When the Kingdom is Planted
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity” Luke 13:10-12
Today we write history in the order it occurred. But this was not a literary rule for the Gospel writers in their day. The 1st century way of doing things was to put material with common themes together regardless of the original setting.
So what does Luke add straight after the story of the woman healed on the Sabbath? … Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches (Luke 13:18,19). Luke wants his readers to realise that where the King is and His kingdom is planted, healing and restoration follow. Like a tree the kingdom grows far larger than its beginnings would make you think. This healing miracle, rejected by the synagogue leader, was the true kingdom of God in action.
He then adds “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Luke 13:20). The kingdom of God doesn’t stand still. It permeates all of life. The formerly crippled woman now stands upright. The religious leaders turn away but those with sincere hearts look for more. The kingdom is doing its work. When Jesus and His kingdom are embraced hearts are filled increasingly with heaven’s light; and when rejected, increasing darkness follows. Choose carefully.
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