Church Fathers Commentary Luke 13:18-21

"He said therefore, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I liken it? It is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his own garden; and it grew, and became a tree; and the birds of the heaven lodged in the branches thereof. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened." — Luke 13:18-21 (ASV)

Glossa Ordinaria: While His adversaries were ashamed and the people rejoiced at the glorious things Christ did, He proceeded to explain the progress of the Gospel using parables, as follows: Then He said, “To what is the kingdom of God like? … It is like a grain of mustard seed…”

St. Ambrose of Milan: In another place, a grain of mustard seed is used as a comparison for faith. If the mustard seed is the kingdom of God, and faith is like the grain of mustard seed, then faith is truly the kingdom of heaven, which is within us. A grain of mustard seed is indeed a small and insignificant thing, but as soon as it is crushed, it pours out its power. Likewise, faith at first seems simple, but when it is buffeted by adversity, it pours out the grace of its power.

The martyrs are grains of mustard seed. They possess the sweet aroma of faith, but it is hidden. When persecution comes, they are struck by the sword, and they scatter the seeds of their martyrdom to the farthest parts of the whole world.

The Lord Himself is also a grain of mustard seed. He chose to be bruised so that we might be a sweet aroma of Christ. He chose to be sown as a grain of mustard seed, which a man takes and puts into his garden. For Christ was taken and buried in a garden, where He also rose again and became a tree, as it is written, And it grew into a great tree. Our Lord is a grain when He is buried in the earth, but a tree when He is lifted up into heaven. He is also a tree overshadowing the world, as it follows, And the fowls of the air rested in its branches. These are the heavenly powers and all who, for their spiritual deeds, have been deemed worthy to fly. Peter is a branch, and Paul is a branch. Into their arms, through the hidden paths of reasoning, we who were once far away now fly, having taken up the wings of the virtues.

Therefore, sow Christ in your garden. A garden is truly a place full of flowers, where the grace of your work may blossom and the manifold aroma of your different virtues may be breathed forth. Wherever the fruit of the seed is, there is Christ.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Alternatively, the kingdom of God is the Gospel, through which we gain the power to reign with Christ. Just as the mustard seed is smaller than the seeds of other plants, yet grows to become a shelter for many birds, so too the life-giving doctrine was at first held by only a few, but afterward spread far and wide.

The Venerable Bede: The man is Christ, and the garden is His Church, which is to be cultivated by His discipline. It is well said that He took the grain, because the gifts that He, together with the Father, gave to us from His divinity, He received from His humanity. The preaching of the Gospel grew and was spread throughout the whole world. It also grows in the mind of every believer, for no one is made perfect suddenly. But in its growth, it is not like the grass (which soon withers), but rises up like the trees. The branches of this tree are the manifold doctrines, on which chaste souls, soaring upward on the wings of virtue, build their nests and rest.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, any person who receives a grain of mustard seed—that is, the word of the Gospel—and sows it in the garden of his soul, makes it a great tree. It brings forth branches, and the birds of the air (that is, those who soar above the earth) rest in its branches (that is, in sublime contemplation). For Paul received the instruction of Ananias like a small grain, but by planting it in his garden, he brought forth many good doctrines, in which those who have high, heavenly thoughts dwell, such as Dionysius, Hierotheus, and many others.

He next compares the kingdom of God to leaven, for it follows: And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven…”

St. Ambrose of Milan: Many think Christ is the leaven, for leaven, which is made from flour, surpasses its own substance in strength, not in appearance. So also Christ, according to the Fathers, was distinguished above others who were equal in body, yet was unmatched in excellence. The Holy Church, therefore, represents the woman in the parable, of whom it is said: which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

The Venerable Bede: The Satum is a kind of measure used in the province of Palestine, holding about a bushel and a half.

St. Ambrose of Milan: We are the flour of the woman, who hide the Lord Jesus in the secrets of our hearts until the heat of heavenly wisdom penetrates our innermost depths. And since He says it was hidden in three measures, it seems fitting for us to believe that the Son of God was hidden in the Law, veiled in the Prophets, and revealed in the preaching of the Gospel. However, I am prompted to go further, because our Lord Himself has taught us that the leaven is the spiritual teaching of the Church. The Church sanctifies with its spiritual leaven the person who is renewed in body, soul, and spirit, since these three are united in an equal measure of desire, and a complete harmony of the will emanates from them. If, then, in this life the three measures remain in the same person until they are leavened and become one, there will be, in the life to come, an incorruptible communion with those who love Christ.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, the woman should be understood as the soul, and the three measures as its three parts: reason, emotion, and desire. If, then, anyone has hidden the word of God in these three, he will make his whole self spiritual. He will not be deceptive in his reasoning, nor be carried away by his anger or desire, but will be conformed to the word of God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the three measures of flour are the human race, which was restored from the three sons of Noah. The woman who hid the leaven is the wisdom of God.

Eusebius of Caesarea: Alternatively, by the leaven our Lord means the Holy Spirit, with the Sower proceeding, so to speak, from the seed, which is the word of God. The three measures of flour signify the knowledge of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which the woman—that is, Divine Wisdom and the Holy Spirit—imparts.

The Venerable Bede: Or, by the leaven He is speaking of love, which ignites and stirs the heart. The woman, that is, the Church, hides the leaven of love in three measures, because she instructs us to love God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength. This continues until the whole is leavened—that is, until love moves the whole soul into its own perfection, which begins here but will be completed in the life to come.