Counterintuitive Week 2

"Bigger is _________."

What did you put in that blank? Most people choose the word BETTER. Why?

Because we're indoctrinated. Our culture screams that more is better. (Think super-sized food portions, ever expanding home sq footage, TV dimensions, etc.)

Amidst the din of the marketing onslaught comes this whisper from Jesus:

"I know you're thinking bigger, but I'm thinking smaller."

In Matthew 13:31-33, Jesus tells two brief stories to describe His Kingdom. Both suggest an affection for the small.

JESUS AIN'T MUCH TO LOOK AT...
Jesus claims that He is like a seed. Have any seeds in the house? Find one. Squeeze it between your fingers. What comes to mind? It is impressive?

Before our Sunday gathering @ CNX, I placed a single sesame seed on every chair. No one noticed. Why?

Because seeds are INSIGNIFICANT- especially compared to our Hummers.

Jesus also compares His Kingdom to a bit of yeast- a COMMMON ingredient that even the sparsest pantry probably contains.

Apparently, Jesus isn't worried about impressing us.

His m.o. reveals that Jesus prefers to be unimpressive- being born in a barn, raised in a country holler, selecting below-average apprentices, etc.

Maybe God is smaller than we think He is.
What if Jesus shows up in our lives every day- only instead of being miraculous and impressive- He appears in the common and the ordinary? Keep your eyes open this week for seeds and yeast.

...BUT IF WE LET HIM IN...
Both stories continue. The seed gets planted by a gardener. The yeast gets mixed into the dough by a baker.

The phrase "The Kingdom of God" didn't scream "choice" to Jesus' first listeners. Kingdoms were forced on you. God was a given in that culture.

Jesus says that He is different. He won't strong arm us. He isn't ours by birthright.

We have to choose to plant Jesus in our lives. To mix His ways in our souls.

Out of curiosity, what does this look like for you? How do you let Jesus into your daily life?
Bible study? Worship services? Small groups? Serving the needy? Something else?

...AND GIVE HIM TIME AND SPACE TO WORK...
In a world where instant is the norm, this can be hard to swallow. Not only is Jesus small, but He is slow.

Seeds take time to germinate, sprout and grow. Yeast works its way through the dough , if you leave it alone.

Jesus needs time and space to get things done in our lives. Although God might be able to hothouse or microwave our spiritual journeys- He usually doesn't choose to do so.

God doesn't seem to be in as big a hurry as we are.

Don't believe me? Breeze through the Old Testament and note God's timetables. They are usually measured in decades if not centuries.

So why do we expect God to make radical changes in our lives in a year? Or double the size of our church in two?

Maybe we're projecting our natures and expectations on Jesus.

...THEN HE PRODUCES CRAZY RESULTS!
So far, Jesus has asked a lot of us. Accept His smallness. Adopt His lifestyle. Be patient.

Here's where it pays off. In both stories, something big happens.

The seed takes time to grow, but exceeds expectations when it does- providing not only a crop, but a birdhouse. It redefines the landscape of the garden.

The yeast changes the nature and the future of the dough. Crackers become yeast rolls.

Q: Has Jesus been up to the same stuff in your life? In your faith community?
Is God doing more than you thought He would? Is He redefining the landscape of your heart? Family? Workplace? Neighborhood?

If not, He wants to.

If you are willing to give an unimpressive, non-aggressive, slow-moving God a chance- that is.