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LUKE’S GOSPEL…GLIMPSES OF THE KINGDOM – 37

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“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 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 about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For Jesus, trying to describe the nature of God’s kingdom was like trying to describe the colours of a rainbow or the facets of a diamond to a blind man. He could only take one colour, one facet at a time and paint a word picture by using a simple illustration… like trees or dough. 

Everyone understands the origin of a tree. Trees, like most other plants, start small… a tiny seed lodges in the soil wherever it falls, and begins to germinate. It has power within itself to multiply its cells, to send down roots into the ground in search of water and to anchor the plant, and a stem and eventually leaves to nourish it from the atmosphere. For years it grows until it is big enough to shelter birds in its branches. 

So, too, God’s kingdom. Jesus announced that God had returned to set up His rule in human hearts once again, after His glory had departed from His temple, His earthly dwelling place, (Ezekiel 8-10), and left His people to self-rule. However, this time, His rule was not only for His own people but for all people everywhere. 

Like a tree which started small but grew into a mighty plant that provided shelter for many birds, so God’s rule would begin small but grow and spread out to receive anyone who chose to perch in its branches. 

To emphasise the nature of God’s kingdom…starting small but spreading everywhere…Jesus told another parable about a small amount of yeast in a measure of flour. 

“The Parable of the Yeast (or Leaven), found in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20–21, illustrates that the Kingdom of God starts small and hidden—like yeast in a large amount of flour—but persistently works from within to transform the entire world. It symbolizes the pervasive, often unseen influence of the gospel in hearts and society, resulting in ultimate, comprehensive transformation.” (Source; Google AI)

Anyone who has worked with yeast will know that it takes only a small amount to infiltrate a large amount of dough. Not only that but the yeast influences every part of the dough. So too, God’s kingdom. So powerful is its influence that it takes only one person, fully committed to submission and obedience to the lordship of Jesus, to spread this influence into a family, a community, and into the wider society as each transformed life touches another. 

Jesus even showed His disciples that He would grow His church, the visible representation of His kingdom on earth, in a place like Caesarea Philippi, a hotbed of idolatry. Like yeast in dough, God’s transforming rule in people’s hearts has the power to spread into every corner of society, bringing with it the nature of that kingdom…righteousness, peace, and joy. 

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wherever the kingdom of God is established, although not fully until Jesus arrives to finish what He began, there is a taste of the final victory, when evil is eradicated forever, when God’s original purpose is fulfilled, to have a family of replicas of Jesus,  when heaven and earth become a unified place where God lives with His people.  

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Hallelujah! What a hope!

If this is our anticipation…so said Peter…

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭11-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE

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ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE

“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 13:20, 21 (NIV).

When two or more parables appear together, called a ‘chain’, to interpret them correctly one must look for the common theme. This story follows the one about the smallest of seeds, the mustard seed, which grows into a tree large enough to shelter the birds. This story tells about a small amount of yeast that leavens a large amount of dough. So what’s the point?

Yeast is often used in Scripture to illustrate the permeating power of evil. During the period of the Passover celebration, the people of God had to remove all yeast from their homes. The apostle Paul picked up on this when he was dealing with the Corinthian church’s failure to deal with a member who had fallen into gross sexual sin.

“…Don’t you know that a little yeast works through a whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7 (NIV).

In Jesus’ parable, however, yeast is not about evil but about the power of a small amount to permeate a large amount of dough. Such is the power of God’s kingdom to spread its influence across the entire globe. God does not work by force but by influence. Other religions tend to equate power with force. “Believe what we tell you or suffer the consequences.” God’s Spirit works by persuading and convincing, by appealing to the mind and conscience.

There have been times in history when people have turned to the Lord en masse in unusual circumstances like, for example, when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers on the day of Pentecost, and during great spiritual revivals. However, God’s way is also the slow but sure way of people influencing people one by one. Great revivals have swept people into the kingdom of God by the thousands, as have huge evangelistic campaigns all over the world. But the witness of a transformed life is able to influence the mind and convince the heart that Jesus is Lord.

Look, for example, at the experience of the Apostle Paul, a one-time Pharisee and religious fanatic, persecuting believers to the death because he thought he was right. When he was faced with the courageous witness of Stephen, the first of many who laid down their lives for the truth of the gospel, Saul of Tarsus was profoundly moved, although he was only finally convinced on the Damascus road when Jesus Himself confronted him.

The influence of Jesus’ love-slave, Paul, just one man, has touched the entire world throughout all the generations through his preaching and writings, a small amount of yeast permeating the lives of millions of people for two thousand years.

Evil produces revulsion in the hearts of sane-thinking people. Threats of death may manipulate behaviour but only the powerful influence of the gospel of Jesus can transform hearts, change behaviour and redirect destinies towards unselfish service, usefulness and eternal life in the presence of the Most High God.

This simple truth gives great encouragement to God’s children. However insignificant we may feel, however little we may be able to do, there is enough power in our little to influence those around us and to change our environment. As people see the kingdom in action, those who have a heart to respond, receive the King and experience His gracious transforming power that slowly affects those around them.

And so on, and so on…