“[The kingdom of God] is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.”
Luke 13:19
Several years ago we visited Syracuse. I was struck by the fact that Paul was there for just three days (see Acts 28:12), yet by 350 A.D. thousands of Christians were in the city! We toured the catacombs and saw the hundreds of Christian graves there by that time. Called a “forbidden sect,” the church in that region grew secretly. Paul had surely sown the seed, but God was behind it all, causing the growth. Sowing the Word of God in Syracuse brought the good news to many, even to us today.
In Luke 8 Jesus says the “seed” is the Word of God. The parable of the mustard seed is one of the shortest of Jesus’ earthly stories demonstrating what the kingdom of God is like. But it contains some of the most profound insights into the way God’s work is done. It sets a priority for all believers, from the earliest Christians to present-day believers.
Kingdom growth is organic. It’s not institutional. Rarely is it spread by programs and strategies. We often cannot see the growth. All we do is sow the seed. That is our priority.
In Luke 8 Jesus says the “seed” is the Word of God. The parable of the mustard seed is one of the shortest of Jesus’ earthly stories demonstrating what the kingdom of God is like. But it contains some of the most profound insights into the way God’s work is done. It sets a priority for all believers, from the earliest Christians to present-day believers.
Kingdom growth is organic. It’s not institutional. Rarely is it spread by programs and strategies. We often cannot see the growth. All we do is sow the seed. That is our priority.
Scripture Focus
Luke 8:4-15
Insight
What are you sowing? Psychological ideas? Ethical imperatives? Or are you sowing the Word from Scripture?
Bible In A Year
- Genesis 22-23
- Psalm 11
- Matthew 18
