“Be A Eucalyptus Seed Or Yeast!”

“Be A Eucalyptus Seed Or Yeast!”
Jesus used parables to reveal the various dimensions of the kingdom of heaven. Today we are considering two short parables used to show how God’s word begins small but have a multiplier effect in the world.
He says the mustard seed is the smallest seed but when planted becomes a big tree where birds come and perch there for shelter. Using dynamic equivalence in translation we can replace the mustard seed with a eucalyptus seed. It is hardly visible to the eye, but grows to a very big tree. Again Jesus says “the kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough…”Mtt.13:31-35).
Both parables emphasise the impact of quality, which no matter how small has a multiplier effect. The parables have an individual dimension dealing with personal spiritual growth as a necessary condition for converting other people. On a larger scale is that as the word of God spreads, so the membership into the kingdom keeps increasing.
The process of conversion is set in motion when an individual first receives the word. Christian conversion is about turning to Jesus Christ. It is a process which may take a lot of time to complete because in each individual life there are many turnings to accomplish. We may know when the process begins, but difficult to know when it ends. As the individual grows spiritually s/he becomes like a big tree where people see an image of Christ and begin to expand in their own spirituality.
On the other hand the first converts in every community are small in number, but soon create an impact within the community and more converts come in. Christianity started with Jesus and a few fishermen but today it is the world’s most densely populated religion.
However, the kingdom of heaven is not strictly about being Christian. The kingdom of heaven is constituted of those within the intersection of two circles. One circle represents the world and one represents the church. Some of us are in the church but we do not belong in the kingdom, meanwhile there are some in the world who belong in the kingdom.
Jesus said, it is not all who call him Lord that belong to the kingdom. Again, once the disciples told him that they saw a man casting out demons in Jesus’ name but they stopped him because he was not a follower. Jesus told them not to stop such a person for whoever is for us cannot be against us.
My friend be a eucalyptus seed or yeast and create an impact upon the lives of others thus helping in the expansion of the kingdom in your own little way.
Prayer: Holy Spirit make me a eucalyptus seed or yeast so that I can impact my neighbourhood to enhance the growth of the kingdom of God. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!