In this weeks gospel Jesus speaks to a crowd and tells them a series of parables. In one of the parables Jesus speaks about the “kingdom of heaven” He says the kingdom is like a man who sows good seed in a field but, later that night the evil one sows weeds among those seeds. All of the seeds ultimately grow but in the end the good seeds will be harvested and the bad ones will be burned. In another parable Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed. He says that even though it is small a small seed it still can grow. Actually, it can grow to become a tree. In the last parable Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to yeast that is mixed with flour until it is leavened.
When Jesus spoke in parables I believe he was sowing seeds in the minds of all those who heard him. His explanation was straight forward. The sower of seeds was the son of man. The field was the world, the good seeds were people of the kingdom and the bad were people of the evil one. I love this parable because it clearly explains that in this world there are some good people and there are evil. It’s really that simple. Good and bad seeds grow up together in this world. Not all people believe in Christ and living Christ like and these days it’s becoming more and more evident. We live in a world where treating people poorly, fighting with people on social media, focusing on differences rather than similarities and acting evil seems to celebrated.
When Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed I believe he was talking about the spreading of the gospel. I believe at that time he was saying that, I have a small following and people don’t believe but, with faith and trust in me, my message can grow. My message can grow just like the little mustard seed into a beautiful tree. A tree that can feed many.Today it is clear that Jesus’s message has spread around the world and it started with a handful of believers. Jesus is everywhere. It’s incredible to think about the reach of Christianity and how it has moved across the globe. Have you ever asked yourself how has this happened? Why has this religion made its away into the hearts and homes of so many people? I believe that is spreads by faith. Faith is contagious and can be shared no different than a virus. Our faith in Christ shows up in our behavior, our language, our resilience, our love for another and our overall approach to life. People, may not say it but, they want what Christians have. They want the faith that we walk around with. They want the confidence that Jesus gives his followers. They want to know that they are saved like we as believers know. That’s how Christ made it around the world. He has been accepted one person at a time. That’s why I believe good seeds and bad seeds are in this world together. Mixed together like the yeast and flour in the last parable. I think it’s easier to recognize good seed in world that has so many weeds. We stand out. We are noticeably different. We are different but not separate. That is how Christ wants us. He wants us to walk among the weeds as an example. As Christians we choose to be different from the rest of the world. We choose to be examples of what Christ can do if you accept him. What role do you play in being an example to world? What are you doing to share Jesus's message? You may be surprised to find out how many people are watching you. Watching to see how you respond to life’s challenge. May be God is using you and how you live your life to sow more seeds...
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