Growth of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:31-35)

Two of the parables that we've studied over the past month, the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, really helped me as a young man understand the church. When I was in my teens, I couldn't figure out why some people in church always seemed excited about spiritual things while other people appeared apathetic and uninterested. Understanding the different types of spiritual soil in people's lives and the fact that the "weeds" grow among the "wheat" in the church helped me not to become disillusioned with my church. If kept me from having unrealistic expectations that every churchgoer would have a thriving, maturing relationship with Christ.

This Sunday's passage contains two short parables that Jesus gave to help us understand why spiritual things so often start small or unseen. If you've ever been frustrated that you're not experiencing bigger and better things in your life, or that the church or Christianity in today's world is not making as big an impact as you wish it would, these are the parables for you! Good things come in small packages, and Jesus promises that those small things will grow and spread if they are part of His kingdom.

-Dave