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 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 about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough."
Luke 13v18-21 [TNIV]
How do you account for the apparent failure of Jesus?
For the people who watched him heal and teach and eat, they expected him to marshall the troops and drive the Romans out of the Temple. But he never instigated the violent revolution many assumed was the best way to free the nation from pagan oppression. Instead, he continued to heal the poor and sick, to teach the poor and pious, and to eat with whoever would join him. It's clear that Jesus was more interested in eating than he was with fomenting rebellion against Caesar. What a disappointment he was to so many...no wonder they called him a glutton!
Apparently Jesus had a different vision for the kingdom of God on earth. Subversion would be a good word. Jesus starts small. Picks a man. chooses his brother. adds another pair of brothers. calls a tax man. a doubter. a zealot. a traitor. With twelve men of no account Jesus intends to influence the world for good and for God. It's a lot like planting a mustard tree seed in the ground, and then forgetting about it. There is nothing special or attractive about a mustard tree. Except that eventually one day it will be home for many birds. And then you'll notice the tree. And then you'll hear the songs. It's as if at first God's work was not that noticeable, something to ignore or not give much attention to. But give God some time and some hearts, and then his kingdom, his rule, his way is something to be reckoned with.
The clever thought with the yeast is this: we can't get out of this world - we're in it, right in the middle of the craziness, the beauty, the wickedness, the possibilities. Rather than trying to seclude ourselves from the world, we who follow Jesus are a lot like yeast. Give us some time and some heart, and the way of God will work his way into the world through us- and when the time is right, the smell of fresh bread will bring plenty of people together for a feast. And we know how much Jesus loves to feast!
The Kingdom of God is another way of talking about the rule of God, the intent of God, the way of God. God doesn't force his kingdom on any body. But as we've seen from Jesus' description, it has an attractiveness to it - rest for the birds and food for the hungry. If you don't need rest, if you don't want to eat, then maybe the kingdom isn't what you want...for now. Fortunately God just needs a little space in your heart to plant a tiny seed, he just needs a moment of your time to mix in some yeast. And then some time and work.
What are you willing to give him? God asks for all of you, but he'll take what you give him.
