Parable2 (boat parables 4 & 5; house parables 1 - 3)

• Matt 13:31-32 He told them (the crowd) another parable: the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took & planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants & becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come & perch in its branches.
• Mark 4:30-34 Again He said, What shall We say the Kingdom of GOD is like, or what parable should We use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows & becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches the birds of the air can perch in its shade. With many similar parables Jesus spoke the Word to them, as much as they could understend. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when He was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything.
• Jesus repeated the essence of the above boat parable about mustard seed later in His ministry (see PerMtMkLk12 B.61.).
• There are 2 other references to mustard seed (not in parables): see PerMtMkLk8 B.34. & PerMtMkLk14 B.73.).

 2. Yeast in the dough Many times early in the O.T. the Israelites were instructed to make bread without yeast (unleavened bread)-- e.g., Exo 12:20;13:3. Actually, the 1st instance of this was by Abraham (Gen 19:3). Just as circumcision was indeed "of-the-flesh" but was meant to promote circumcision of the heart (remaining tuned for service), so being yeastless was a symbol of remaining tuned for teaching truth. For we have (Matt 16:11-12), Be on Your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees & Sadducees. Then They (the disciples) understood that He was not telling Them to guard against yeast used in bread, but against the false teaching of the Pharisees & Sadducees. In Luke 12:1d Jesus said it this way, Be on Your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. And we have 1stCor 5:6-8 which reads, Your boasting is not good. Don't You know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast-- as You really are. For Christ, Our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice & wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity & truth.

• Matt 13:33-35 He told them (the crowd) still another parable: The kingdom of Heaven is like yeast that a woman took & mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough-- end of parable! Again, this also was not explained to the disciples. Had it been, it would have been made clear that yeast is evil, & much to be avoided-- the simple message is what those who do mature in the faith are those who remained alert to what we should be on gaurd against. Now end-of-parable, yes, but not end-of-story! Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet (from Psa 78:2-- authored by Asath): I will open MY mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world-- which Psalm goes on to say, what We have heard & known, what Our fathers have told Us. We will not hide them from Their children; We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, & the wonders He has done.
• Jesus repeated the essence of the above boat parable about yeast later in His ministry (see PerMtMkLk12 B.61.).
• There are 3 other references to yeast (not in parables): see PerMtMkLk7 B.30. & PerMtMkLk11 B.53.).