From the Gospel of Matthew    7 

finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.'   

(Mt 10:37 39). 

    Jesus instructs his disciples not to love anyone more than Him. If Jesus 

were just another prophet, these words would not be true. These words are 

only true because Jesus is God. 

    These passages apply to all places and times, but especially to times of 

persecution. At the end of these instructions about the difficult times ahead 

for the Church, Jesus makes it clear that not everyone will reject His 

disciples (Mt 10:40 42). 

      `And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water 

because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.'   

(Mt 10:42). 

    Even during the worst of the persecutions, there will be those who offer 

comfort and aid to Jesus' disciples. 

Three Measures of Meal (Mt 10:33) 

     He told them another parable. `The kingdom of heaven is like leaven 

which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all 

leavened.'   (Mt 10:33). 

    The three measures of meal represent the three periods of time between 

Jesus' ministry and the Millennium. The Church is the leaven. The glory of 

God and of His Church is partly hidden to the world during these times. But 

afterwards the glory of God will be clearly seen. It takes time for leaven to 

make bread rise, just as it takes time for Jesus' Church to transform the 

world. 

    The Church is also transformed over the course of these three periods of 

time. The last period of time begins with the Forty Years and ends in the 

25th century A.D. The beginning of this time will be clearly marked out for 

all to see, as will the end of this time. Afterwards, the glory of God will be 

seen in His Church on earth. Then the Church will be leavened through and 

through. 

The Mustard Seed (Mt 13:31) 

     Another parable he put before them, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is 

like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is 

the smallest of all 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.'   (Mt 13:31). 

    In this parable, the mustard seed is the Church. Jesus explains that it takes 

time for the Church to grow. It starts as the smallest seed, Jesus Himself is