"The growth and worth of the kingdom" by Rod Bayley, 4 November 2007, Matthew 13:31-35, 44-46

[dann...@gmail.com]

Things can be greater than they seem. From small, insignificant
beginnings, massive things can grow. It’s a story we often hear in
business. Take for example, the story of young IT geek Mark
Zuckerberg. At the age of 19 he started an online social networking
site in his Harvard University dorm room. He obviously wasn’t feeling
stretched with his studies and thought he would fill in his spare
time. Four years later his little social networking site called
Facebook has gone global - it has 50 million users. There are quite a
number of users in our 7pm service - I won’t name them, but I’m one
also. Last week the computer software giant Microsoft took a $US240
million ($267.66 million) stake in the wildly popular social
networking website. The deal to buy a 1.6 per cent stake values
Facebook at $US15 billion ($16.8 billion). Reports said the deal came
after fierce competition between Microsoft and Google. Although News
Corp's MySpace.com remains the largest social network, Facebook has
been growing at a far more rapid clip during the past year and looks
set to takeover. So, four years later, at the age of 23, Mark is now
a billionaire. Besides validating Zuckerberg's decision to reject a
$US1 billion takeover offer from Yahoo last year, Microsoft's money
should be more than enough to pay for Facebook's ambitious expansion
plans until the privately held company goes public. In the meantime,
Facebook hopes to become an advertising magnet by substantially
increasing its audience who connect with friends on the site through
messaging, photo sharing and other tools. Imagine that - a relatively
poor uni student creates a program for his friends at uni, and four
years later his company is courted by the giant IT firms and he’s a
billionaire - at least on paper. Who would have thought! From small
beginnings, big things can grow.

I raise this example of extraordinary growth because it is one of two
major themes in the passage we’re considering today from Matthew 13.
We are going to consider a far more significant growth story, that of
the kingdom of God. It is a success story which, unlike Facebook, is
largely unheralded.

Have a look with me again at verses 31 to 33, as Jesus tells the first
two short parables about the growth of the kingdom of heaven:
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it
is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the
largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the
air come and perch in its branches.’ 33He told them still another
parable: ‘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.”
Jesus illustrates the remarkable future growth of the kingdom of
heaven by comparing it to a mustard seed in the first of these two
short parables, which in time grows into a tree. The mustard seed was
proverbial for its smallness, the smallest of the seeds commonly used
in Israel. Yet when it grew it became larger than any of the garden
plants or shrubs, growing from eight to ten feet high, around 3
metres. It becomes the size of a small tree and is able to attract
birds which come to eat its little black seeds. It is quite common
for commentators to interpret the birds as symbolic of Gentiles
flocking into the kingdom. Although the analogy makes sense, it seems
unlikely that Jesus intended to convey that specific bit of theology
in this parable. It’s a short parable with a single point - that
birds are able to roost in the branches of the tree just indicates its
size. The kingdom, which was small during Jesus’ earthly ministry,
would grow into something very large.

Next Jesus compares the kingdom to yeast that a woman worked into a
large batch of flour until it had worked right through the dough. Our
English translations are a bit misleading here, because it is ‘leaven’
not ‘yeast’ that is added. That is, it’s not as if she poured some
yeast in out of some fresh source. Rather, leaven was normally a
small piece of dough kept from a previous baking and allowed to
ferment. The phrase ‘large amount’ in our translation is actually
‘three measures’ of flour, which is a bushel or about 40 litres. This
is about as much dough as any person could work or knead, and so the
focus is on a small amount of leaven permeating a giant amount of
dough. It’s a great picture of the pervasive impact or influence of
the gospel on our world, and how we are all related to the original
unchanging message of the gospel - that common piece of leaven has
continued to permeate our societies in each generation.

These parables were important in the first century context. Over
against the massive numbers of the worshippers of pagan gods, and even
of the Jews who acknowledged the true God but largely rejected Christ,
those who proclaimed the kingdom were a tiny minority. Jesus teaches
them not to be swayed by size - these tiny beginnings would grow into
something greater by far, greater than any of the religions found in
the first century world.

As we apply this truth to ourselves today, we need to see that we are
part of something big, but there’s work to be done. It should be an
encouragement for us today also, who in our little corner of God’s
vineyard might feel that God is not at work. Perhaps we’ve seen very
few of our friends or family respond to the gospel, or sense that we
are having very little impact on our materialistic community. We need
to realise that we are part of something much bigger, that God is
always at work, and that Christ’s prediction has already come to
fruition to a large extent.

