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Oct 25, 2023 18:30pm

It Starts Small and Grows

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When I was a kid, we had a video tape that we watched over and over. We could sing all the songs and retell all the stories. The characters were some of our favorites: Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and the beloved Lamb Chop. It was called “Lamb Chop’s Play Along” with Shari Lewis as the host/puppeteer.

In one of the stories, they tell of this pot of oatmeal. It started out as just a little bit, but it kept growing and growing. It took over the bowl, the house, the streets and the town.

I think of that every time I put my instant oatmeal in the microwave.

Luke 13:18-21

“Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.”

Jesus is speaking to a crowd about the Kingdom of God. In their minds, they believed the Messiah would come in like a powerful King and destroy the Romans with force and that Israel would be restored to its glory. He uses the example of the mustard seed and the leaven to show them it’s not what they think.

The gospel would start small and spread. Here He used the example of the mustard seed. Remember how He used it to represent faith? Well, let’s take that one seed of faith and plant it in good soil. It’s watered and nurtured and it grows. Not just a little, but it grows into a beautiful bush/tree and produces more mustard seeds. The gospel starts with a small seed of faith in one person. As it’s nurtured, that person’s faith begins to spread to others as they tell of the beautiful gift of salvation they have received. They spread the gospel, teaching others through discipleship and soon, you start to see evidence or fruit grow – other seeds of faith and discipleship.

It starts small and it grows. Just like that oatmeal.

And the second example He used was the leaven. One little bit mixed in with the dough, and it changes everything – from the inside out. Just as it does in the life of the believer. It starts with one and then spreads to another, and to another, through the house, through the streets through the town and throughout the entire world.

It starts small and it grows. Just like that oatmeal.

Has it changed you? What are you doing with it? Share Jesus. Make Disciples. Everywhere.