You Are God's FieldSample

God’s kingdom starts small

Many people in Jesus’ days expected that God’s kingdom would come with spectacular supernatural signs. They were hoping for a Messiah who would expel the Romans and bring political and economic restoration for the people of Israel.

But Jesus says that His kingdom will start small and will hardly be visible. It is like a tiny grain of mustard sown in a field. Nobody will notice it. But it will grow into a tree! The mustard grain probably was the smallest seed that Jesus’ hearers knew, and the mustard plant can reach about 3.5 meters. So, the picture is clear: God’s kingdom starts small, but will grow large! This growth is already visible for us. At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He only had a small group of followers in Jerusalem. Nowadays, the church consists of billions of believers all over the world!

The supernatural signs people were waiting for will indeed come. But not yet. The focus is not on visible phenomena, but on spiritual restoration that is demonstrated in changed lives. The kingdom of heaven is not coming in ways that can be observed, but it is in our midst.

Do you “see” God’s kingdom growing?