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LUKE 13:19 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Luke 13:18Luke 13:20
“It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.”
Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last — the great reversal that closes the narrow-door sequence repeats the discipleship teaching's organizing principle. Those who assumed they were first (Israel's religious leadership, those who ate and drank with Jesus without personal knowledge of him) find themselves last, while those assumed to be last (tax collectors, sinners, Gentiles from the nations) find themselves first.

Church Fathers on Luke 13:19

While His adversaries were ashamed, and the people rejoiced, at the glorious things that were done by Christ, He proceeds to explain the progress of the Gospel under certain similitudes, as it follows, Then said he, to what is the kingdom of God like? It is like a grain of mustard seed, &c.

Gloss (Glossa Ordinaria) · medieval compilation

In another place, a grain of mustard seed is introduced where it is compared to faith. If then the mustard seed is the kingdom of God, and faith is as the grain of mustard seed; faith is truly the kingdom of heaven, which is within us. A grain of mustard seed is indeed a mean and trifling thing, but as soon as it is crushed, it pours forth its power. And faith at first seems simple, but when it is buffeted by adversity, pours forth the grace of its virtue. The martyrs are…

Ambrose · 4th century

Or else; The kingdom of God is the Gospel, through which we gain the power of reigning with Christ. As then the mustard seed is surpassed in size by the seeds of other herbs, yet so increases as to become the shelter of many birds; so also the life-giving doctrine was at first in the possession only of few? but afterwards spread itself abroad.

Cyril of Alexandria · 5th century
Read all 12 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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