Luke 13:18-21 (3)

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-If you would, please turn in your Bibles...

…back to Luke 13.

And we’ve come to a set of parables, this morning...

…that Jesus appears to have...

...taught on multiple occasions...

…both of which, seem intended to illustrate, the...

Irrepressible,

Inevitable,

...and at times even...

Imperceptible...

…growth of the Kingdom of God!

And while that might, for a while,...

…frustrate some of our eschatological notions...

…I think that, in the end,...

…it'll give us great comfort, hope, and confidence...

…in the success of God’s Kingdom...

…and our place within it.

That’s my hope, anyway.

-Alright, let’s read the Word of God together...

And we’ll ask for his help.

Luke 13:18–21 (ESV)

18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

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Pray

-So, remember that last week...

…we finished up that event...

…where Jesus...

in a synagogue

on the sabbath day

…had healed a woman...

…who had been severely disabled...

…for eighteen years.

And, if you’ll remember...

…her response had been to glorify God...

…while the Synagogue leader’s response...

…had been to complain to the onlookers...

…that the healing...

…was inappropriate to do on the Sabbath Day...

…and that even the desire to be healed...

…was inappropriate to have on the Sabbath Day.

-And, as he often did...

…Jesus refuted and rebuked the man...

…by pointing out...

His own hypocrisy

The hypocrisy of his fellow leaders in general...

And, then Luke had concluded...

...with this summarizing statement:

Luke 13:17 (ESV)

17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

In other words:

Those with pride and power...

Were brought low...

Those who were meek and lowly...

Were raised up!

And, I intimated to you last week...

…that, in this, we were seeing...

…yet another example of this...

…universal Kingdom principle:

1 Corinthians 1:27–29 (ESV)

27 ...God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

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-Well, that appears to be...

…the connection that Luke...

…sees Jesus making...

…in our text today, as well.

-Notice the connective language...

…with which Verse 18 begins:

Luke 13:18 (ESV)

18 He said therefore...

So, Luke (under inspiration)...

…is seeing these parables, as either...

Jesus’ response to what just happened, or...

His commentary on the responses of Verse 17.

-Alright, let’s read on.

Jesus introduces the central theme...

...of the forthcoming parable...

…by asking a couple of questions.

He says:

Luke 13:18 (ESV)

18 . . . “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

So, the obvious subject is...

The Kingdom of God.

Which (BTW) is the same Kingdom...

…that Matthew refers to as...

The Kingdom of Heaven.

We shouldn’t make much of that distinction.

It would be like referring to England as both:

The Kingdom of King Charles III

The British Empire...

One a reference to the Monarch...

…who reigns over the nation.

The other a reference to the place...

...from which he reigns over it.

They are naturally used interchangeably.

Furthermore, Matthew records...

…these exact two parables together...

…as describing the “Kingdom of Heaven” . . .

…while Luke and Mark, both...

…use the language of the “Kingdom of God!”

The point being:

It’s a reference to the same thing.

-Now, what is that?

What is the Kingdom of God/Heaven?

Well, R.C. Sproul says:

A Walk with God: Luke (67. Jesus Talks about the Kingdom of God (Luke 13:18–30))

When Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God, he speaks of a place where God reigns absolutely, and that absolute rule is carried out according to justice, mercy and righteousness.

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Now, that sounds like a description...

…of the way things were supposed to have been...

…in the theocracy of Israel, doesn’t it?

God was supposed to be their King

His law was supposed to be their charter

And indeed, it foreshadowed and precipitated it...

…but we know it wasn’t its ultimate reality...

…because the message attending...

…Jesus’ earthly ministry, had been:

Matthew 3:2 (ESV)

2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

(That was the summary of John’s message)

Jesus’ overall message...

…was summarized very similarly:

Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)

14 ...Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,

15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

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And on and on we could go...

…with those examples, right?

-But, in our text today…

…Jesus isn’t simply proclaiming ...

…the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God...

…he’s describing the nature...

of its arrival

of its growth

of its ultimate success.

-Look at Verse 19:

And remember that the question is:

Luke 13:18 (ESV)

18 . . . “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it?

So, what follows is going to be a similitude:

i.e., a comparison of two things.

Jesus says the Kingdom of God...

Luke 13:19 (ESV)

19 ...is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden.

Now, that’s probably not...

...what the Jews expected to hear.

Why?

Because, as Jesus said...

…when telling this parable on another occasion...

…the mustard seed was:

Mark 4:31 (ESV)

31 ...the smallest of all the seeds on earth,

So, in other words...

…at the time of its planting...

It’s visibly unimpressive

In fact, its almost invisible.

(A mustard seed was ONE MILLIMETER in diameter)

So, see the similitude...

(and I’ll try to not over-allegorize it):

The Gardener has...

Brought this tiny seed

Planted it in the soil of his garden.

(Matthew says “in his field”)

(Mark says “on the ground/earth”)

So, what is that representing?

The beginnings of the Kingdom of God, right?

It’s not going to begin...

With great pomp

With a great military campaign

With the overthrow of Rome

With the establishment of a great Jewish Kingdom

In fact, later on, Luke tells us:

Luke 17:20–21 (ESV)

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed,

21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

Guys, the kingdom of God...

…was planted on the earth...

…but it isn’t an earthly kingdom!

Jesus said that explicitly:

John 18:36 (ESV)

36 . . . “My kingdom is not of this world...

