“What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?
It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.’”

Again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened.”
Luke 13:18-21

The first parable is a contrast: a very small beginning then a huge outcome.
It’s like building a project for school, or completing your studies; you begin to study with just a tiny bit of knowledge and day by day, you learn more and more, so that someday you may get your PHD. Yes…. YOU.
You may think… “A mustard seed growing into a huge tree- it’s a botanical impossibility for the tiny mustard seed to become a tree”.
What seems impossible for you right now?
What do you dream about?
Whom you wish to become?
I know… you look into your future and you are afraid of so many things…
You may think that you are not good enough, that you don’t deserve to be so happy… that happiness is for others, but not for you.
God reminds us today that everything is possible- in Him and with Him.
And just as it is possible for a tiny mustard seed to grow into a huge tree, it is also possible for you to do things which may seem impossible for you now….If
…if… you will only allow God to help you; …if… you will continue to grow in friendship with Him.
By yourself, you cannot do very much. But with God… you can do everything!
When I was in high school I started to pray. I said “God help me to find happiness in my life”.
At that time, I had never dreamed of coming to the United States, nor had I thought about becoming a Priest. But I did find happiness.
He answered my prayer.

The parable of the leaven.
Leaven is a reserved lump of dough from prior bread making which has been fermented with yeast. It is used to “leaven” the next batch of bread making dough. Leaven is sometimes referred to as “starter” dough today.
It’s funny but whenever a leavening occurs in Bible, it represents evil and corruption. Under the old law, yeast was forbidden in breads used for certain feasts, such as Passover.
Only in this parable here, it’s presented as something good!
What does it mean?
Let me ask you this: How often do you think something negative or bad of yourself? Perhaps at times you think you are not smart enough, or not beautiful enough, or not tall enough, or not wise, or not funny.
Maybe you hear from time to time that you are bad, that you are a mistake, that you are nobody, a disaster, a looser.
First of all, none of that is true.
Second of all, Jesus wants to convince you, that just as He is using “bad” leavening as an example of something good…in the very same way He is able to change bad things into good things…. He wants to change your life, your sadness, and all these lies about you, into something good; something amazing and beautiful.
Will you let Him change you? Will you give Him time to do it?
Don’t give up….
Jesus is promising you much more you can imagine and understand.