Luke 13:18-35

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows into a large tree or a small bit of leaven which leavens a much greater amount of flour. God doesn't start things off big - He starts off small. That way when that small thing becomes big, His part in it can't be denied. Give God whatever you have. No matter how small or seemingly insignificant, once He gets hold of it, He can do amazing things we never could have imagined.


Jesus said that not everyone who tries to get into heaven will be able to. He gave an example of people coming to gain entrance to a house after the master has shut the door for the night. No amount of coaxing convinced him to let them in, saying he did not know them and telling them to go away. God is not fooled by people who just go through the motions of serving Him. Even just saying you follow Him is not enough. We must be fully committed to Him if we want to be welcomed by Him. He won't settle for anything less.


Some Pharisees approached Jesus and warned Him that Herod was out to kill Him and He should run. Jesus was not concerned because He knew that it was not His time and this was not the place where He would die. God's plans cannot be rewritten by any man or group of men. We can be secure knowing that God has considered every detail from Creation to Judgment Day and has a perfect plan. He has offered each of us the choice to join in and be a part of that plan. What a blessing it is to even be allowed to play the smallest part in His work!