whoever has ears, let them hear!”

What does Jesus teach us through this parable? He teaches us the following truths:

First, we must guard ourselves against the negative influences of the world.

In this parable, Jesus teaches us that this world harbors both good and bad influences. Evil forces ceaselessly strive to spiritually corrupt us through these negative influences. Therefore, we must protect ourselves from them and actively embrace the good influences.

Let us take the Internet as an example. Nowadays, it is difficult to get by without the Internet. Unfortunately, one finds both good and bad things on the Internet. We must be wary of the bad yet actively utilize the good. Those who use the Internet wisely in this manner will gain in wisdom and experience positive growth. This also applies to our relationships with other people: We should avoid negative relationships while cultivating positive ones.

Second, this parable teaches us about God's patience toward all people.

Here, Jesus teaches that we should not be hasty in our judgment, but rather exercise patience with everyone.

In this parable, the people of the world appear like young wheat or young weeds. It is often difficult to distinguish between good and bad people. Indeed, there is not a single person without weakness and sin.

Through this parable, Jesus teaches us that we should not hastily condemn others as bad people. Rather, we should strive to view everyone with love and patience and hold them in high regard. Even those who appear to us like weeds should be treated with patience and love; for we do not know with certainty who will ultimately prove to be evil or good. One thing, however, is clear: all human beings are God's creatures, and God desires to redeem them all. Should it become clear to us, however, that someone is attempting to lead us into evil, we must make the firm decision to resist this temptation or to sever the harmful relationship with the tempter.

Thirdly, this parable teaches us that we will all one day stand before the judgment of God.

It may take some time, but the separation between the wheat and the weeds will inevitably take place. One day, the good and the wicked will be separated from one another; for divine judgment will surely come.

Why do people sin? Naturally, there are various reasons for this. The root cause of sin is a lack of faith in God's judgment. Since many people do not sincerely believe in God's judgment, they delude themselves into thinking they can escape the consequences of their sin.

Yet Jesus teaches us that God will judge all people and separate the righteous from the wicked. He will cast the wicked into the fires of hell—a fire that never goes out. Regrettably, all people, without exception, have sinned. Therefore—strictly speaking—they would all have to be cast into hell.

But God has mercy on us: He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, as an atoning sacrifice for our salvation. All who believe in Jesus' sacrifice for their sins receive forgiveness and are saved from God's judgment. Subsequently, they are warmly welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Good News that Jesus proclaims. Praise be to God, who redeems us from judgment through Jesus Christ and welcomes us into His Kingdom of Heaven. Amen!

The Second Parable: The Mustard Seed (31–32)

A mustard tree[5]  and mustard seeds[6]

Now Jesus told another parable—namely, the Parable of the Mustard Seed. In Germany, the mustard plant reaches a height of about 1.5 meters and is cultivated in fields to extract oil or produce mustard. In the Orient, however, the mustard tree is a small tree that reaches a height of 4 to 6 meters. Of course, there are seeds in the world that are even smaller than the mustard seed—such as cypress seeds. Nevertheless, in the Orient, the mustard seed is proverbially regarded as the smallest of all seeds.

The mustard tree originates from Persia and is native to arid regions—such as those found in Africa and India. The mustard seed is a tiny grain; yet, when it germinates and grows, it develops into a large plant—indeed, even into a tree:

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed—the smallest of all seeds. A man takes the mustard seed and sows it in his field. Because it is so tiny, the sown seed remains invisible. But when it sprouts and grows, it becomes a tree in which birds can build their nests.

Through this parable, Jesus teaches us that God’s work begins on a small scale but, over time, develops into a wonderfully great work.

Let us take the example of Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff (1803–1851). He was  German and the first Protestant missionary in Korea. At that time—due to a ban imposed by the Korean government—no missionary was permitted to enter the country. Consequently, in 1832, Gützlaff sailed to two islands off the west coast of Korea, where he distributed Chinese Bibles and evangelistic tracts to the Korean population. Regarding that day, he wrote in his diary: “I gave the Gospels and evangelistic tracts to those who were willing to accept them. They said they would read them with interest and take good care of them... Some officials and common people received the Word of Life... Would the sown Word perhaps fail to take root and simply be blown away? I do not believe that this will be the case. In God’s own time, it will surely yield a rich harvest.”

