Matthew 13 is all about the parable: the story to tell the story. Matthew has Jesus going through a series of parables about responses to faith and how faith can so easily wilt. He mentions the presence of evil and how difficult it is to sometimes differentiate from truth. Then at verses 31-33 and 44-52 Jesus goes into a number of images as he tries to help his disciples understand the meaning of the “kingdom of heaven”: mustard seed, yeast, treasure, pearls, and a fishing net.
Some of these images are familiar and comforting. The mustard is small, but that’s all it takes to become fruitful. The yeast helps the bread to grow and become light and tasty—there’s nothing more yummy and comforting than fresh baked bread still warm from the oven. While I’m not into pearls, per se, I can see how Jesus might want his disciples to [...]