Journey 2 Jerusalem

Please read Luke 13:18-21

It is the winter of 30 AD. Jesus is making his last journey to Jerusalem and he wants his disciples to understand how the Kingdom of God is going to get started and what it is going to look like.

The Kingdom is going to grow in the hearts of people - almost invisible, but with great effect - like yeast, which can turn a lump of goo into a wonderful loaf of challah. No ousted Romans, no disciples becoming governors, just little Jesus-Followers flavoring and affecting the world around them in a way that will forever change the course of human history.

Jesus knew that the almost unseen beginnings of the Kingdom would in time branch and blossom into a dynamic movement. In less than a generation, people would be turning toward Christ at the rate of thousands per day.

It seems that the mustard plant germinates from a very small seed and given the right conditions some varieties of it can grow 10 to 20 feet high in one season! And as for the birds? Psalm 84:3 says: “Even the sparrow has found a home… a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.” Let’s make it our prayer that, like those birds, we all find rest and sanctuary within the Kingdom of God.

One last tidbit about the mustard plant: The Latin name for this family of plants is Cruciferae or crucifer, which means cross-bearing. And sure enough, if you look closely at the little yellow flowers you’ll see that with four perfect petals they offer the sign of the cross, the key to the Kingdom. Just another coincidence, I suppose.

Wayne Lindell