the little things Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

How do you talk about something as big as the kingdom of heaven. Superlative words like awesome and wonderful come to mind. But Jesus put emphasis in a different direction when he spoke about the kingdom of heaven. Matthew tells the story

31 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” Matthew 13:31-33 (NRSV)

Jesus spoke with inside knowledge abut God's activity--the kingdom God is working to bring here to earth. Jesus spoke about mustard seeds and yeast when he spoke about the kingdom of heaven opening up. God is moving. The kingdom of heaven is coming near to you and me. That's good news--for us for all people. Jesus said when God moves its a whole lot like the mustard seed or yeast. Small things-easily overlooked and wrongly considered insignificant.

Mustard seeds and yeast mark the start of God's kingdom. Grace and mercy mark the coming of God's kingdom. A mustard seed is so small--and grace feels the same way. Yeast is a micro organism and mercy feels so small too. Mustard seeds and yeast Jesus spoke about these two small things...Jesus points to them...saying that these small things matter. The small things matter. In a marriage you bet it's the little things that matter. In a family it's the little things. In a church, a community, a city, a state, a nation, in this world the little things matter.

See the seeds are here for us as church and for us as people. The seeds are here--with us today. The kingdom of heaven is close to us--look for the little things. AMEN.