S34P6 – The kingdom of heaven: influential
Luke 13:20-21
And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three peck measures of flour until it was all leavened.”
There are some things about myself that I do not care to admit. Other things, however, I will easily own up to. For example, I am no baker. One evening, I decided I would make some homemade cinnamon rolls. I gathered the recipe along with the ingredients and began mixing things together. Unfortunately, I was not terribly organized. It was not until I had mixed most of the ingredients that I realized I had no leavening agent. Being so far along already, I decided to simply continue the rest of the steps and hope for the best. What I ended up with were not big, round, fluffy cinnamon rolls. Instead, I had what looked like striped hockey pucks. You see, the leavening agent was critical to this recipe. In fact, it would have taken only a very small amount to spread through all the flour and cause a much greater yield. That is what even the smallest touch of God’s kingdom accomplishes.
When the kingdom of heaven touches someone or something, it leaves some trace behind. It affects whatever it encounters, and the results ripple outward. Just like the leavening agent that causes the dough to rise and multiply its yield, the kingdom of heaven magnifies us in many ways. It makes us wiser, stronger, braver and simply better. One of the definitions of leavening is a quality or element that modifies or transforms something for the better. This is what the kingdom of heaven does. It sets all things straight and restores all things to perfection. Where the kingdom of heaven exists we should expect to find truth, justice, compassion and godliness. This kingdom leaves nothing unchanged. We know that because of how we have changed now that it exists within us. God’s kingdom continues to multiply holiness within us and produce holy fruit.
Knowing that the kingdom of God resides within us, and knowing that it brings about a better state of all things, we should desire to operate in the power of this kingdom as we live daily. We should desire to see God’s heavenly kingdom affect everyone and everything around us. Our personal transformations are not to remain simply ours. That is a jumping off point for the spreading of God’s kingdom through us into the world. The kingdom of heaven is not to be stifled or restrained. We are to allow it to grow as it will. As it works through us it should touch that which is around us and cause a change for the better. Father, thank You for the effect that your holy kingdom has on us and on this world, and cause its power to continue to multiply holiness in and around us.