The Kingdom of God

The commentary for this week is an adapted excerpt from a Sermon about the Parable of the Mustard Seed.  Ir clearly defines and describes the Kingdom of God, to me.  I pray it will do the same for you.  

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4:30-32:

Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

Among this crowd that came to listen to Jesus were some scribes and Pharisees who had, unfortunately, perverted the whole purpose and mission of the Messiah. They had taken the ideas, the philosophies, the system of the world and applied it to the kingdom of God. Then Jesus came. He was poor, uneducated, and, in their eyes, insignificant. How could He be the One to fulfill that great mission of the Messiah, who was supposed to come as a conquering ruler and get rid of the Romans and establish the kingdom of God? In response to this false theology, Jesus spoke this parable of the mustard seed.

Three of the Gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke — record the parable of the mustard seed. We are going to study this parable from Mark. Notice that Jesus began this parable by asking two questions. Mark 4:30:

Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?"

The Pharisees were trying to compare the kingdom of God to a typical kingdom of this world, except it would be stronger, it would be greater, it would be richer. Jesus was simply saying by these questions, "There is nothing in secular history, there is no earthly kingdom with which I can compare the kingdom of God because the kingdom of God is in complete opposition to anything that is human."

Ellen White touched on this in Christ Object Lessons page 77,

"Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by war; but the founder of the new kingdom [the kingdom of God] is the Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbols of fierce beasts of prey [you will find this in the books of Daniel and Revelation]; but Christ is 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.' John 1:29. In His plan of government there is no employment of brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for the kingdom of God to be established in the same way as the kingdoms of the world. [This is the part I want you to listen to.] To promote righteousness they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plans. But Christ implants a principal. By implanting truth and righteousness He counteracts error and sin."

To Implant means to set in firmly, as into the ground; to insert or embed (such as an object or a device) (it could be surgically, implant a pacemaker); to graft or insert (a tissue a tissue) within the body. One of the uses of the word to sow is similar to implant. I think it is important for me to tell you this because we are talking about seeds. So we have here a contrast: the Jews, and most of us, modify behavior, God changes what motivates the behavior, by implanting a principle. To modify behavior the Jews imposed

rules and regulations. Of course, they never worked. So, they found loopholes for failing. And eventually, created more rules to accommodate failing.

Many today still want to follow the same methods as the Jews did: they want to impose upon you rules and regulations and tell you, "either shape up, or ship out." That is a worldly method. A Russian Marxist once told a Pastor, "We don't believe in five day non-smoking programs. That doesn't work. We believe in authority. When we pass a law, 'No smoking,' nobody smokes, because, if they do, they will have to swallow lead." God doesn't use that method. There was nothing in the worldly kingdom Christ could use for comparison.

So what did He do? He took a little seed from among the different spices they used in the Middle East, He took the smallest of the spices, a little round seed approximately one-thirty-second of an inch in diameter, (What this means is that if I took 32 mustard seeds and lined up side by side the line would an inch long.) So, Christ uses the seed to compare the Kingdom of God. Why? It is because the kingdom of God works in a completely different system. It does not work on the basis of rules and regulations. He implants in the life of the believer a new life, a new principal. When that life is released by germination and is allowed to develop, it produces a bush that is bigger than any other tree. (Germination is the process in which a plant or fungus emerges from a seed or spore, , and it begins to grow.) The mustard seed, the smallest of small seeds, Jesus says, produces a bush that is so big compared to the other herbs that the birds can come to rest on it and find shade.

I don't know how many of you have seen a mustard seed. Has anyone here seen a mustard seed? It looks like a grain of sand. Jesus used this seed as an example because there were bushes of mustard all over the area. It was a very common plant. They could see this mustard bush towering above all other herbs because, even though the seed was small, it produced a huge bush, as Jesus says in this parable. Jesus is comparing the kingdom of God with this mustard seed. Christ is saying that the kingdom of God does not begin by force. God doesn't take the kingdom of the world by force. He implants in the life of individuals, in the life of the church, a new life, a new principle. It starts very small then it grows. It starts as a belief and gradually grows into action. As long as that mustard seed sits in a bottle or jar it is useless as far as reproducing. But the moment you sow it, it starts to grow large. … and that's what the parable is talking about —Let turn to verses 3l-32:

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.

When you sow the mustard seed into the ground something happens, because in that mustard seed is a life principle. There's a germ in it which has life in it. (Germ as in germination - ). That life is dormant until the seed is sown. When does that seed spring to life? That's one of the questions we are going to answer. Because when it does, it begins to grow and it grows it grows so large, Jesus says, that it covers the whole earth. Now Jesus, of course, was primarily referring to the establishment of the kingdom of God as part of the Christian church.

The Christian church began with a very small, insignificant group — twelve disciples. They were fishermen; they were peasants; they had no PhDs; they had no technology behind them; they had no budget; they were poor; they were insignificant; they counted for nothing in the eyes of the Pharisees and the scribes. But when we turn to Acts 17:6, which was only a few years later, that seed had germinated and grown so mightily that the enemies of the gospel accused the Christian church and the disciples of turning the world upside down:

Acts 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

It was a small beginning, but what a great growth.

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Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

The Cosmic Conflict Over God’s Character

The inclusion of the Parable of the Minas is very appropriate.  Those who follow Jesus.do not believe He is "... an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow" (Luke 19: 21).  This parable resembles the parable of Talents.    Following is a commentary written about the latter parable.  It's teaching apply to the former.  

