Small Affect, Big Effect

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings there are fascinating and powerful characters who inhabit the land of Middle Earth. There are wizards who conjure amazing spells. There are forest elves who possess extraordinary skills. There are dwarves with tools and technology to dig up entire mountains. There are vast armies of soldiers led by brave warrior kings. And in Tolkien’s story, none of these amazing characters can stand up against the power of the one ring. The strength of this one little ring is too much for all of them combined to defeat.

There is only one group of characters in Middle Earth who can defeat the power of the one ring. Hobbits. It is characters like Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins, along with help from others like Samwise Gamgee. These hobbits are small creatures who live in peace in the land of Middle Earth in a place called the Shire. No one considers hobbits to be a powerful threat. But it is the wizard Gandalf who recognizes that the fate of all Middle Earth rests on the small actions of these insignificant hobbits to do what no other creature in Tolkien’s imaginary world can do. From the smallest actions of the smallest creatures come the biggest results. Sometimes the most profound and significant outcomes begin in the smallest and most unlikely places. I imagine Tolkien may have had some parables of Jesus in mind as a way of shaping his story in The Lord of the Rings. The stories Jesus tells are much shorter.

Matthew 13:31–35 (NIV)

Matthew 13:31–35 NIV

31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.” 34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

parables are stories that convey a kingdom idea and call for a response

context of Matthew 13 weaves together many parables

Let’s remind ourselves of the context for this story. We have been spending a few weeks now just in Matthew 13. Last week especially we looked at some parables that stretch across the chapter as bookends, with other smaller parables inside of them. The parables of the weeds and the parable of the net are the bookends which form the context. I talked about that last week as a way of framing the kingdom of heaven as sometimes being tangles up in messy places. Now today, within the parable of the weeds and the explanation of that parable drops two more small stories that we see today: the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast.

these parables have no unexpected twist in the stories themselves

Context is important. We should read these two stories today with the understanding that Jesus is presenting a kingdom that can appear to be messy. That was an unexpected twist in the story for the original audience. These stories follow suit with those unexpected twists. But that takes some explanation. The details of the stories themselves are not shocking or surprising. In fact, these stories are rather mundane. Everyone in the time of Jesus understood that mustard seeds are small, but mustard plants grow large. There is nothing shocking or unexpected there. Everyone in the time of Jesus understood the basics of home-baking. They all knew that a very small piece of old fermented bread was needed to be mixed into the new dough of fresh bread in order for the dough to rise and become bread. Without that small amount of that yeast to help leaven the dough, it cannot become bread. There is nothing shocking or unexpected here. The story appears to have no twist which grabs the attention of the reader.

shocking twist comes in comparing these ordinary examples sharing something in common with the kingdom of heaven

The twist comes in the comparison. The unexpected and shocking part of these stories comes in the thought that these everyday ordinary examples share something in common with the kingdom of heaven. The initial reaction of those who heard this story might well have been rejection. No way, Jesus! The kingdom of heaven is not like that! Nobody would have thought of God’s kingdom as every coming from or being present in something small. God is worthy of all glory. There is no way the kingdom of such a glorious God can ever be found in small, tiny places.

these stories describe something about the kingdom of heaven which the people around Jesus would have thought was completely incomprehensible

The Hebrew word for glory, cavod, literally means “weighty.” It is a reference to something so enormous and vast and boundless that it cannot be pushed aside or go unnoticed. That is what the Hebrew Bible means when it calls God glorious. There is no way this vast, boundless, huge kingdom of God can ever be compared to a tiny mustard seed or compared to the small pinch of yeasted crust that mixes into 60 pounds of fresh bread dough. The twist in these parables does not come from within the stories themselves, but from the way in which these stories describe something about the kingdom of heaven which the people around Jesus would have thought was completely incomprehensible.

affect — verb - the action of doing something effect — noun - the result which comes about because of an action

In today’s message you get a bonus English grammar lesson besides a Bible lesson. I am calling this message Small Affect, Big Effect. Those are two words many people mix up: affect and effect. Affect is a verb and it refers to the action of doing something. Effect is a noun and it describes the result which comes about because of a certain action taking place. One is the action itself: affect. The other is the result: effect.

kingdom idea — the smallest actions produce the largest results

Jesus is placing another kingdom idea in front of us today in these stories. The kingdom of heaven is a place in which God uses the smallest of actions to produce the largest results. The smallest seed goes into the ground, but the largest garden plant comes from it. The smallest ingredient in the bread recipe is the yeast, but that pinch of leaven spreads into the entire batch of dough. The smallest actions produce the largest results.

Israelites expected big action to usher in God’s kingdom

I am not exactly sure why the people of Israel expected grandiose expressions of God’s kingdom. Perhaps they equated a triumphant and victorious kingdom in ways that follow the example of the world around them. They expected a kingdom built upon the expression of strength, not an expression of weakness. They expected a kingdom that represented power, not a kingdom that represented meek timidity. Even Jesus’ own disciples thought for the longest time that he had come as a Messiah who would gather a powerful uprising to overthrow the Roman Empire. But it seems so obvious from example after example in the Old Testament that God does not work his kingdom that way.

