“The
Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants;
it grows into a tree, and birds come and
make nests in its branches.” Jesus also used this illustration: “The
Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though
she put only a little yeast in three
measures of flour, it permeated every
part of the dough.” Matthew 13:31-33
(also see Matthew 14:13-21)
Observations:
1.
1. Ministry is a lot like planting a
garden or field. It is also a lot like baking a cake or preparing a meal. If we
look at it from both perspectives (bread, crop field) we are preparing spiritual food, in various stages, to present
something edible that will enable others to feed upon and be nurtured and grow.
From the discipleship perspective we are also hoping to help others become food
growers and people feeders. Paul also refers to ministry (the church) as
planting a field or building a building. 1 Cor 3:8-10
2.
2. There are several parallels when it
comes to planting crops in a field, making a meal or building a building…a
major one is that all three of them require having a plan (a recipe, a blue
print etc) and sticking to that plan in proper order. It would be wasteful to
water the field before the seeds are planted, it would be foolish to throw the
icing into the batter and it would be ineffective to place a roof onto a
foundation. It would be even more disastrous if you simply skipped a stage
(like the time you forgot to add sugar to the cake mix!). There is an order, or
a system, that must be followed if you are to bake a proper cake or plant a
bountiful field! And most of the beginning
and middle stages are boring, mundane, plain, simple, laborious and unenjoyable.
3. 3. The first real major point I want to
make is the double mention of small
things being planted, or prepared. Most of the ministry we do, or the
planting (building) we do for eternity, would be considered very small efforts.
In a given day we are doing very little of apparent significance. Setting up
chairs, tearing down chairs, moving speakers and projectors, unlocking doors
and making coffee, stopping in to see a friend for 10 minutes at his work,
visiting someone in the hospital, making message outlines, notes and power-points
all seem incredibly insignificant. This seemingly daily insignificance has led
me to become very frustrated in the past…and it still is a regular temptation
to become frustrated and bored with the very little progress that appears to be
happening. This frustration has led me at times to question whether my
life/vocation was going anywhere or accomplishing anything eternal. This
frustration has led me at times to take short cuts, or skip stages or by pass
ingredients in an attempt to get the final result quicker and in the end it is
only disaster. Even a 35minutes message on a Sunday can be seen as very
insignificant because what, of major significance, can you truly cover,
adequately, in 35minutes. Even a soccer
game is 3x that length! This frustration had me ‘shooting for the moon’ each
time I taught…trying to accomplish 1-2 years of learning and steady conviction
by the Holy Spirit in one 35minute session! And it simply won’t work that way.
4.
4. The final major point I want to make is the double mention of these very small,
insignificant, things becoming incredibly large and very significant things! In
the end the very tiny seed that had been planted, became a massive tree that
was a great benefit! In the end, the very little bit of yeast permeated the
whole bread. Either of these things on their own are incredibly insignificant
and not very beneficial at all…try finding shade or food in the form of a
single seed, try finding fullness on a spoonful of yeast. If you look at
Matthew 14:13-21 these same concepts are repeated when Jesus uses five loaves
and two fish to feed 5,000 men, not including women and children. When trying
to feed 5,000 men, only having fives loaves is incredibly insignificant. But
again, the very small insignificant amount turned into a very large and incredibly
significant thing.
Conclusion:
5. 5. Your daily contribution to the kingdom
of God is ‘relatively insignificant’. In fact when you think of all of the
other millions of faithful Christians who are serving the Lord and the millions
of them who are more skilled or more gifted or have more resources or larger
audiences, you could consider your daily contribution as basically unnecessary.
This can be very depressing and for me, at times it has become debilitating. It
can give you the impression that everything is trivial and insignificant. (This
can also be a healthy thing so that you rely on God, because apart from him, we
can truly do nothing! John 15:5)
6. 6. It would be very awful to stay in the
state above. Because the truth is that according to God, there is NOTHING OF INSIGNIFICANCE! Listen to what Jesus says about
A CUP OF WATER in Matthew 10:42
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of
these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will
certainly not lose their reward.
Jesus
uses a doubly insignificant example: a cup of water given to a child (little
one)…you can’t get much more insignificant than that. ‘Handing out the goldfish
to the snot nosed, crying, nursery kids’ is essentially what Jesus is saying is
significant and will be remembered by God and will be REWARDED BY GOD!
Be
encouraged, God is using your small things, your insignificant things, your
daily commitments and unseen efforts to accomplish great things. Continue to be
faithful in them. Wives, mothers, God is using all the small cleaning up of
spills and humble service to your family and submission to your husband for
GREAT THINGS! Husbands, fathers, God is using all the hours at work, all the
lawns mowed, all the footballs thrown for GREAT THINGS! Pastors, teachers, God is
using your faithful service, study, preparation and teaching of the word for
GREAT THINGS…things you may never see the result of (on this side of eternity).
Be faithful to the process.
Nothing
done for God, in submission to God’s design, for his glory, is insignificant.
Everything
done for God, in submission to God’s design, for his glory, is incredibly significant.
Disclaimer:
It
would be a mistake to conclude that we should be satisfied with the lesser
tasks that God has given us to perform…since everything is eternal, weighty and
significant in God’s eyes. It would be a grave mistake to think that since
nothing is insignificant, that watching a football game with my lost neighbor
is equal to and replaces getting up the courage to share the gospel with them. It
would be a grave mistake to think that since nothing is insignificant, that the
main ministry of the church, elders, deacons etc. is handing out water and
snacks and arranging chairs. Discipleship and evangelism is the major task, and
anything seemingly insignificant done in the aim of those goals is significant!
I
have seen this lie creep in everywhere.
It
is a great lie and trap. And many people are happily doing the easier, smaller,
petty tasks and not going to the mission field, or sharing the gospel… because
if everything is equal and significant why wouldn’t you simply hand out
goldfish in America vs giving up a lot to hand out the gospel in Asia. So there
must be a balance. Even Christ said there is 100x more reward for those who did
the harder, more significant thing (Mark 10:30) and Paul challenges us to yearn
for the greater gifts of service (1 Cor 12:31).
