To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

Luke 13:1-21 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? ³ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

⁶ And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. ⁷ And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; ⁹ and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”…

¹⁸ So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

²⁰ And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

In today’s text Jesus compares the kingdom of God to two things in order to illustrate one of its  aspects or characteristics.  He says: “It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”   A mustard seed is a very small seed yet it grows to become something which overshadows everything and becomes a place of safety and an abode for life. He says also: It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”  The leaven, though not seen, impacts and affects everything it touches. Jesus often said “the kingdom is at hand,” like the leaven it is unseen yet it affects everything it touches, it activates it, it brings change to everything. Like the mustard seed, the kingdom, when planted within the fertile soil of a believer’s heart, grows and becomes a place of safety, refuge and life for others.

Earlier in the text Jesus told a parable of an unproductive fig tree. “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. ⁷ And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ ⁸ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; ⁹ and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”      As believers we are called to bear fruit. From the very beginning, in Genesis 1:27-28 it says:    God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."      We too are to bear fruit for the kingdom, increasing in number and having dominion over everything on earth. Being a Christian, a member of Christ’s church, is not meant to be a spectator sport. It is not meant to be something we go to. We are called to be agents of the kingdom, bearing fruit, like the leaven, affecting everything we contact, like the mustard seed bringing forth safety, comfort; life for others.  The man said of the unproductive fig tree: Why does it even use up the ground?  We are called to do more than occupy space in the church. Jesus says:  “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.” (John 14:12) Jesus says: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)   Bearing fruit for the kingdom, doing the works Jesus did and increasing the kingdom, affecting everything we touch for Christ, that’s our call as believers.  

There is one other vital aspect of the kingdom in today’s text. It says:        Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? ³ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”      Repentance is vital to our entry into the kingdom. It is not that we make ourselves good enough. It’s not that we work toward becoming like Jesus. We are justified by Christ. His finished work on the cross is all that was need to forgive every sin, past, present and future. Yet if we do not repent: (·  turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life ·  2 a :  to feel regret or contrition b :  to change one's mind – Webster’s dictionary) we perish. It is possible, even that we work in and for the kingdom of God and yet risk perishing ourselves if we don’t repent. Jesus says:     “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23) It is possible that fruit for the kingdom may be produced, yet those who are bearing that fruit themselves may be excluded if they practice lawlessness. We all sin and Jesus work on the cross was sufficient to forgive our sin. Yet if we choose to continue in sin, if we choose to practice sin rather that changing and turning from it, we risk perishing.

Jesus prefaced His statement that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, saying “Repent.” Jesus work on the cross is all that is required to pay for our sins. On the cross He said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) If we however, knowing what we are doing, choose to continue in sin rather than to receive the forgiveness of the cross we remove ourselves from the covering of God’s grace and mercy. Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.    Ephesians 2:8-9 says: For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.     Salvation, forgiveness for our sin is indeed a free gift, not dependant on our works. But if we choose to reject that gift, if we choose to continue in sin rather than walking in grace, we choose to despise the cross and the gift. We ourselves choose the gift of God or the wages of sin.

We are of no value to the kingdom if we bear no fruit, if we do not affect the lives of others for the sake of the kingdom. Our eternal lives have no value if we don’t ourselves repent, turn from sin and dedicate ourselves to the amendment of our lives, feel regret or contrition, change our mind.    

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior; precious Holy Spirit, my guide, thank You for the free gift of salvation and eternal life through the finished work of the cross. There is nothing I need to do but to choose to receive Your gift, Your grace. I do choose to repent to change my mind and turn to You. I believe. Holy Spirit fill me, empower me and enable me to walk in the fullness of the power and authority, the dominion I have been given in and through Christ. May I bear fruit for the kingdom, affecting others as an agent of change, doing the works that Jesus did and sharing the good news of the kingdom. To You be all the glory.    Amen.