growth under the radar

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” (Luke 13:18-21, ESV)

The Jews expected God's kingdom to arrive with a bang but Jesus describes it arriving in an insignificant way and growing, slowly, into something very significant. Sometimes we see the kingdom of God advancing rapdily - such as the 3000 Christians added to the church on the day of Pentecost. But, more often we see it growing under the radar, with one person telling someone else the gospel, who then tells two more. It's slower and perhaps less noticeable, but it's significant, and we often don't see that significance until much later.

In our own lives we see a similar thing. We are often looking for the one sermon or bible study or prayer meeting or conversation that will produce dramatic change in us. More often it's low-key, long term growth. You might not leave church buzzing about the sermon or you might not have found the home group exciting this week but repeated exposure to God's word and God's people is the method God uses to cultivate our growth. It's only with hindsight that we can see the effects of that long term project. This should be a big encouragement to us - that Bible study, sermon, group, conversation, prayer or time invested in relationships may seem to have had little effect, but it is not wasted.

repeated lessons

In Luke 6:6-11 Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, asking the question of whether it is lawful to do good and save lives on the Sabbath. There is no answer to that question but the Pharisees were filled with fury.

In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus does the same thing again, this time healing a woman and, in response to the Pharisees anger, he points out their hypocrisy as they would do good to an animal on the Sabbath but wanted this woman to come on another day to be healed. There is no response to that charge except we are told that it put them to shame.

In Luke 14:1-6 the same thing happens again, Jesus restates his question from chapter 6 and his accusation of hypocrisy from chapter 13. Again, the Pharisees could not answer and remain silent

They had no answers to Jesus' challenge, but they remained unmoved. Rather than being softened by repeated exposure to Jesus' life and teaching, their hearts became increasingly hard. We should see this as a warning. When we are consistantly challenged and convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit and continue to ignore it, our hearts are becoming a bit harder for the next time and eventually we're not only ignoring the sin but becoming angry at Jesus and plotting to remove his influence. Let's pray that God gives us soft hearts to repent of our sin and put our trust in him.

the timing of death

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:1-5

Jesus responds to these disasters in a different way to we might expect. First, he makes it clear that they did not occur as a direct punishment for those people's sin. But, secondly, he wont let anyone off the hook. Those people weren't any worse sinners than the rest of us, and their death should realise we need to repent before the same happens - that's not repentance to avoid the disaster, but to accept the one who determines what happens to us after the disaster. An early death may seem like a tragedy to us but the tragedy is death without Jesus, not the timing of that death.

lamb or ram?

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2)

Isaac wasn't Abraham's only son. Was God wrong?

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:7-8, ESV)

 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. (Genesis 22:13)

God provided a ram, not a lamb.

God wasn't wrong, and Abraham wasn't wrong about God. This event was about something much bigger and better. Later, in the same place, God did provide a lamb for the sacrifice, his only Son. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) 

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) 

they desired to see what we see

turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23-24)

Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56)

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

It can be easy to think that it would have been so much easier (or better?) to have lived at the time of Moses or Elijah or another Old Testament character. What could be better than personally witnessing God parting the red sea or sending manna or any of the other dramatic stories we read? 

Jesus (and Peter) in the passages above tell us it's the other way around. The prophets and even the angels looked forward to our day. They desired the day when God's promises weren't just promises anymore but fulfilled realities. The day when the message of the gospel, the good news about Jesus' life, death and resurrection, was fully known was the day in which they longed to live. If we think that message is less exciting, fulfilling or sufficient than the signs that pointed towards it, then we've misunderstood those signs completely.