Then Jesus said, “What is God’s kingdom like? What can I compare it with? 19 God’s kingdom is like the seed of the mustard plant.[b] A man plants this seed in his garden. The seed grows and becomes a tree. The wild birds build nests on its branches.” 20 Jesus said again, “What can I compare God’s kingdom with? 21 It is like yeast that a woman mixes into a big bowl of flour. The yeast makes all the dough rise.”
Luke 13: 18-21 Children’s International Bible
Hi Kids!
Today, our Scripture above covers what is commonly known as the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast. Jesus compares God’s kingdom to smaller things that grow bigger. A seed starts out small but grows into something much bigger that may even yield more seeds. Watch the video below to learn more about the parable of the mustard seed.
Although not mentioned in the video, Jesus goes on to compare God’s Kingdom with something else that starts out small and grows, a.k.a yeast. It is worth noting that both of these things create other things – seeds create plants, and yeast creates bread. Jesus used these things, which people at that time were familiar with, to explain how the community of believers grows and God’s kingdom expands.
The lesson for today is to know and understand that God’s kingdom grows and expands just like a mustard seed or yeast. All are welcome in God’s kingdom, including yourself, and the more the kingdom grows, the better the world will be. You can play your part by helping to expand God’s kingdom even more by spreading your faith and love of God and Jesus to others.
For today’s activity, a worksheet of a number of different activities related to the parable of the mustard seed is provided. Download and print the worksheet below.