God’s Kingdom
Matthew 13 contains seven parables Jesus told to describe God’s Kingdom, all based on everyday life in the first century. The parable that caught my attention this week is the parable of the yeast. Here’s how The Voice relates Matthew 13:33:
Jesus: “Imagine a woman preparing a loaf of bread. The kingdom of heaven is like the leaven she folds into her dough. She kneads and kneads until the leaven is worked into all the dough.” [Without the leaven, the dough remains flat. But the secret is the almost invisible leaven making her loaves fluff and rise.]
LEAVEN FOR THE WORLD
As Christians, we’re called to be leaven for the world: a few of us making a difference throughout the world. Every year members of my church make 100+ quilts to donate to World Disaster Relief. We start with 8×8 inch scraps of fabric, not one useful on its own. But when we stitch those scraps together and put in batting, the scraps make warm coverings. The quilts we make don’t lift people out of their difficult circumstances, but they whisper that someone cares. They make a difference throughout the world.
LEAVEN FOR OURSELVES
Each morning I try to spend a few minutes in prayer and Bible study. Not a lot of time out of the 24 hours in my day, but it makes a difference. Yesterday, for example, I read a story of a man who never got around to telling his wife how much he loved her. When she died suddenly, the opportunity was gone forever. The story wasn’t the main point of what I was reading, but it caught my attention. So yesterday I finally wrote a letter that’s been on my “to-do” list for six months. Not a dramatic action, but over the years those few minutes in the morning and the small insights I’ve received have made a difference in shaping who I am today.
OUR PROMISE
When we pray asking our Heavenly Father to bring about his kingdom, I think we promise God to be leaven in God’s world (or to sow the seeds of the gospel or to keep looking until we find God’s treasure or to leave the weeds for God to sort out). We promise to be alert to what can bring about God’s kingdom and to act on what we discover.
YOUR TURN
Which parable caught your attention? How do you see that parable in your life?
A passionate reader, I began writing as a young girl. After graduating from college, I became a teacher. Over the course of my career, I taught high schoolers, college undergraduates, and public school teachers how to write personal narratives, expository and persuasive essays, as well as poetry and short fiction. I continued to write: publishing professional articles, two textbooks, short stories, and poetry. In 2013, I won first place in Romantic Suspense in the ACFW Genesis Contest.
Suzanne, I love your blog about leven. I am a bread-maker, so I can relate. I am also a Christian, so when you shared how God uses those quite morning times to direct your actions, I took pause to think of my life. I have quiet times with God too, and agree that I am enriched by them. I have found that God uses these minutes to spread the “leven” I will need for my day. All day His goodness to me lifts me up. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
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