I often watch my mother-in-law make bread, which she is super skilled at. Ingredients, utensils, measuring cups, technique, and timing all blend to create the tastiest and healthiest bread I’ve ever eaten.
In fact, her bread is famous among both locals and tourists on the remote island of Lord Howe, off the coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she lives. Access to processed foodstuffs on the island is difficult and expensive, so making bread has been a logistic and economic reality her entire married life.
I marvel at how little yeast it takes to transform large amounts of flour. The active nature of the yeast causes the flour to swell and multiply. Yeast brings change, and the flour is transformed!
On one occasion, while observing my mother-in-law knead yet another loaf, a thought came to mind: This is what Jesus spoke about as being “the kingdom of God”!
The stories Jesus told were mostly about daily life in Israel, which He drew upon to illustrate spiritual truths about a range of things, including the nature of His Father’s world and the establishment of His kingdom. Jesus said, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Luke 13:20, 21).
A moment before, Jesus said the kingdom of God was like a seed planted in a garden: “It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches” (verse 19).
What was Jesus suggesting about God’s kingdom when He used these familiar occurrences of daily life? What is it about yeast and a seed that informs us about the kingdom of God?
It’s important to understand that when Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God, He often did not have a future paradise in mind. Rather, He meant God’s rule in human hearts in the here and now.
I reflected on this as I watched my mother-in-law work.
it starts small and grows
Comparing yeast and a seed to freshly baked bread and a mature tree tells us about the growth principle behind Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of God: it begins small and ends up large.
Christianity began with a small group of 12 insignificant individuals. Today, this kingdom has grown to more than 2 billion Christians worldwide. From small groups meeting in your neighborhood to large local community churches, the kingdom of God can be found—growing—around the world, from Chicago to Shanghai, from Sydney to Stockholm.
This principle equally applies to an individual. The kingdom of God may not be something we’re aware of or tuned in to, yet small seeds planted in our lives have the potential to grow to significant proportions. This “kingdom,” when mixed with our daily lives, can grow us in ways we never dreamed possible. It starts small and grows without our even being aware of it.
We cannot see yeast at work amid the flour. We can see the result, but not the action of the yeast in the flour. Neither can we see the processes at work when a seed sprouts, when a seedling shoots, or when a mature tree fruits. We can observe the outworking of those processes in new foliage, increased size, and tasty fruit, but we cannot see the processes that bring those changes.
This is what happens when we accept Christ into our lives. The transforming action works in us secretly without observation. But eventually, just as we can see the dough begin to rise and the seed sprout from the ground, we begin to notice a change in our feelings and behavior.
The Bible says that the action of God within each individual is an invisible, supernatural process. It takes place quietly, day after day, without fanfare or applause. In fact, Jesus said God’s kingdom doesn’t come from observation but that it is within us (Luke 17:20, 21).
Jesus likened this invisible action to being “born again” by God’s Spirit. Like the wind in the trees, we cannot tell from where it comes or to where it goes. That’s how it is with everyone who is born into the kingdom of God (John 3:8).
It could be that God is working on His kingdom within you right now and you are unaware of it. You may need to take a break from your busy daily life and reflect on this—sit still, watch, and listen! Take a time-out to examine what is happening in and around your life. Could there be a “seed” sprouting within you? Or maybe something is at work bubbling and active within?
it transforms
The seed has to die first, after which it is transformed into a living plant, totally different from its origins. Likewise, yeast transforms the flour into a loaf of bread—a new creation.
The kingdom of God, once planted in a human life, brings about a radical transformation. For thousands of years, from generation to generation, people have been testifying to the miraculous workings of God’s kingdom within them. It changes the way they are as well as the things they do—and don’t do.
The desire for revenge gives way to forgiveness; a propensity to cruelty is replaced by a love of mercy; hatred dies and love is born; selfishness is transformed into kindness; and long-held habits are broken. Drug, alcohol, and sexual addictions become pages in history as new chapters of our lives are written. This is the work of the kingdom of God!
And this transformation is available to everyone. It’s just as real as the transformation of seed to tree and yeast to bread.
it provides for others
Bread doesn’t exist for itself. Upon the completion of the action of the yeast, a brand-new loaf is produced to provide nourishment to others. It’s for eating!
One of the important implications of Jesus’ parables about yeast and a seed is that the transformation benefits the environment in which it is situated. The seed produces delicious fruit, shade, and a home for the birds. And when the kingdom of God is planted in a human heart, families are healed, wrongs are righted, and the community is transformed.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6, NLT*).
PRAYING
Communication is vital to the growth of relationships, and spending time speaking with God is one way to do this. Here are some tips on how to pray:
Talk to God about anything, not just spiritual things. You can talk to Him about your problems, the people in your life, the good news you received today, your feelings, or simply to say, “Thank You.”
It helps to have set times of prayer throughout the day, but you can also talk to God spontaneously in an informal way at any time.
Prayer has a twin sister: Bible reading. It’s like reading a letter from a friend. Communication is only effective when it goes both ways. We talk to God in prayer, and God speaks to us as we read His words in the Bible.
Even Jesus’ disciples needed coaching on how to pray. Jesus’ recipe for prayer is found in Luke 11:2–4.
If you are still at a loss, ask God to tell you how to pray.
