Jesus Shows Us Meaning in the Mundane (Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52)

What if you decided to look for miracles today? Explore this week’s Gospel reading and consider what it means for us today.

Each week, we post a passage from Sunday’s Scriptures; share links to resources that give context and inspire new ideas; and offer a few questions to get you thinking about what we’ll read together in church.

The Gospel for July 26, 2026

Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52

Another parable Jesus put before the crowds: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Read all of Sunday’s Scriptures

Step Into the Story

3 Ways to Go Deeper

Sermon

In our modern-day context, it’s easy to miss that Jesus’s stories are often characterized by everyday imagery, the stuff of first-century Judean life. “In parables, Jesus invites us to find sublime meaning in mundane details,” preaches the Rev. Matt Welsch. “He reminds us God’s love and grace infuses . . . even the most ordinary and imperfect parts of our lives.”

Visual Art

Religious iconographer Kelly Latimore beautifully illustrates the parable of the mustard seed with a colorful collection of birds native to Jesus’s homeland. Did you know, then and now, wild mustard is considered a disruptive weed more than anything else?

Poetry

“The kingdom of heaven is within us. / So is the kingdom of hell. That’s how I learned / to turn gratitude into a fire extinguisher,” writes poet and activist Andrea Gibson in a stream-of-consciousness reflection on choosing to see the miraculous in everything life brings our way.

Reflection Questions

Take a Moment to Wonder

• Think of something you’ve learned about God’s love, then explain it through a story about your life.
• How can grace be disruptive?
• What if you decided to look for miracles today?