The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

³¹ Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches.”

³³ Jesus told them still another story. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,” he said. “A woman mixed it into 60 pounds of flour. The yeast worked its way all through the dough.”

The Stories of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure that was hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again. He was very happy. So he went and sold everything he had. And he bought that field.

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who was looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ He found one that was very valuable. So he went away and sold everything he had. And he bought that pearl.

The Story of the Net

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net. It was let down into the lake. It caught all kinds of fish. ⁴⁸ When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and gathered the good fish into baskets. But they threw the bad fish away. ⁴⁹ This is how it will be on judgment day. The angels will come. They will separate the people who did what is wrong from those who did what is right. ⁵⁰ They will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace. There the evil ones will weep and grind their teeth.

⁵¹ “Do you understand all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

⁵² He said to them, “Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house. He brings new treasures out of his storeroom as well as old ones.”