The Kingdom of God Breaks Forth
Seed by Seed and Loaf by Loaf
Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Luke 13:8-21
Today starts our Advent Devotional series that will lead up to the birth of Jesus. You may ask, why the title The Kingdom of God Breaks Forth? Well, that is exactly what happens with the coming of Jesus. I shouldnt even say the coming of Jesus because that implies that he was not involved in history prior to his birth, and we know that is not true! In a manager, in Bethlehem, we see that God becomes Flesh and tabernacles among us and ushers in the Kingdom Of God!
In our reading we have two parables. Often these two parables about the Kingdom of God are interpreted on their own. Yet, to even begin to understand our Lords lesson for us this day about a mustard seed and a bit of yeast we need to set his tiniest of parables in context and move a few steps back into the story that comes directly beforehand, to the story of Jesus and the bent-over woman, which is what I want to focus on.
Luke tells us the story of a bent-over woman, who makes her way into the synagogue. We dont know her name, yet her straightening that day will cause many to become bent out of shape.
Unable to straighten herself, she somehow makes her way through the city streets and shuffles, crab-like up the synagogue steps.
For eighteen years she contends with her body and sees less and less of the world, yet she is unbending in her goal to reach her house of prayer. She is uncompromising in her determination to lift her voice to God, even if it means turning her entire body sideways. To lift her voice and sing with the congregation; to declare in the words of the Psalmist that God rescues and saves, to proclaim God delivers and recovers, to utter those promises God heals and God redeems.
That Sabbath day Jesus sees her and calls her over. He lays hands on her, unbends her, unfolds her. He offers her a blessing and then these words You are set free. Set free from your ailment! She not only straightens her spine but lifts her voice in praise to God.
Jesus breaks the Sabbath law for her by healing on the Sabbath; he straightens the law, cracks open the law; and then, even before this miracle can be celebrated, this cure be glorified; before her friends can surround her, theres an explosion, a crash, a controversy among the Temple leadership, a theological crisis a voice rages at the crowd. The leader of the synagogue, blind as to the miracle, is indignant, hes seething. Theres been a healing on the Sabbath and hell have none of it.
The leader yells out to the worshipers, There are six other days of the week in which to work and be cured. This is so inappropriate on the Sabbath. Pay no attention to this disruption. Silence everyone and worship!
Right before our eyes were presented with an ironic juxtaposition. On the one hand, a woman so shrunken in size, so curved over that she can no longer right herself. A woman enslaved to her ailment, is unbent when freedom breaks loose. And on the other hand, a man so swollen by his own presumptions, so full of himself, so upright and righteous, so enslaved to the law, becomes totally bent out of shape when freedom breaks loose. Two beloved children of God. One set free; one remains bound.
And then our text pauses with todays parables and Jesus simply saying,
Therefore."
Therefore, What is the kingdom of God like?
Well, Ill give you a comparison.
Its like a mustard seed,
and when planted it grew into a huge tree.
So much so that even the birds made their homes in it.
What is the Kingdom
It is like a bit of yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three scoops of flour,
more than enough to go around.
And ball of dough rose and became a the loaf of bread,
and it was beautiful.
In the midst of a quiet Sabbath, Jesus entered the Temple to teach the world about the kingdom of God. In the midst of the chaos, he cracks open the law and Kingdom of God breaks forth, not in a fiery explosion or controversy, nor in a leaders voice that rages at the crowd, and condemns a healing. No. The Kingdom of God breaks forth in two tiny, common, things: a mustard seed and a few granules of yeast.
And this Advent season the Kingdom of God breaks forth in the tiny baby Jesus.
Small things that have expansive consequences. This, says Jesus, is the way of the kingdom of God. Just as seed and leaven carry their futures within them, this, says Jesus, is the way of the Kingdom of God!
Prayer
Heavenly Father help me to prepare for the breaking in of your Kingdom. Help me to understand that you use the small things, the things that seem impossible, to do great and mighty things. In your precious name, Amen.
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