Marsha's Musings: God's Kingdom (Matthew 13:24-33)

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:24-33 ESV)

If you are like me, you get discouraged at how things are going in the world and you get impatient for God to set up His kingdom. Here are three parables that talk about this.

1. God has planted His fields but there are weeds growing among with the wheat.  We see this in the Church today.  One day God will gather His people and those who are not part of His harvest will be burned.

2. God's kingdom begins as a tiny mustard seed that grows and becomes very large.  But notice how it starts small. It takes time to grow to the size God wants it to be.

3. God's kingdom takes time to grow, like leaven must take time to raise the dough.  

The point?  We can't expect God to establish His kingdom quickly. He has his own time table. Good things can't be hurried.  Patience is a godly virtue that I need as I watch things develop the world around me.  The growth of God's kingdom will not come easy. It comes with great difficulty like that of a mother giving birth. God is purging His Church around the world.  Only those who He planted will remain faithful and stand unashamed before Him.