An annual statistical table on global mission (available in the
quarterly International Bulletin of Missionary Research), claims that
of the 6.4 billion people on Planet Earth in 2005, some 2.1 billion,
or 33 percent, were Christians of one sort or another (down from 34.5%
in 1900). This figure of 2.1 billion Christians, includes 1.1 billion
Catholics, 375 million Protestants (including 79 million Anglicans),
and 219 million Orthodox. 34 million are "marginal Christians" (who
believe in a revelation in addition to the Bible or who have heretical
views on Christ or the Trinity eg. Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons,
etc.). The remaining 426 million are "Independents," which the
research (by Dr. David Barrett) defines as those Christians "separated
from, uninterested in, and independent of historic denominational
Christianity." Think of the explosive growth of house churches and new
micro denominations in Africa and Latin America. Even reducing these
figures somewhat to discount the cults and a lot of nominalism within
the Catholic and Orthodox traditions in particular, these are large
percentages for a faith that began with the birth of a baby in a
manger 2,000 years ago. God’s kingdom has grown rapidly and has taken
in most people groups - this is truly astounding growth.

Europe, including Russia, still claims the largest absolute number of
Christians (531 million); but Europe is also the only continent where
Christian numbers are declining now. Latin America claims the second
largest number of Christians (511 million), while Africa (2.36 percent
growth per year) and Asia (2.64 percent growth per year) are the
fastest growing parts of the Christian world. It’s estimated that
there are 80 million Christians in China, and Christian growth in
Africa is nothing short of astonishing. There were 9 or 10 million
African Christians in 1900; there are 360 to 390 million African
Christians today; and projections estimate almost 600 million African
Christians by 2025. Today more Presbyterians worship in the African
nation of Ghana than in Scotland, and more Anglicans worship in
Nigeria than in Britain. We can rightly look at our statistics and
say that there is no revival happening in Australia, but God is
working in a mighty way in Africa, and many other places.

We need a kingdom perspective. That is why it is so helpful that week
by week we are hearing of mission work around the world through our
mission spots and in our bulletins. We can reflect on what God is
doing in PNG, and Thailand, and Nepal, and Bahrain, etc. We need to
praise God for this global focus, and continue to work at it, so that
we might have our more narrow local perspective corrected by an
informed world view. That’s not to say that our local outreach is
unimportant or that it doesn’t have global effects also - we know it
does through the many international visitors we have at the uni and
who come here to work short term. In fact, our appreciation for God’s
work across the globe should spur us on in our mission to our local
community.

Despite many of these statistics bringing encouragement, it is still
estimated that about 28 percent of the world has not been evangelized
today. For all that growth, the implementation of the "Great
Commission" seems to have stalled. By 2025, the world population will
be 7.8 billion, with a total Christian population of 2.6 billion it is
estimated - a very, very modest relative growth of 0.05 percent over
the next quarter century. There’s plenty of work to be done - it’s
obvious that there are tens of thousands in our own community who are
yet to respond to the gospel of grace.

Let’s turn our consideration to our second point - Christ’s use of
parables. Have a look again at verses 34 and 35 where the writer
Matthew reflects on the use of parables:
“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say
anything to them without using a parable. 35So 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.’
In verse 34 we see that parables are Christ’s one method of addressing
the crowds at this point. This will be case for the rest of the
gospel. In verse 35 we learn that this method of Jesus actually
fulfils scripture, prophetic words recorded in Psalm 78 verse 2.
Since the Psalm is ascribed to Asaph, who in 2 Chronicles 29:30 is
said to be a seer or prophet, the prophetic reference can be easily
accounted for. As we saw two weeks ago in the parable of the sower,
the result is that outsiders, those who are not his disciples, hear
these parables as mere riddles and meaningless sayings. The truths of
the kingdom, teaching hidden since the foundation of the world, are
only grasped by those who have accepted Jesus as king.

Moving to verses 44 to 46, we come to our third point - ‘the worth or
value of the kingdom.’ Here we have two more short parables:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man
found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he
had and bought that field. 45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a
merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value,
he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Like the first pair of parables we considered, both stress the same
basic point. The main point this time is that the kingdom of heaven
is of such supreme worth that everything must be sacrificed in order
to attain it. In the first parable in verse 44, the kingdom is
likened to a man who happens to find a store of money or valuables
hidden in a field. In ancient times people often hid money and
possessions in the ground. Without banks and with frequent invasions
by enemies, this was a sensible thing to do. Many caches were lost or
forgotten and were later found. The man in question appears to have
been a farm labourer, working in a field, and was probably poor. An
owner would not do manual labour and so he would have been working
someone else’s field when he came across someone’s lost treasure or
money. He hides it again so no-one else would know of it, and he goes
and sells all he has in order to buy the field. Given that we’re
dealing with a parable, we shouldn’t get sidetracked into a discussion
of the morality of his actions, but it’s worth noting that in rabbinic
law that whoever found money was entitled to keep it. In any case, by
purchasing the field he would eliminate any basis for the owner
contesting the money.

