Scripture to Read: Luke 13:18–21
Jesus had more to teach, and God had Luke record this in Luke 13:18–21, “So He was saying, ‘What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’ 20 And again He said, ‘To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.’” Many think Jesus used the two illustrations to show the growth of God’s kingdom, but that is not why He used the mustard seed and the leaven. In light of what Jesus had just taught, these two illustrations were used to warn against the corruption that would happen in His church. David Guzik points out: “the mustard seed plant grew unnaturally large, and it harbored birds – which, in previous parables, were emissaries of Satan (Matthew 13:4, Matthew 13:19).” Guzik also notes that “leaven is consistently used as a picture of sin and corruption (especially in the Passover narrative of Exodus 12:8, Exodus 12:15–20). Both the content and the context point towards this being a description of corruption in the kingdom community.” Just as the synagogue official revealed his corrupt heart, Jesus shared how His church would be threatened by corruption. This is evident in too many mainline denominations today, which is why we must continually abide in Christ and His Word.
Challenge & Application
How have you seen or heard of the corruption that has crept into mainline denominations?
How do we stay protected from corruption affecting us or the church?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!