Proper 12A: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Don't take anything for granted. Don't discount the small church, or the small group. Don't discount the mustard seed or the bit of yeast. For the Kingdom of God is such as these.

Maybe it's because I pastor in a small church, but I can't help but read the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast and be encouraged. You remember that Jesus began His ministry with just a handful of disciples who were entirely committed to following Him and changing the world. This small mustard seed of disciples has grown to earth shaking proportions, and lives have been transformed.

But not only is the Kingdom of God like mustard seeds and yeast, it is like a pearl of great price and a hidden treasure. The Kingdom of God is worth so much more than all of our possessions, that we are compelled to abandon everything in order to pursue Christ and His Kingdom.

To the outsider, this must look quite odd. In fact, we must be considered crazy. For we are the people who sell all we have in order to chase after mustard seeds and yeast. For we know that the mustard seed will grow, and the yeast will transform the whole batch of dough. For that reason, they are worth more than any earthly treasure.

Despite the fact that we may appear to be a mustard seed, God infuses us with His presence, and the ordinary becomes extra-ordinary. The mundane becomes heavenly, and the natural becomes supernatural. Indeed, "Little Is Much When God Is in It!"

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon