The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Good Sower (Jesus), sowing good seed (the Gospel – it’s a good seed, a wheat seed), on all kinds of soils (human hearts). The seed that falls on good soil, a receptive heart to God’s love and grace, grows, producing a crop, producing fruit. And this is very good. Yet, in the darkness, another sower (the devil) sows ‘weed seed’ and weeds also begin to grow. And the weeds and the wheat grow up together, side by side, until a harvest day, when they will be separated. The wheat will be gathered up and brought into the barn. The weeds will be bundled up and thrown into the fire.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, so small, yet over time grows very tall… providing a home, shelter, protection for the birds of the air… the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast… so small, yet it’s invisible influence permeates through all the dough and you see its effect as the dough rises…
Do you wonder if the small can grow tall, the small permeate all? That is what the Kingdom of God is like… what begins small, will and is, growing tall, and permeating all. This is the nature of faith in Christ, of following Jesus. It can seem like two steps forward, one step back, yet, in the Kingdom of God, small grows tall and small permeates all. When it comes to faith and faithfulness, obedience and following, God chooses to work through the small things. So be encouraged, the small become tall, the small permeating all, is what the Kingdom of God is like… this leads us to patience, endurance, perseverance, and hope.
A Poem by Mark Quist, Small to Tall Permeating All
Discouraged? Faith and faithfulness, growing so slow, in the space of your soul.
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, so small –
yet, over time, grows to be 10 feet tall.
The Kingdom of God is like yeast, again, so very small –
yet… over time, permeates all.
An invisible working, this growing, permeating,
yet, in the end, visibly rising.
The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed and like yeast –
what is so very small, grows tall and permeates all.
So be strong, be hopeful, persevere and endure, and put aside your frustration –
for ‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.’
See you Sunday, (Matthew 13:31-35)
Pastor Mark