Luke 13:18 – 21 The Reign of God

Luke 13:18 – 21 The Reign of God

Then he said, "What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that a person took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush and 'the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.'" Again he said, "To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed (in) with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch of dough was leavened."

To what shall I compare the reign of God? To a mustard seed, to yeast, says Jesus. In both cases something really small becomes something really big. But not something that is just small, something that from the outside, anyhow, looks insignificant. It is, however, something that has to grow, something that has to be nurtured. So the reign of God shall grow to have a profound impact on our world. Coming on the heels of the previous scripture that rebuked religious leaders as hypocrites Jesus seems to be saying that the reign of God, although small and seemingly humble to start will grow to life changing and life sustaining proportions with God’s help and our small efforts to nurture it.