Luke 13:18-21
18 So He was saying, “What is the
kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? 19 “It
is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it
grew and became a tree, and THE BIRDS OF THE AIR NESTED IN ITS BRANCHES.”
20 And
again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21 “It
is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was
all leavened.”
Expectations can be very dangerous. One of the main reasons the Jews rejected Jesus
as Messiah was because he did not conform to their expectations. They were expecting a political figure who
would set them free from the oppression of the Roman Empire. Instead, Jesus was a humble servant who was
far more concerned with setting them free from their sins than He was about the
Romans. This attitude frustrated their expectations,
so they rejected Him. The problem was
that they based their expectations of a wrong or partial understanding of
Scripture. The same thing continues to
happen today. Many people think that
when they trust Jesus to save them from sin; their lives will become easier,
more prosperous and comfortable. When these
expectations are not met but instead, they suffer persecution, become ill,
suffer or lose a job; people get frustrated and walk away from their
faith. This is why the correct
understanding of Scripture is so vital. Jesus
is careful to teach His disciples what the kingdom of God is like, so we can have
a more biblical expectation about what to expect as we follow Him.
THE EXPANSION OF THE KINGDOM PROVIDES PROTECTION: Jesus
compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed that grows in a garden to the
point that birds come and nest in the branches.
The mustard seed is a very small seed.
The expectation one might have of a small seed is that it will grow a
small plant. We typically plant small
things in our gardens. The man who
planted the mustard seed must have expected a very small plant to grow. Instead, this large tree sprouts from the
small seed and ends up taking over a large space in his garden. Jesus is like that seed. People saw Him as small and insignificant. He was not the larger than life political leader
that would dominate the world. However,
His kingdom would grow much larger than expected and end up providing
protection. The kingdom of God had very
humble beginnings. Jesus and a few
unimpressive disciples gained a following for a time, but never gained the
traction necessary to become a “movement.”
When Jesus was crucified, the general opinion was that everything would
just come to an end. However, just the opposite
was true. After the resurrection, the
message of Christ began to spread around the world. People from every nation are being called to
join this kingdom and find freedom from sin.
THE EXPANSION OF THE KINGDOM PRODUCES PERMEATION: Jesus compares
the kingdom to a woman who puts a small amount of leaven in a large amount of
flour. The yeast permeates all the flour
and causes it to rise. In a similar way,
the Gospel started out as a message that Jesus and His followers were proclaiming. It started in Jerusalem, spread to the
neighboring communities and then expanded to the nations of the world. Just a handful of men began to multiply and
spread and will continue to do so until people from every tribe and nation have
placed their faith in Christ. The
influence of the Gospel on the societies of the world is undeniable. As people embrace the Gospel and place their
faith in Christ, their lives are transformed. The families in which they live are renewed
and restored. The neighborhoods, schools
and places of work in which believers are engaged begin to be influenced. Satan has done all in his power to dim the
image of God that men were created to reflect.
The effect has been catastrophic.
God is at work through the power of the Gospel to restore the image of
God in the hearts of man. Individuals,
neighborhoods and nations have been transformed by the kingdom of God at work in
the hearts and lives of men. This will
continue to happen and one day all nations will know Him and believers will
have the joy of living transformed lives in the presence of God for eternity.
APPLICATION: Don’t allow our expectations the that Gospel
will produce prosperity in our lives cause us frustration and disappointment. Understand that the purpose of the Gospel is
to sanctify us, not make us wealthy. Don’t
be discouraged by the apparent slowness of the spread of the Gospel. Rejoice in the truth that the world is being
transformed by the power of Christ.
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