Elias, a simple farmer, walks away from another of Jesus’ sermons with no answer, just stories about seed, no moral, no punchline. Through the eyes of such a listener, this message walks us through the parables of the wheat and the weeds, the mustard seed and the yeast (Matthew 13), facing a question we still ask: where exactly is God’s kingdom, and is it winning at all? Instead of pulling up weeds we find God’s patience, and instead of a spectacular victory, a seed that grows and a leaven that works its way through everything. Listen if the world around you looks like a place where good is losing.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In the parable in Matthew 13:24-43, the master forbids the servants to pull up the weeds before the harvest. What does this decision tell us about how God deals with evil in the world now and at the end of history?
- Jesus' listeners expected a king who would immediately sweep away evil and evil people, yet they saw signs of Roman rule everywhere. How did the parables of the weeds, the mustard seed and the yeast answer their question of where God's kingdom is?
- The sermon shows that trying to "pull up the weeds" from a classroom or a church makes the world and people worse, not better. Where do you notice in yourself the temptation to separate from people who sin, fall or struggle?
- Looking at the persecution of Christians, wars and empty churches, it is easy to ask whether God's kingdom is winning at all. What in this sermon helps you keep hoping that Jesus has the last word?
- The story of the girl from the evangelistic concert and the example of the bishop in Rwanda show that the kingdom starts from a small seed and spreads like yeast. Where in your life or surroundings do you see such small beginnings of God's work?
- The sermon reminds us that the best way to get rid of enemies is to make them friends, just as Jesus does with us. What small step of forgiveness or kindness can you take this week toward someone you find difficult?
