The Day of Small Things
In Matthew 13:31-33, Jesus describes his kingdom in two surprisingly hopeful ways:
“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.”
The glaring truth that fuses these punchy parables together is that the kingdom of heaven, expressed in the church between the two advents of Jesus, starts out small and unimpressive, but grows to epic proportions. A mustard seed is tiny, but a mustard tree is quite large. A few measures of flower and a pinch of yeast doesn’t seem like much. But a big loaf of bread, sitting at the front of Converse Hall ready to be consumed during Communion is something to behold. Each of these items has small beginnings, but given time, they become not merely impressive in appearance, but useful by way of shelter and sustenance.
But here’s the thing—we aren’t the most patient people. We like to “go big or go home” in just about every conceivable way, including our churches and walks with Jesus. When with earthly eyes, we spy something small and seemingly insignificant, we tend to write it off. Maybe we think the church at large isn’t large at all, and in moments where our faith is thin, we get the sense that we’ve joined a losing team. Maybe our local church lacks a missional mindset, and at times, we lack the resources we feel are necessary to make an impact in our community. Maybe our own personal faith in Jesus is marked by doubts, and at times, we feel shame at our lack of maturity. What do we make of this? What would Jesus have us think about our churches and ourselves?
There are many truths that can be applied in times of doubt and discouragement. But one thing that we ought to think on is the seed and the leaven. The kingdom, like a seed, may take time to grow into maturity, but nothing can stop its growth because God is the one who causes it to grow. Like leaven, there’s a day coming when the kingdom will no longer be expressed by small pockets of beleaguered churches. But as Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” Friends, do not despise the day of small things. Hang onto hope. It’s only a matter of time.
