I give thanks and thanks again to God, who expands His kingdom even through the unstoppable ministry of sharing meditation on His Word by a sinner like me—insignificant, yet possessing a living faith like a mustard seed.

I give thanks and thanks again to God, who expands His kingdom even through the unstoppable ministry of sharing meditation on His Word by a sinner like me—insignificant, yet possessing a living faith like a mustard seed.

 

 

 

 

 

“Then Jesus said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches’” (Luke 13:18–19).

 

 

 

(1)    As I read today’s passage, Luke 13:18–19, the first question that came to my mind was: “Why did Jesus speak about the kingdom of God right after healing a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years on the Sabbath (vv. 10–13), and then having a conversation with the synagogue leader (vv. 14–17)?”

 

(a)    “In verse 16, Jesus called this woman ‘a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound.’  In other words, this healing was not merely curing a disease; it was a ‘spiritual battle’ in which a soul under Satan’s rule was taken back into the rule of God’s kingdom.  Through this event, Jesus first demonstrated that ‘the kingdom of God is a dynamic reign that breaks Satan’s bondage and gives freedom,’ and then immediately began the parable, saying, ‘What is the kingdom of God like?’” (Internet)

 (i)        This reminded me of John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”  Colossians 1:13 is also full of grace: “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

 

·         “The event in Luke 13 (the healing), John 5:24 (the promise of life), and Colossians 1:13 (the transfer of status) together complete one grand picture: the reign of the kingdom of God.  The connection among these three can be summarized in three words: manifestation, verdict, and reality.

 

1.       [Luke 13:16] Manifestation: Visible evidence of the kingdom of God

 

Core: ‘Loosing’ the woman bound by Satan.

 

Connection: It shows with our eyes what happens when the kingdom of God comes.  The straightening of her bent body goes beyond physical healing—it is a ‘dynamic field report’ that Satan’s dominion has been broken and God’s reign has begun.

 

2.       [John 5:24] Verdict: Legal declaration of the kingdom of God

 

Core: ‘Has passed from death to life.’

 

Connection: It provides the legal basis for the healing event in Luke.  Those who believe in Jesus’ word have already had their status transferred from death (Satan’s realm) to life (God’s realm), declaring that Satan no longer has the right to bind them.

 

3.       [Colossians 1:13] Reality: Spatial transfer into the kingdom of God

 

Core: ‘Transferred from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the Son.’

 

Connection: It shows how powerful this reign is as a ‘rescue operation.’  The expression ‘delivered’ carries the image of a military rescue from a prisoner-of-war camp.  The woman in Luke was freed from Satan’s bondage because her spiritual address had been forcibly relocated from ‘darkness’ to ‘the kingdom of the Son.’

 

Comprehensive conclusion of the three passages

 

When we connect these verses, the kingdom of God comes to us in this way:

 

a.       Through Colossians 1:13, we are forcibly rescued from Satan’s prison camp into God’s kingdom.

 

b.       Through John 5:24, this transfer becomes an irreversible and permanent legal verdict.

 

c.       Through Luke 13:16, as a result, real freedom appears in which all the bonds that once oppressed our lives are broken.

 

The reason Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed (Lk. 13:18–19) right after the healing event is that this reign—this ‘rescue and liberation’ that comes to an individual—will ultimately expand like a great tree that covers the whole world” (Internet).

 

(2)    Second, as I read today’s passage, Luke 13:18–19, in the Greek Bible, I became interested in the phrase “ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ” (“the kingdom of God”).

 

(a)    So, I went back and reread a meditation I had previously written about “the kingdom of God”:

 

(i)       “The kingdom of God that we are to proclaim goes beyond a spatial heaven we enter after death.  It refers to the reign and rule of God that has already come to this earth through Jesus Christ (Already) and will be completed in the future (Not Yet).  It is the realization of God’s justice, love, and peace in every area of life (Internet).

 

The core of the reign: Wherever God rules as King and we accept His reign, that is the kingdom of God.

