“Then Jesus asked, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.’ Again he asked, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’” (Luke 13:18–21, NIV84)
I just love Jesus’ kingdom of God parables. There is so much we can take away from them. These two short parables about the kingdom of God share a similar meaning. The kingdom of God is not what it appears to be. It may seem small and insignificant like a mustard seed. It may be the smallest portion (yeast) of what is put into a loaf of bread. But the reality is that the kingdom of God is hugely significant. Like the mustard seed becomes a plant in which birds can perch and like yeast causes an entire loaf of bread to rise, the kingdom of God is the reason human history is marching forward. The entire history of the world is tied to what God is doing in and for His kingdom. The kingdom of God is also the most powerful entity on the planet. The kingdom of God has at its disposal the omnipotent power of God. That power can be used to change lives, relationships, communities and countries.
I know it seems at times that we belong to a weak and powerless entity. Satan would want us to believe that, but it is just not true. I know that at times it seems like the kingdom of this world is winning. But read the book of Revelation and it’s clear that we are on the victorious side. What you and I need to do is believe! We need to believe what the word of God says about the kingdom of God. We need to believe that despite our smallness, we have great significance. We need to look at ourselves with eyes of faith (the way God sees us) instead of eyes of sight.
We are members of the most significant and powerful entity on the planet. We are members of the kingdom of God.
Peace!
Pastor Tom
www.firmlyrooted.church
