February 7: “What Shall We Say?” by Dr. Sharon Lee

Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus was a master at asking questions. He used questions to help guide the disciples’ thinking and to make His points. He asked questions to allow them to dig deeper into some hard spiritual truths. He asked questions to get to the heart of the matter.

The verses we are reading today are also in Mark 4:30-32 and Luke 12:18-19. Jesus introduced the short parables in those passages with two simple questions. “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like? To what should I compare it?” One of the best things about Jesus’ questions is that many times He answers them for us. He was always trying to help the disciples deal with their misconceptions about things. When they thought of the Kingdom of God, they likely imagined what a kingdom would look like on Earth. An earthly kingdom is showy and full of pomp. An earthly kingdom is powerful and glorious.

Yet, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. Not very showy or impressive...rather simple and small. But the small seed could create a tree so large that birds could nest in it. This is a picture of the kingdom. It may seem that it started from small, simple beginnings, but it can grow into a kingdom big enough for all people. It is not limited by the size of the seed, but can expand to include all who come to faith in Jesus.

Jesus then compared the kingdom to yeast in dough. Anyone who has ever made bread, stretched pizza dough, or even opened up a tube of biscuits knows that leavening makes the dough rise to almost double in size. This parable talks about a woman putting yeast in 60 pounds of flour...the equivalent of more than 50 loaves of bread. Yeast starts out small, but can affect the whole batch. The kingdom of God can do that as well. The kingdom is God’s method of changing the whole world.

The growth of a seed is often imperceptible. The invisible yeast works mysteriously through the dough. The growth of the kingdom may be just as difficult to perceive if we focus on the downturn of church attendance or our own lack of spiritual maturity. But we know that like the invisible yeast in a loaf of bread, the spirit of God is growing within us, and the kingdom of God is large enough to accommodate all who believe in Him.

As you look for evidence of God’s kingdom on Earth, don’t look for the showy expressions of an earthly kingdom, but look for the inner power that grows through His spirit.

Will you allow the spirit of God to grow in your heart and life to accommodate other believers on the path to spiritual maturity?

Prayer for today: Mighty God, plant Your words deep in my heart so that they may grow and expand. Help me to grow Your kingdom through my heart and my life. Amen.