God often chooses small actions — Abraham, Egypt/Passover, Joshua/Jericho, David/Goliath

God started his chosen people with just one couple, Abraham and Sarah. And God did not give them instructions to do anything strong or powerful. All God told them was to go move to a different place and live there. Abraham and Sarah did that small thing and God did the rest to produce huge results. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, God did not raise them up to be an overwhelming army to win their freedom by force. He told them to go home and paint the top of their doorposts and sit down with their family for a meal. The people did that small thing and God did the rest to produce huge results. When Joshua and the Israelites faced the undefeatable forces of Jericho tightly entrenched in the stronghold of their fortified city, God did not present a battle plan for a military operation of unprecedented military strength. He told them to form a marching band and go for a walk. The people did that small thing and God did the rest to topple down an undefeatable city stronghold. When the Philistine army presented a gladiator champion named Goliath, God did not match ranks by bringing out an even stronger warrior to crush the opponent. He provided a small boy with a slingshot. David did the small thing and God produced big results.

do I see the kingdom of heaven in small actions?

Do you see what I am getting at? The kingdom idea of this parable should not have surprised the people around Jesus. They should have known it already. It is the story of their entire history as a nation. Yet somehow, they missed it. And now let’s be honest for a moment. The kingdom idea of this parable should not surprise and challenge us either. Yet it does. Because somehow, we often miss it too. Maybe on one level we hear and understand these parables. Sure, I get it; God can use small things to produce big results. But why is it, then, that we are so often fixated on just highlighting the big things? It seems from this story that Jesus is telling us we will find the kingdom of heaven in the little things. And it is actually in those little things that God brings about big results.

verse 35 — the kingdom can remain hidden because we are looking in the wrong places

Perhaps we shouldn’t be too hard on people for missing this kingdom idea. After all, Matthew closes these parables with a qualifier. It is not Jesus who is quoting Psalm 78 at the end of this passage. It is Matthew who includes it as his own commentary on the way God’s people so often miss some of these kingdom ideas as if it is somehow hidden from plain view. And it is Matthew’s observation in verse 35 which should give us a moment of pause to consider how we might be missing the best parts of the kingdom of heaven right before our own eyes.

Jesus himself to the cross so that all who believe in him can be saved

Of course, Matthew is also pointing to a very real and immediate truth of this kingdom idea right in the gospel story itself. Jesus came into the midst of God’s own people largely unrecognized as the Messiah to save the world. And While Jesus gains notoriety among the people because of the miracles he performs, nobody seems to understand that it is the humble submission of Jesus to the way of the cross which will bring about the greatest result. Jesus summarizes it in the familiar words of John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” God’s kingdom plan for his creation all hinges on this one small affect—that Jesus all by himself surrenders himself in love. “…that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” A single action offered only by Jesus produces enormous results—the kingdom of heaven is now opened up to all who believe and accept Jesus in faith. Of course Matthew means for us to see that connection in his gospel. Yet at the same time, it does not diminish the kingdom idea Jesus is revealing about the nature of the kingdom of heaven itself. God uses the smallest actions to produce the largest results.

think big; but do not reduce the strength of God’s kingdom to being dependent on the strength of our own efforts

I have said every week in this series that draws upon stories in Matthew that parables are stories which convey a kingdom idea and call for a response. We see the kingdom idea in these stories about the mustard seed and the yeast. What shall we say about a response? Is it wrong for us to dream big dreams or hope for big results? Should we as God’s people in his kingdom not think about big goals? Should we not be ambitious in our discipleship? That doesn’t seem quite right. The Bible certainly does not tell us to settle for mediocre discipleship. I think the kingdom idea of these parables cautions us to careful that we not reduce the strength of God’s kingdom to being dependent on the strength of our own efforts. That we should not reduce ourselves to thinking that the only way God’s kingdom can have a strong effect is for me to have a strong affect.

God is not looking for strong actions, human brilliance, or superstars for the kingdom of heaven

For those here who may think that because of old age or physical limitations, that somehow what you do for God’s kingdom is less important, these parables are for you. God does not depend on youthful or strong actions for you to participate in his kingdom. For those who may think that because you lack experience or knowledge about theology or about the Bible, that somehow what you bring to the table is less meaningful, these parables are for you. God does not depend on human brilliance for you to participate in his kingdom. For those who may feel that you do not have any exceptional talents or skills, that for whatever reason you feel like you do not have anything worthwhile to offer, these parables are for you. God is not looking for superstars to be the frontline trailblazers in his kingdom.

my response — simple faithful obedience

context of Matthew 13, faithful obedience = a life that simply produces spiritual fruit

What is it, then, that God is looking for? What is the response we should have from these stories. It is just one thing. Simple faithful obedience. God is not asking for you to change the world (that’s his job anyway). God is only asking for simple faithful obedience. What does simple faithful obedience look like in the context of these parables? We have seen it already in the other stories. It is a life that produces spiritual fruit. When you and I make small choices every day which produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; when we engage one small affect at a time cultivating those characteristics, we respond as people of the kingdom.

Jesus gets us into the kingdom; faithful obedience is my response to already being given the kingdom

It is not our simple faithful obedience which gets us into the kingdom—let’s be clear about that. It is sacrifice of Jesus on the cross which gets us into the kingdom, by the grace of God alone. Our faithful obedience does not earn our way into the kingdom. Rather, our faithful obedience is a response to already being given the kingdom. It is our way to live now as people of the kingdom of heaven. And it is a way of living which is open to all people who come to God in faith. Never let yourself think that your simple faithful obedience has no meaning in the kingdom. Never let anyone tell you that your simple faithful obedience is not worthwhile in the kingdom. Because it is from these very actions of simple faithful obedience that God produces big results. Your action of simple faithful obedience may be small, but it is not insignificant because God has built the kingdom of heaven to be a place where the small affect of simple faithful obedience produces the big effect of flourishing kingdom fruitfulness.

God has built the kingdom of heaven to be a place where the small affect of simple faithful obedience produces the big effect of flourishing kingdom fruitfulness