A present kingdom: It began with the coming of Jesus and is a present reality that has come into our hearts and communities through the Holy Spirit.

 

Restoration and transformation: It is revealed through a new community (the church) in which a world broken by sin is restored and selfishness is transformed into love and hospitality.

 

Future fulfillment: It is an eschatological hope that will be fully accomplished at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

 

How it is proclaimed: Not only through words, but by practicing God’s will (justice and love) in daily life, thereby bearing witness to His reign.

 

In the end, the kingdom of God means living under God’s reign here and now and showing His love to the world” (Internet).

 

(b)    The core biblical meaning of the Greek phrase “ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ” (hē basileia tou Theou, “the kingdom of God”) mentioned in Luke 13:18 is as follows (Internet):

 

1.       Basic meaning: God’s reign and kingship

 

Reign-centered: “Basileia” refers more to God’s rule and sovereign reign than to a territorial concept of a kingdom. In other words, it points to the state in which God Himself reigns as King.

 

Relationship over location: Rather than a specific physical place, it refers to the exercise of authority within the dynamic relationship between God and humanity.

 

2.       Meaning in the context of Luke 13:18 (the parable of the mustard seed):

 

Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like?” and gave the parable of the mustard seed.

 

Present expansion: Just as a very small seed grows into a large tree, it shows that the kingdom of God, though it began small, possesses a powerful life force that expands.

Inclusiveness: Like a tree where birds come and nest, it symbolizes that as God’s reign expands, many people will find rest and salvation within it.

 

3.       The multi-dimensional nature of the kingdom of God

 

Throughout the Bible, the kingdom of God has two simultaneous temporal aspects:

 

Already: Through the coming and ministry of Jesus Christ, God’s reign has already begun on earth (e.g., Luke 17:21, “the kingdom of God is in your midst”).

 

Not Yet: It is also a future reality that will be fully completed at the end of the age with the second coming of Jesus.

 

Therefore, the “kingdom of God” in Luke 13:18 refers to God’s reign that began on this earth through Jesus Christ.  Though it may appear small like a mustard seed, it is a great and living reign that will ultimately transform and fill the whole world.

 

(3)    Third and last, as I read Luke 13:18–19 in the Greek Bible, I became curious about the phrase “κόκκῳ σινάπεως” (kokkō sinapeōs, “a mustard seed”).

 

(a)    “This expression goes beyond a simple plant seed and contains the following deep spiritual meanings:

 

1.       An insignificant beginning

 

Extreme smallness: In Jewish society at that time, the mustard seed was an idiomatic expression referring to ‘the smallest thing.’

 

Humble origin: It symbolizes that the ministry of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God began in a way that seemed very weak and insignificant in the eyes of the world.

 

2.       Explosive life force and dynamic growth

 

A reversal: Though small, the mustard seed contains tremendous vitality, and when it grows, it becomes a large plant (or tree) reaching about 3–4 meters in height.

 

Unstoppable expansion: It emphasizes that the kingdom of God will expand beyond human expectations and eventually cover the whole world.

 

3.       Inclusiveness and a place of rest

 

Formation of a community: The image of a seed growing into a tree where ‘the birds of the air nest in its branches’ suggests that the kingdom of God will become a great community embracing not only the Jews but all nations (Gentiles).

 

Providing peace: It symbolizes that weary souls will find true rest and protection within the kingdom of God.

 

4.       The reality of faith

 

Not quantity but vitality: When connected with another passage (Lk. 17:6), what matters is not the ‘size’ of faith but the ‘life of God’ within it.  Even a very small faith, if it is alive, can exercise the power to move mountains.”

 

In summary, a mustard seed is an expression that succinctly shows “the principle of the kingdom of God: though it appears small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, it brings about great transformation by God’s power and comes to embrace all people” (Internet).

