City Life Starter

Written by Nate Warren

The Word

18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Luke 13:18-21

Reflection

The hard thing about planting and harvesting is the time between. You can’t, in an instant, put a seed in the ground, pour some water on it, and then immediately chop off the leaves and seed pods to make a yummy saag curry (shout out Indian food lovers). It takes quite a long time before a seed becomes a tree that the birds take refuge in.

Leavened bread is a bit the same. You have to wait for bread to rise before you can bake it. It has to then be baked before it can be eaten. Waiting is as essential to the recipe as the flour and leaven.

Just as with the growing and with the baking, so it is with the kingdom of God. We wait to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. We wait to see the seeds of evangelism sown in our friends, family, and neighbors to bring transformation in their lives. We wait to see our institutions and corporations act with justice and righteousness toward the meek and powerless.

These weeks leading up to Christmas Eve is known in many Christian traditions as Advent. During this time, we reflect on the anticipation of Jesus’ incarnation into the world. We prepare ourselves for a new work that God is preparing for us. We anticipate Jesus’ second coming, when everything will be made right.

Application

Take time to write down something specific that you await God’s provision or action. Does the waiting feel uncomfortable? Do you need to confess your impatience for God’s promise? Bring your thoughts and feelings about this to the Lord, waiting for His Spirit to lead you to peace.

Prayer

Jesus, help us to wait.
Give us the gift of eager expectation in your promises,

Heal us of our impatience,
For you always come through,
You never fail,
Your promises are yes, 

And amen.