Kingdom of God
““He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’””
As I was praying for the church and the community in which God placed us, this passage came to my mind. Jesus was teaching those who came into the synagogue on the Sabbath about the kingdom. He makes the analogy that it starts small in the place where it is planted.
The man in the illustration took the seed and planted it in his garden. Gardens are places that are tended to and watched over. The seeds planted there are given nutrients to grow and are kept watered. As the plant grows and is vulnerable to the elements around it, it is continually watched over and cared for. Ultimately, the man who planted the seed is only able to do so much for the plant, but it is God who makes the plant grow. In this case, Jesus is talking about the kingdom and rule of God in the community.
We as the church are the seed that has been planted in the garden of Somerset. We watch over each other, tend to one another, teach the Word to one another, and care for one another. But in all that we do, only God can cause our lives to be changed and bring growth to the church.
It may at first glance seem like growth is synonymous with growth in numbers, but it’s not. The plant gets bigger and so does the church. But it’s the plant’s growth that influences the entire area. It welcomes the birds to come and take refuge in its branches. Growth of the church is growth of the kingdom of God in the community through the influence of the gospel of Christ. It welcomes people to come and take refuge in Christ and find help, peace, and comfort in their lives.
The church doesn’t have to become bigger in numbers to be like the tree in the illustration. It just needs to welcome the King of the kingdom and it will see the transformation that he alone can bring.
“And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.””
After telling the people about how the kingdom can change an entire community, he then gives another illustration of the kingdom being like yeast placed into flour. This is similar to when Jesus warned the disciples to not let the yeast of the Pharisees (their reliance on the Law to be made righteous) to seep into their lives. The point was that valuing the Law above all else will influence all the areas of their lives and make them hypocritical, filling them with pride just like the Pharisees.
But we are to let the kingdom and the rule of the King make its way into all the areas of our lives. It should creep into everything that we do, so that the lives we live reflect King Jesus to all who are watching. The transformation is not just the church in general but the people who make up the church specifically.
Jesus wants the people to know that the life God has for them is not simply a faithless culture of Judeo-Christian values. Instead, it’s a life that is transformed by God both personally and culturally.
So, in these two little illustrations Jesus wants to encourage us: He can change the community in which we live! And as he does this, he can change the lives of all who live there as well!
Prayer
Lord, we ask that you continue to transform the community of Somerset and to use your church to bless the people of this area in such an impactful way that they come to experience the goodness of God. We also ask that as you do this, you would change us by allowing the kingdom of God to grow in our own lives.
Amen.
