I recently watched a cookery programme where the contestants had to bake and flavour bread. There were some amazing creations, but often when the bread was cut open, the judge, himself a famous baker, could show that the yeasty dough had not been left to prove long enough for there to be a good ‘rise’. It takes time and can’t be rushed.

In yesterday’s verses we saw that the kingdom of God had arrived in Jesus – the healing of the oppressed woman was a tantalising glimpse of what the kingdom is like. Now, Jesus wants to tell the joyful crowd (vs 17,18) a little more about the outward and inward impact that the kingdom will have. Healing one unknown old woman was a small thing (although not for her) but, like seeds and yeast, what Jesus said and did would have enormous ramifications for the whole world (vs 19,21). Creation will one day be set free from its bondage of corruption and find security and safety in the kingdom of God (v 19). And the kingdom will spread in influence until the whole world feels its force (v 21).

But, like the bread of the competitors, it takes time, and the yeast has to work unseen for a long time before it is ready (v 21b). 

‘While it may seem small, the ripple effect of small things is extraordinary.’¹

Today we have two parables about the kingdom of God. The first, about the mustard seed which grew into a large tree in which many birds perched, is underscoring a simple truth – there is room in God’s kingdom for us all. There is room for a wide variety of beliefs and experiences; room for a wide variety of styles of worship, all kinds of people; room even for all the nations and peoples of the world. It is a mistake to try to standardise the Christian experience or expect that others will mirror our own spiritual journeys. This is one of Luke’s most cherished themes – that there is room for everyone in God’s kingdom, from the youngest to the oldest, richest to poorest, upper classes to those of no social status, and every ethnicity and nation. We see examples of all of these throughout Luke and Acts.

A second message is about the power of small things. The mustard seed is one of the smallest of seeds, but it grows into a large tree. In that world, mustard is not a garden herb but a field plant, easily capable of growing into a tree up to 2–3 metres high. Birds often cloud around such trees, for they love the little black mustard seeds.

In similar fashion, the yeast that works through all the dough is a picture of the power of something that starts very small. God’s kingdom starts from the smallest beginning and often works unseen, just like yeast working its way through dough, yet the end result is powerful – just as the dough becomes a bubbling mass and grows tremendously in size as the yeast has its effect. Likewise, God’s kingdom often begins quietly within us, yet it goes on dramatically to change our lives.

Invite God to build his kingdom in and through your life today, in both large and small ways.  

¹ Matt Bevin, American politician, b 1967