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Commentaries
English
Luke
  
THE TWO PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
(Luke 13:18-21)
18Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches." 20And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?21It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."


The atom bomb is very strong, but the spiritual power in any world belief is stronger than it, for every culture rushes and becomes dyed with its own spirit. The greatest power in the world is the word of Jesus Christ, for it has changed the face of the world in principle. Jesus is like a man who comes to his garden and casts into it a grain of mustard seed, which grows in the course of time silently and noiselessly, and becomes a great tree. As such Jesus cast the gospel into the field of the world, which belongs personally to him, and not to Satan. And this simple word, which works without twinkling eloquence, became in two thousand years a huge tree whose branches reached half of the earth. The word of the Lord is still strong winning individuals even at the uttermost parts of the world. So do not despair if you were an isolated believer surrounded with unbelievers, or if only two or three met with you around the Holy Bible. The gospel is promised, even today, to grow and become a large tree, for the power of God is working in it. It revives dead hearts, and gives light to ignorant minds. Believe in the power of the gospel that you may experience how it changes the hearts of many.
Be wary! A bird perching on a tree, or lodging in its branches is not a branch of the tree. Similarly, not all those who hear the gospel and come to your meetings become changed in essence, and accept to be engrafted into the root of the tree. There are people who come and partake of the rays of peace, and the blessings of God’s protection, without committing themselves truly to the power of grace, or continuing in God. Many philosophers, poets, leaders, and economists learnt the Holy Bible, and were most impressed therewith. They derived much benefit from it, without any change in their subconscious; and then they flew away as birds having a leaf of the tree of God in their beaks. Dear brother, be a branch, and not a flying bird in the tree of Christ so that his power may flow in you without interruption.
In another parable, our Lord Jesus shows us the working power in the kingdom of God. He likens it to the leaven, which leavens the dough and makes it fit to be made bread. The raising of dough signifies as chemical change. It tells us how the power of the kingdom of God changes the essence of man, making the selfish unselfish, and impure pure. As we see in the growing of the mustard seed into a large tree an example of the spreading of the kingdom of God without any barrier, the parable of the leaven also shows us the essential change in man through the word of Christ who develops his kingdom in number and in essence. He who loves his becomes sanctified, and he who follows him serves all men. Christ himself is like the leaven, which leavens, ripens, and changes the whole world according to his pure Spirit.
Did the power of Christ impress you, change you into the image of his humility, and make you a reason for changing others? If you want to be within the frame of impression of the power of Christ, and participate in communicating it to the world, you will not need human wisdom, or fabricated tricks; all that you need is to open yourself to the gospel, and you will become a profitable man, bearing the word of God in your heart, and spreading it among your friends and surroundings. Trust in the power of Christ, which overturns the situations. He is the author and finisher of our faith. Thanksgiving and praise be to him.

Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, we worship to you because you touched us with your word, included us in your kingdom, and you change us into your image. We thank you because your kingdom grows like a flourishing tree in sun and in ice, in storm and in silence; and none can oppose it. We worship you because you sanctify your household with great silence, and without noisy propaganda that they may become the reason for life for many.
Question
What is the difference between the parable of the mustard seed, and that of the leaven?