Thursday 03 November 2011

Background

Jesus uses parables to encourage his listeners to question andto think for themselves. We read of two ordinary everyday items, amustard seed and yeast. The mustard seed is a tiny seed but, underthe right conditions, will grow into a bush that provides a homefor all the "birds of the air" (v. 19). And a small amount of yeastis needed in order to make the dough rise and grow. In speakingabout the kingdom of God in this way Jesus is challenging thethinking of the people about the possibilities of the growth of thekingdom from something small to a thing that has great impact onthe world around it.

Jesus then moves on to a new town where once more he is challengedby people about their salvation as to who will be saved.Speculation at the time was about whether God's final judgement andGod's new age of full fellowship with himself would be for thewhole of the Jewish nation, just part of it, or would Gentiles alsobe included. (The word Gentiles in the New Testament refers tonon-Israelite peoples or nations.)

Jesus states very clearly that the expectations of some will bechallenged. Those who think they know 'the Lord' may not be knownin the kingdom of God as the way they live means that evil hastaken hold. But other people will come from all nations, who willbe known in the kingdom and so invited in. This must have been veryhard to hear for the religious people of Jesus' day; they wouldpossibly be excluded yet the Gentiles they looked down upon wouldbe welcome. The reversal is complete in the kingdom of God.

We live today in a world that places a high value on those who holdpositions of authority or have wealth or have celebrity status. Weread about them in the newspapers and hang on their every word. Atthe same time advertisements constantly remind us that we arespecial and we can do all things, but the reality is that manypeople are looked down on by others because they are not as 'goodas us' or don't have the latest 'techi' gadget or item offurniture.

To Ponder

How do you react when you encounter theunexpected?

How would you describe the kingdom of God?

How can we begin to place the same value oneveryone we meet, seeing them as precious in God's eyes?