ENTER GOD’S KINGDOM
Opening Prayer
Loving King, rule in my thoughts and in my actions throughout today.
Read LUKE 13:18-30
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 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.”
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
The Narrow Door
22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’
26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
Footnotes
- Luke 13:21 Or about 27 kilograms
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Think about your life and your church family. Where can you see evidence of God at work?You will probably notice as you read these verses that some themes in this passage resemble those we have looked at over the past few days. Who is going to be in the kingdom of God? We know that not all will be saved in our divided world (vs 25-28); we also know that some will be saved and will experience God’s healing and blessing (v 29).
In addition to this, our passage today talks about what God’s kingdom is like. And the answer? It’s everywhere! It’s like a mustard seed that grows into a healthy, growing tree (v 19), and yeast that spreads through a ball of dough (v 21). People will come from east and west and north and south (v 29)—so God’s kingdom spreads and flows—including some people you might not expect.
Verse 30 should make us pause for thought. Clearly, God’s kingdom does not necessarily share the same values as our world—a bit like our story yesterday when Jesus saw an unseen woman and healed her. So, let’s be on the lookout for God at work in unseen, unexpected ways and ask him for the faith to see him at work.
Apply
Find someone in your community of faith who might not realize how valuable they are—tell them how important they are to you.
Closing prayer
Using the Lord’s Prayer, ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth today—in your life, in your church family and in the world.
Book and Author Intros
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