In the second parable about the fine pearl, the same point is made,
but the contrasts are interesting. Instead of a poor man who
accidentally stumbles onto the buried treasure, we have what appears
to be a rich businessmen. He is described as a travelling merchant
who is searching for an expensive pearl. Along with gold, pearls were
considered to be of great value in the first century, as they are
today, being produced by a living process in the sea. And so this man
also sells everything he had to gain this one treasure or pearl.
Unlike the first person who stumbles across the gospel message and the
kingdom of God, here is someone who is seeking out the message, who
goes looking for the truth it seems. The kingdom of heaven is like a
treasure or a pearl - whether God grabs us by the scruff of the neck
when we’re not looking for him, so to speak, or whether it is a long
process of searching out truth of inestimable value; it calls for us
to let go of everything else in order to obtain it.

I believe there are at least two things we can learn from these
parables on the worth of the kingdom, as we apply them to ourselves
today. Firstly, if you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and
Saviour, then what things are you holding on to that are preventing
you from throwing your lot in with Christ? What earthly treasures
can’t you let go of, that are stopping you from entering God’s eternal
kingdom? Maybe it’s a lifestyle that you know Jesus will call you to
leave behind. Maybe it’s your earthly possessions or money - you want
everything in this life and you can’t take your eyes off this world to
consider the next. Jesus died some two thousand years ago to win us
forgiveness from our sin, by paying for our failures himself. As a
result, we are offered free entry into God’s kingdom by faith - by
simply trusting what Jesus has done on our behalf, by accepting him as
our rescuer. However, to accept him as Saviour means to also accept
him as Lord - to give control of your life and your decision making
over to Jesus as we seek to live out his word the bible. Again, with
King Jesus, it’s a matter of all or nothing - we can’t have him on our
terms - He has us on His.

Secondly, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you
must put the kingdom of God first in all your thinking and all your
actions. King Jesus, whose kingdom you’ve entered by faith, commands
you to put. Turn back with me to Matthew 6, where Jesus gives us a
wonderful summary of what he’s looking for. Verses 31 to 33 state:
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we
drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.”
What does seeking first his kingdom and righteousness look like?
Civil war erupted in Zaire in the 1960s, and among the missionaries
caught in the crossfire was a guy named William McChesney. He was
nicknamed ‘smiling Bill’ because he had such a bright personality that
radiated cheer wherever he went. But in November of 1964 at the age
of only 28, and already suffering from malaria, he was seized by rebel
forces. Ten days later he was beaten mercilessly, his clothing torn
off his back and thrown into a filthy crowded cell. He was shaking so
violently from the malarial fever that other prisoners gave him
clothes to wear. Despite their efforts to care for him as best they
could, the very next day he was dragged from the cell and violently
killed.

Before leaving for Africa, Bill had written a poem explaining his
desire to faithfully obey and serve God, to put his kingdom above
earthy interests. It said in part:

I want my breakfast served at eight, With ham and eggs upon
the plate
A well cooked steak I’ll eat at one, And dine again when day
is done.
I want an ultramodern home, And in each room a telephone
Soft carpets too, upon the floors, And pretty drapes to grace
the doors
A cozy place of lovely things, Like easy chairs with inner
springs
And then I’ll get a small TV, Of course I’m careful what I see
But then the Master I can hear, In no uncertain voice, so
clear
“I bid you come and follow Me, The lowly man of Galilee”
If he be God, and died for me, No sacrifice too great can be
For me, a mortal man to make, I’ll do it all for Jesus’ sake
Yes I will tread the path He trod, No other way to please my
God
So henceforth this my choice shall be, My choice for all
eternity.

When I hear words like that - I’m cut to the heart - I’m challenged
about my own faithfulness in serving God, in putting God’s kingdom
above all else. Do I care more for any easy life? - am I chasing
material possessions, money, career, fame, the praise of others? - or
am I seeking simply to please God by faithfully serving Him.
Faithful, obedient service of God doesn’t require you to be a
missionary like Bill, but it doe require you to have a similar
attitude to life. You’ll pass over the supposed treasures of living
in this world, which are really the idols of a western world which
only cares for personal comfort, personal pleasure - you’ll pass over
these as the priority of your life, in favour of being faithful to
God, to such an extent, that you’re focused on heaven, on eternity,
rather than this passing world.