 

(i)         As I read this explanation about “a mustard seed,” I felt led to reflect more deeply on several things:

 

·         When I think about the phrase “a small and insignificant beginning,” I looked back at the devotional writings I have written:

 

1.       God who uses insignificant people:

 

God made Saul king of Israel when he considered himself insignificant (1 Sam. 15:17; cf. 9:21).  God also raised Gideon, who said, “my clan is the weakest… and I am the least,” and used him as a judge (Judg. 6:15).  Likewise, God appointed Paul (Saul), who said, “I am the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9) and “less than the least of all God’s people” (Eph. 3:8; cf. 2 Cor. 12:11), as an apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; Ga. 2:8) to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In this way, God chooses people who appear insignificant in the eyes of the world (Acts 4:13; 1 Cor. 1:28) and uses them as His instruments.

 

2.       God has also given to me, the least among all the saints…

 

God has given even to me, the least of all the saints, the gift of grace, making me a servant who proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ through His power working within me.  The purpose is that many may hear the riches of Christ’s good news, so that they too may become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of God’s promise in Christ Jesus (cf. Eph. 3:5–9).

 

3.       If I offer my insignificant life to the Lord…

 

After getting out of the boat, Jesus saw a large crowd and had compassion on them and healed their sick.  When evening came, the disciples said, “Send the people away so they can go buy food.”  But Jesus said, “They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.”  Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.”  He had the people sit down on the grass, took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven and gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to the disciples, and they distributed it to the people.  All ate and were satisfied, and they gathered twelve baskets full of leftovers. About five thousand men were fed, besides women and children (Mt. 14:14–21).  As I meditate on this passage, I think of two things: (1) Even through a life like mine—no more than “five loaves and two fish”—the almighty Lord can enable me to share the Word of Jesus, the bread of life, with thousands, feeding them spiritually.  (2) When I offer my insignificant life to the Lord, He gives thanks to heaven and performs the miracle of the five loaves and two fish.

 

4.       We who are small and insignificant…

 

We who are small and insignificant should not be afraid, but trust that our holy God, our Savior, will help us (cf. Isa. 41:13–14).

 

5.       Our insignificant strength

 

We must never delight in what is worthless or boast in our own insignificant strength (cf. Amos 6:13).

 

·         When I read the explanation, “Unstoppable expansion: the kingdom of God expands beyond human expectations and will eventually cover the whole world,” I was reminded of Nehemiah, the faithful leader who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with unstoppable passion.

 

I was also led to reread part of a ministry journal I wrote on September 2, 2019, titled “Second Day of Internet Ministry in Korea 2019”: When someone becomes the object of my ‘interest,’ and as I ‘observe’ that person, eventually forming a ‘relationship’ in the Lord, I come to taste the joy of being used as His instrument—that may be what I call an ‘engaged life.’  The One who expands the boundaries of that life is the Lord; the One who enables me to live that life is the Lord; and the One who uses that life to share God’s love and the gospel of Jesus Christ is also the Lord.  I asked that person to share any advice, exhortation, or thoughts after knowing me for about four years in the Lord.  Perhaps I wanted to listen and learn, thinking that the Lord might speak to me through that person.  As I listened, I realized that the driving force of the internet ministry the Lord leads me to do is the joy of approaching those whom the Lord loves, sees, and hears, and being used as an instrument of His love and comfort.  Because He allows me to taste that joy, I feel I cannot stop reaching out—even though I may make many mistakes, say the wrong things, or even hurt others unintentionally.

 

I was also reminded of something I wrote on August 19, 2019, titled “Unstoppable Love?”: The Lord’s selfless love is unstoppable, but my selfish love must be stopped.

·         When I read the explanation, “The reality of faith… what matters is not the size of faith but the life of God within it (Lk. 17:6),” I had this thought: the faith that the living God has given us as a gift of grace (Eph. 2:8) is like a living seed—it contains the life of God.  This kind of faith stands in contrast to the “dead faith” described in James (James 2:17, 26).  We must have living faith.

 

·         In conclusion, I give thanks and thanks again to God, who expands His kingdom even through the unstoppable ministry of sharing meditation on His Word by a sinner like me—insignificant, yet possessing a living faith like a mustard seed.