It is...

A FUNDAMENTALLY spiritual kingdom

A heavenly kingdom

The “Kingdom of heaven”

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-Nevertheless, it has been planted in the earth...

...In/By/and through...

…the person and work of Jesus Christ...

…its King and Lord!

But, that inauguration...

…happened in a manner...

…that, on earth, appeared to be:

Small

Weak

Insignificant

It was brought about through...

Suffering

Death

APPARENT defeat.

But, look what happened in time:

Luke 13:19 (ESV)

19 ...it grew and became a tree, . . .

That tiny, seemingly insignificant, seed...

…grew into the largest thing in the garden.

In fact…

…Mark states it that way plainly:

Mark 4:32 (ESV)

32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants...

What’s the implication?

The Kingdom of God...

...would eventually tower over:

The religions of Rome

The Religions of...

Babylon

Egypt

Persia

Greece

second temple Judaism, as well.

-Now, watch this, back in Mark:

(Matthew does a similar thing)

Mark 4:32 (ESV)

32 ...it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches...

What’s the picture in that?

Again, it’s that of a tree.

And don’t overlook the contrast...

…of this tree...

…with the barren fig tree...

…back at the beginning of the chapter.

That tree, was going to be cut down...

…because of it’s barrenness.

This Tree, is going to be raised up...

…as the faithful expression...

…of the Kingdom of God!

And, look what it will do:

Luke 13:19 (ESV)

19 . . . it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

That’s a very different tree, isn’t it?

This tree is going to...

…bring blessing and benefit...

…even to those outside of the garden.

This reminds us of God’s promise to Abraham:

Genesis 22:18 (ESV)

18 ...in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed...

And remember that Paul...

…interpreted that like this:

Galatians 3:8 (ESV)

8 ...the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

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-Now, am I taking undue liberties...

…by connecting that promise...

…to this parable?

Obviously, I don’t think so.

Let’s back up a bit...

…and I’ll show you why I think it.

Similar to the Parable of the fig tree...

This parable is employing...

…a common OT motif.

Interestingly enough, it was one...

…that was often used...

…to describe gentile kingdoms and kings.

For example:

Ezekiel 31:3–9 (ESV)

3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade, and of towering height, its top among the clouds.

4 The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field.

5 So it towered high above all the trees of the field; its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots.

6 All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations.

7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches...

King Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 4...

…used the same imagery of Babylon.

But in Ezekiel 17, it is used...

…in reference to the People of God:

Ezekiel 17:1–4 (ESV)

1 The word of the Lord came to me:

2 “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

3 say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.

4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants.

The brightest and best of Israel (Judah) was taken to Babylon...

As a judgment for their rebellion.

Yet, God promised:

To Judge the Babylonians

Cut down their tree

And then to do this...

...with the remnant of the Jewish tree:

Ezekiel 17:22–24 (ESV)

22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

23 On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.

24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”

Notice the similar promise in:

Micah 3:12–4:4 (ESV)

12 . . . Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it,

2 and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 10:33–11:10 (ESV)

33 Behold, the Lord God of hosts will lop the boughs with terrifying power; the great in height will be hewn down, and the lofty will be brought low.

34 He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe...

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit...

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked...

9 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire...

Daniel, with a different metaphor...

…stated it plainly:

Daniel 2:44 (ESV)

44 ...in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

That Kingdom, brethren...

…is the one Jesus is describing our text.

-Now, look at the last two verses:

Luke 13:20–21 (ESV)

20 And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”

So, this is almost the same concept.

This tiny amount of leavened bread...

…is mixed into 50-60 pounds of flour!

That’s a big task...

…for a handful of yeast.

And, at first...

…you can barely detect that it’s in there.

But silently and slowly, but surely...

…it eventually permeates the whole thing.

Why?

Galatians 5:9 (ESV)

9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

It can’t be stopped!

Much like the Messianic Kingdom:

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder...

7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it . . . from this time forth and forevermore....

This is the Kingdom...

…that Jesus established...

…when He ascended into heaven...

…and was seated at the right hand of the Father.

And despite it’s meager beginnings...

It CANNOT be stopped!

Jesus said that, even the very...

Matthew 16:18 (ESV)

18 ...gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

And indeed, we see the realization of that, in:

Revelation 7:9–10 (ESV)

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

That’s the heavenly kingdom...

…at the end in its triumphant state!

Mike McKinley says this:

Luke 12–24 for You (The Kingdom that Grows)

The history of the church serves as an illustration of Jesus’ teaching.

In the book of Acts we see a small band of disciples grow to the point where people from every nation on earth are able to “[perch] in its branches.”

The message about Jesus spreads slowly but inexorably until it has reached every part of the map, leavening the entire lump of the world.

The very existence of our faith, separated as we are from Jesus’ earthly ministry by great distance and time, gives evidence for what Jesus is teaching.

It is the way of God to begin something great in small and unimpressive ways that confound human expectations and vanity (see 1 Corinthians 1:18–31).

Though the beginnings may seem humble and the growth may seem small, nothing can stop the kingdom of God from spreading through the whole world. Though the opponents of the church may seems fierce and powerful, nothing will prevent Jesus’ kingdom from growing.

In light of all of that...

…our imperative is simple:

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

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Why?

Because, his kingdom is forever!

Let’ Pray