Wonderful kingdom parables continued...

Mat 13:31-32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field.
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.


The kingdom of heaven- a tiny seed-becoming the greatest of its kind. A tiny seed growing to become a resting place for the birds. A tiny seed growing and growing and growing until at its full growth it is something quite amazing. A tiny unassuming seed containing such potential! The kingdom of heaven while we might realize the kingdom of heaven's greatness right now, we also understand that we won't understand its fullness until we realize it when our Savior returns for us. The kingdom has to be a reality to us. Would Jesus go to such great lengths to give parable after parable on something we are not to think a lot about? The kingdom of heaven is truly our life because the kingdom of heaven is our Savior- there is no kingdom of heaven without Jesus. As often as we think of Jesus we need to think of the kingdom of heaven- this was the message HE brought to us! The kingdom of heaven as something REAL not something of mere fantasy or speculation, but REALITY. Every single day we live is one day closer to the realization of the fullness of God.


1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.


We should think of the kingdom now not sometime in the future. We shouldn't wait until we are contemplating our end, but preparation for the kingdom of heaven begins when our life begins.


Jesus tells us the kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed- but He doesn't stop there. Jesus continues on and He tells us that seed is taken and sowed in a field. Continuing further He tells us that tiny seed is the GREATEST of herbs full grown. But He doesn't even stop there, Jesus wants us to know that the birds can lodge in that tiny seed full grown into the tree it was meant to become. We can't ignore this parable, we have to understand it because we have ear and we desire to hear all the truth of our Savior. We have eyes and we long to see all the wondrous things our Lord has for us to see. Our kingdom of heaven is our ultimate dream home, our ultimate dream life, NOTHING here and now on earth can compare to the joys waiting for us, nothing! The trouble is-- too many want joy right NOW, they want the joy of heaven NOW, they believe their lives here and now should be having a *dream* life, is there any wonder so many people are depressed and disappointed? The joy we have now is in the truth that Jesus gives us that we will one day be with Him, this is a joy that even the worst of the worst that life has to give us cannot destroy. This joy of eternal life in Him is something NOTHING can take from us as we journey on our pilgrimage through the highs and lows, through the valleys and peaks, through the heartaches and loves, through the life and death.


Having a bad day on your pilgrimage? Is Satan doing all he can to tear you away from your joy in Christ? Have you succumbed to vile temptations and believe all is hopeless? Does your future only look grim without a shred of peace, a shred of love, a shred of happiness? Has Satan completely blinded you to the kingdom of heaven? Is that tiny seed become tree lost to you? This is the sole purpose of the evil one- to distract us by LIFE with all its awfulness, distract us from the kingdom of heaven!


We should wake up every morning with the kingdom of heaven our goal. Seriously. Before we even crawl out of bed we should praise God that we have been given the promise of the kingdom of heaven through our Savior's sacrifice.


And BEFORE someone jumps in and says that's being selfish, desiring the kingdom, let me just say it's SELFLESS desiring to do the will of God. Satan wants us to believe it's selfish to think about the joys of the kingdom. Jesus however wants us to think a lot about the kingdom- living for Him, living in Him, living because of Him, living with the hope He died to bring to us.


AND ANOTHER KINGDOM PARABLE...


Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them
The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven,
which a woman took,
and hid in three measures of meal,
till the whole was leavened.


Leaven makes bread rise nice and fluffy. If you leave leaven out of dough then the bread is a flat unleavened sort. Putting leaven into meal would make that meal rise, it would make that meal change. Some leaven creates a huge difference in the result of the dough, other makes a more subtle difference. Here Jesus is saying a woman took 3 measures of meal- enough for a loaf of bread and put enough leaven in that bread so that the whole loaf was leavened. Till the WHOLE was leavened. This wasn't subtle sort of leavening, no, this was enough leaven so the whole of the three measures of flour was affected by that leaven. Not a bit of that meal flour was left without alteration.

The kingdom of heaven is like that leaven. ALL of this world will be affected by the kingdom of heaven not one bit will go untouched by it, not the most miniscule of particles will be left out. Jesus offers the way to the kingdom of heaven and this way is offered to all- and one day all who have accepted the offer will realize in a most literal manner- LIFE in the kingdom of heaven with our Savior. And those who refuse to accept the offer of our Savior will be touched by the kingdom of heaven- and the loss of the most wondrous of gifts. Regardless of any and all things the kingdom of heaven will leaven the whole of our existence.


Do you see? Do you hear? Do you understand? The kingdom of heaven is our ONLY true reality! Yet we live as if it's the last thing on our minds, we live as if the cares of this life here and now are all that matter. We care only for now as if we are not even pilgrims but have arrived at our destination and this is all there is, this horrible, horrible sin-filled existence. Praise God for eyes to see! Praise God for ears to hear! Praise God for enlightenment through the Holy Spirit! Praise God!


Rounding off this portion of lengthy discourse filled with kingdom parables we are told…


Mat 13:34,35 - All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.


Amazing!


'I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world!'


The kingdom of heaven realized!
Salvation in the form of a God-man.
The Messiah come at last and not as a worldly conquering mystical magical king, but as a humble man, a servant of the Father in heaven, a sacrifice for all, a gift of eternal life, conqueror of the second death, our Lord now and forever!


How wondrous, how amazingly wondrous!


By the unfathomable love of our Savior may we be His always!


Amen