This document provides an overview and analysis of Matthew 13:31-32, the parable of the mustard seed. It discusses how the kingdom of God, represented by the mustard seed, starts small but grows large, being steered by God's hand slowly and surely over time until it shelters all people. It compares the kingdom's growth to the growth of God's people from an insignificant persecuted group to eventually encompassing the whole world. The document also examines what it means to have faith like a mustard seed and be guided by God's hand through the growth process.

1. THE
MUSTARD
SEED

2. GRACIOUS JESUS
(MATTHEW’S PERSPECTIVE WITH GOSPEL PARALLELS)
1. Presenting the King (Matt 1-4)
2. True Blessedness (Matt 5:1-12)
3. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 1 (Matt 5:13-
48)
4. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 2 (Matt 6)
5. Kingdom Lifestyle – Part 3 (Matt 7)
6. Master Strokes (Matt 8)
7. The King Calls (Matt 9)
8. The King Commissions (Matt 10)
9. Signs, Sinners and the Saviour (Matt
11)
10. Power Games and Names (Matt 12)
11. Hidden Wisdom (Matt 13:1-43)
12. Hidden Treasures (Matt 13:44-14)
13. The Gall and the Glory (Matt 15-17:9)
14. Winning Others Over (Matt 17:10-
18:35)
15. Kingdom Values, Kingdom Wealth
(Matt 20)
16. The King Enters Jerusalem (Matt 21)
17. The Chosen Few (Matt 22)
18. The King’s Glorious Coming (Matt
24:1-44)
19. The Final Countdown (Matt 24:45 –
25:46)
20. The King’s last days (Matt 26)
21. Desertion (Matt 26:36-75)
22. God’s Lamb Sacrificed (Matt 27: 1-50)
23. The King Conquers (Matt 27:51-28)

3. GRACIOUS JESUS
11. HIDDEN WISDOM (MATT 13:1-43)
58. The parable of the sower
59. Why parables?
60. Good and Evil co-exist
61. The mustard seed
62. The parable of the leaven

4. The parable of the mustard seed
Matthew13.31-32; Mark 4.30-32;
Luke13.18-19 B
31 He told them another
parable: “The kingdom of heaven is
like a mustard seed, which a man
took and planted in his
field. 32 Though it is the smallest of
all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the
largest of garden plants and
becomes a tree, so that the birds
come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 13
THE MUSTARD SEED

5. OVERVIEW
Introduction – the mustard seed
Growth of God’s kingdom:
• Steered by God’s hand
• Slow but sure
• Small to stupendous
• Shelters all creatures
The kingdom here and now
Our mustard seed
Discussion – faith like a mustard seed

6. THE MUSTARD SEED
God is the planter.
His field is the world.
Mustard plant is the people of Israel followed by the
church, God’s people, saved believers
Insignificant and persecuted for centuries, we keep
growing.

7. THE MUSTARD SEED
Eventually, led by Jesus, they will take over the world, which
will be a much better place for all creatures who can now rest
and enjoy God’s creation

8. THE MUSTARD SEED
From a macro perspective, the
Kingdom of God is growing and
will take over the world
From a micro perspective in our
lives, the transformation caused by
Jesus, the word and holy spirit,
enables little deeds to cause high
impact.
Pioneers have been martyrs,
leading saints have been excluded
or cast away, yet somehow the
kingdom is growing.

9. GROWTH OF GOD’S
KINGDOM
Steered by God’s hand
Slow but sure
Small to stupendous
Shelters all creatures

10. STEERED BY GOD’S
HAND
Paul says in 1 Cor
3:6, “I planted the
seed, Apollos
watered it, but God
has been making it
grow.”

11. STEERED BY GOD’S
HAND
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that Daniel
interprets describes this as well
Daniel 2:34 While you were watching, a
rock was cut out, but not by human
hands. It struck the statue on its feet of
iron and clay and smashed them. 35
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the
silver and the gold were all broken to
pieces and became like chaff on a
threshing floor in the summer. The wind
swept them away without leaving a
trace. But the rock that struck the statue
became a huge mountain and filled the
whole earth.

12. STEERED BY GOD’S
HANDS
God’s ways are
higher than our ways
Like Noah’s ark, may
not even appear
logical
Requires faith to not
only stir but even
see God’s mighty
hand Matt 17:20

13. SLOW BUT SURE
The potter’s hand over centuries
When God explains to Jeremiah that
the potter will eventually mould the
clay (Jer 18), it is a process running
through centuries – and is still
going on.
Jeremiah 18:6 “O house of Israel, can I
not do with you as this potter?” says
the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the
potter’s hand, so are you in My hand,
O house of Israel!

14. SMALL TO
STUPENDOUS
Never underestimatate
32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows,
it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, Matt
13
Jesus’ disciples are a great example of insignificant people
changing the world
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they
marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they
had been with Jesus. Acts 4.

15. SMALL TO
STUPENDOUS
When does this huge turn occur?
It occurs when Jesus comes the second time this time to
rule.
Jesus the King makes it happen
In a little way the huge spurts in growth occur when Jesus
rules our heart.
What may accompany it?
Death, destruction, devastation – the fury of Satan’s final
struggles before defeat.

16. DISCUSSION
What is delaying it?
Delay in acknowledging Jesus as King – Discuss this
phenomenon:
1. Throughout the ages
2. In our churches today
3. In our lives

17. SHELTERS ALL
CREATURES
The big and small, rich and poor, good and bad
A different world
Discuss the meaning of the following two verses:
so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:32b
The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the LORD. Isaiah 65:25

18. THE KINGDOM HERE
AND NOW
Today, in our own personal lives
we see the kingdom of God as a
sign.
It is
• Steered by God’s hand
• Slow but sure
• Small to stupendous
• Shelters all creatures

19. OUR MUSTARD SEED
Our mustard seed to facilitate this great growth is faith.
Matthew 17:20 He (Jesus) replied,
"Because you have so little faith. Truly I
tell you, if you have faith as small as a
mustard seed, you can say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and
it will move. Nothing will be impossible
for you."

20. DISCUSSION
What does faith “ like a mustard seed” mean?
Faith that is willing to be:
• Steered by God’s hand
• Slow but sure
• Small to stupendous
• Shelters all creatures

21. FAITH LIKE A
MUSTARD SEED
What was lacking in the disciple’s faith?
They still did not know Jesus fully. They were with
him but not connected. Jesus said “this kind can
only be driven out with prayer (and fasting – some
commentaries)”.
Is it that when demons are presented before us we
run to the closet to pray? No. We need to live a
lifestyle of prayer – of connectedness to Jesus.
That is a lifestyle of faith. Over time the disciples
did catch it – just as we can.