31 Jesus set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; 32 which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

33 He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures† of meal, until it was all leavened.”

34 Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them, 35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

“I will open my mouth in parables;

Matthew 13:31-35 - World English Bible

After the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (darnel weeds), Jesus used two other similes for the Kingdom of heaven, the parables of the Mustard Seed and the Rising Bread. Instead of addressing the end times, these comparisons spoke to the growing nature of God's reign. The Kingdom would not start with the explosion of a great military victory or the impending doom of a cosmic catastrophe, but would commence almost unnoticed, like a small mustard seed or bit of yeast in dough, and grow slowly, within social and political structures, to the point those structures would be changed. Notice the Lord emphasized change from within, not from without. This dovetailed nicely with the later theological notion that “grace builds upon nature.” God invited change; he did not impose change.

Matthew again emphasized the point that Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill Scripture, this time Psalm 78:2. He revealed God's message, but in a way that engaged people's imaginations. The truth was before them, but they needed to take responsibility to explore it, accept it and employ it in their lives.

How is grace growing slowly in your life this week?