The religious leaders rejected Jesus. His disciples must have been surprised that those who studied the Scriptures so intently did not realize that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus taught four pairs of parables in Matthew, chapter 13, to explain the nature of the kingdom and why the religious leaders had rejected him. The first pair explained the rejection of the kingdom and predicted continued unbelief. They were covered in an earlier post.
The second pair, the mustard seed and the leaven, focused on how the kingdom would grow. (Matthew 13:31-33)
The mustard seed kingdom would start out small and grow to a remarkable size considering its small beginning.
The yeast showed a small beginning giving a surprising result. It also showed a growth that was internal, almost unseen.
Jesus fed thousands but there were about 120 people in the upper room waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:15)
Jesus probably healed more people than were in the upper room.
The disciples probably expected a dramatic acceptance by the leaders and instantaneous growth.
There would be explosive growth but it would be after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. It would be after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
What type of growth do we expect from our churches or other ministries?
Can we accept a small beginning and slow, almost unseen, growth?
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