Gützlaff spent only a few months on two Korean islands, sowing the Word of God. At the time, no one appreciated his work. Nevertheless, he sowed the Word of God—exactly as one sows a mustard seed. The Word sown by him and other missionaries has yielded a rich harvest. Today, more than 20,000 Korean missionaries are active worldwide, working for the salvation of humanity.

The Third Parable: Of the Leaven (33)

Jesus now tells another parable:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven that a woman needs for baking bread. She takes a large quantity of flour and mixes a little leaven into it, until the entire batch of dough is leavened” (33).

The Parable of the Mustard Seed concerns the multiplication of mustard seeds. This parable, however, concerns the power of transformation. Bread without leaven is hard, dry, and unappetizing. In contrast, bread with leaven is soft, moist, and delicious.

Just as leaven brings about a transformation in bread dough, so the Gospel brings about a change in people.

What effect does the Gospel have on people?

First and foremost, the Gospel—which we receive in faith—brings us the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life.

For through the Gospel, God has liberated us from the power of sin, death, and hell, and has bestowed upon us eternal life as well as the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Apostle Paul therefore declares: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Gospel works like leaven. Our acceptance of the Gospel may appear to be an inconspicuous act; nevertheless, it will fundamentally transform our destiny, for the Gospel grants us liberation from sin and from the power of death. Furthermore, it bestows upon us the joy of living, a sense of life’s meaning, and a purpose for our life’s journey. Thus, we are empowered to live and to serve with great joy.

Secondly, the Gospel awakens hope within us.

If we bake bread without leaven, the result is a hard loaf. Sourdough, however, causes the dough to rise and makes the bread light and airy. Our lives without Jesus can seem like this hard bread. The Gospel, however, grants us a living hope and ensures that our lives are no longer hard.

We possess a secure hope. Our Lord Jesus leads us on the best path and ultimately guides us into the Kingdom of Heaven. This hope makes our lives vibrant and joyful. Therefore—despite the harshness of the world—we can live full of hope and joy.

Thirdly, the Gospel enables us to experience God’s love.

We can compare our life of faith to a marital relationship. Through faith in the Gospel, we have entered into a marriage with Jesus. The institution of marriage serves as a secure foundation for a lasting marital relationship. Hope, in turn, gives our marriage a promising outlook for the future. This positive future perspective is undoubtedly indispensable for our family happiness.

However, if our marital relationship lacks love, our married life becomes dry, and our future appears bleak. For this reason, the Bible says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Or: “For God so loved the world—that is, us—that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Jesus loves us deeply. We should always keep His great love before our eyes.

If we rightly grasp these three effects of the Gospel, we can serve effectively in the world as the leaven of the Gospel. And through us, God can transform other people and society. Throughout history, the love of Christ has profoundly changed the world. I would like to cite just one example of this: In some Eastern countries, one can still observe today a man riding on a donkey while his wife walks on foot by his side. In Christian countries, this is unthinkable. Jesus, however, left us outstanding examples of love. For instance, He washed His disciples' feet. Ultimately, He laid down His life for us. We should always keep His love in remembrance. Through the love of Christ, we should bring about a positive transformation of society.

May God today sow the seeds of the Gospel in our hearts and in the hearts of others, so that we—and countless others—may taste the fruits of faith, hope, and love.

---

[1] https://www.magnific.com/de/fotos-premium/junger-gruener-weizen-waechst-im-boden-glatte-reihen-gesaeter-gerstenweizen_43754746.htm

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/Garten/comments/1l73wdx/weizen%C3%A4hnliches_unkraut/

[3] https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-seminary-teacher-manual-2023/matthew-13-24-30-36-43?lang=deu

[4] https://www.transgen.de/lexikon-nutzpflanzen/1863.weizen.html

---

[5] https://www.bibelwerk.de/Materialpool.12795.html/Material+zu+biblischen+Themen.52570.htm

[6] https://katholisch.de/artikel/5443-was-uns-taeglich-antreibt