Last updated on October 23, 2024
Today’s readings focus on some of the parables (stories) that Jesus told. In these stories Jesus wants his listeners to know what the Kingdom of God is like, but he doesn’t teach them an academic lesson. He instead tells them stories.
Jesus’ listeners understood kingdom. They had been ruled by different kingdoms for the last 700 years, and now they were under the reign of the Roman Empire. Jesus wanted them to know that there was a kingdom more powerful than the Romans. God had not forgotten his people. Jesus had come to show the people what life was like when God was in charge.
Here are a few of my takeaways after reading these stories.
The kingdom continues to grow (Mark 4:26-29) – The kingdom grows even while we’re asleep. This tells me that God is the one doing the growing, not us.
The kingdom is meant to be a blessing to all those around it (Matthew 13:31-32) – The kingdom movement starts as the smallest of seed, but it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, and that tree becomes a place for the birds to perch. A place for the birds. This might not be a huge thing, but it’s a good thing.
The kingdom is subversive (Matthew 13:33) – I’ve started baking more in the last few years, and I understand the power of yeast because I once forgot to add it. All it takes is a small and seemingly insignificant amount of yeast to make a difference in a large amount of flour.
The kingdom is valuable to those who pursue it (Matthew 13:44-46) – The kingdom is like the man who found a fine pearl and went and sold everything he had so that he could purchase it.