The Cosmic Conflict Over God's Character

In Matthew 25: 14 – 30, we find the Parable of the talents.  We read that two of the servants improved on what they were given.  We are not told why.  But, the last servant hid the talent, and did not improve on it, but we are told why.  This man's action based on what he thought of the Master,

Mat 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

Mat 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

We could imply that the other two servants thought the opposite of their master.  Ellen White seems to tell us that Eve had a similar problem,

The tempter intimated that the divine warning was not to be actually fulfilled; it was designed merely to intimidate them. . . .  {CC 15.5} 

            Such has been Satan's work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with great success. He tempts men to distrust God's love and to doubt His wisdom. He is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths which He has revealed, and which are essential to salvation. . . .  {CC 15.6}

Eve really believed the words of Satan, but her belief did not save her from the penalty of sin. She disbelieved the words of God, and this was what led to her fall. In the judgment men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth.  {CC 15.7}

Eve doubted God's integrity.  She judged God's character incorrectly.  This is what provoked her downfall.  She now needed to restore her trust In God. 

Did you notice that Ellen White says that Eve's experience applies to all men?  What lie are men choosing to believe that leads them away from believing God? We read from Ellen White,

In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; and if God should remit the punishment of sin, He would not be a God of truth and justice. When men broke the law of God, and defied His will, Satan exulted. It was proved, he declared, that the law could not be obeyed; man could not be forgiven. Because he, after his rebellion, had been banished from heaven, Satan claimed that the human race must be forever shut out from God's favor. God could not be just, he urged, and yet show mercy to the sinner. {DA 761.4}

Our lesson has made it clear throughout the quarterly that this is what our denomination believes: Sin must be punished.  And, it is God who must punish it.  Is it not disturbing that we believe of God what Satan says of Him? 

If this is what we believe then we believe that something must be done to avoid the punishment.  God must be appeased.  This is the core belief of every pagan religion.  This is why they practiced sacrifices.  Only "the smell the blood" would appease the angry god.  Christians have adopted this understanding of God.  Christians understand that "Christ died to reconcile the father unto us."  You will find no such thought anywhere in the Bible.  The Bible is very clear,

2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

We read in John 3: 16 that God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son – the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World to away its Sin (Revelation 13: 8, John 1: 29). It was the Father Who wanted – and still wants - to be reconciled to us.  We read from Romans,

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

In Christ, while we still saw God as the enemy, we were reconciled to God and not God to us.  Christ says in John 14,

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Many read the story of Jesus and realize that there concept of God differs from Jesus.  Jesus Himself tells us that He and the Father are One.  Jesus is a prefect representation of His Father.  Any concept of God that differs from Jesus is wrong.  Ellen White says,

There stood in the world One who was a perfect representative of the Father, One whose character and practices refuted Satan's misrepresentation of God. Satan had charged upon God the attributes He himself possessed. Now in Christ he saw God revealed in His true character—a compassionate, merciful Father, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him in repentance, and have eternal life. (1 SM, p. 254).

A good surgeon cuts into the body of its ill patient (thus inflicting pain), not to punish the patient for having a harmful health condition, but to get rid of what is ailing the patient.  God intervenes in our life not to punish us, but to get rid of the Sin which will kill us otherwise.  Those whom He loves, He chastens.  "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby (Hebrews 12:11).  "…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

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Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com

Bryan Gallant at Vernon Memorial on May 30

Just wanted to let you know that Bryan Gallant will be preaching at Vernon Memorial Church this Sabbath.  We are at 6200 Vollmer Rd, Matteson, IL.  He has been working as a missionary for years.   And, has been blessed with a testimony that will help and inspire all those who have suffered loss.   Come hear how God has brought healing and restoration to Bryan and his family.   For more on Bryan and his ministry see the information below.   We will have an afternoon session serve lunch following lunch.  
Raul Diaz
> Blessings!
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From Bryan Gallant:
> "God allows us to be broken, re-formed, pushed, so our lives will reveal the fragrance and unseen beauty we were created to share with a world of wounded people."
>
> If you know someone who has been hurt, lost a loved one, or is struggling under a load in life, read Undeniable: An Epic Journey Through Pain 
>
> http://undeniablethebook.com or
> http://amzn.com/0996244204 
>
>

Commentary: God always takes the initiative

God always takes the initiative

Memory Text: The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost(Luke 19:10, NKJV).

If we were to write a mission statement for Jesus, we could not do any better than to repeat His own words: To seek and to save that which was lost.

While all religions portray the human being in search for God, Christianity presents God as the seeker: Adam, where are you (Gen. 3:9)? Cain, where is your brother (Gen. 4:9)? Elijah, what are you doing here (1 Kings 19:9)? Zacchaeus, come down (Luke 19:5). What was lost? It was humanity itself, which was alienated from God, subject to death, and filled with fear, disappointment, and despair. However, thanks to Jesus we all have great reasons to be hopeful.  If nothing were done in our behalf, all would be lost.

"In the apostasy, man alienated himself from God; earth was cut off from heaven. Across the gulf that lay between, there could be no communion. But through Christ, earth is again linked with heaven. With His own merits, Christ has bridged the gulf which sin had made. .. Christ connects fallen man in his weakness and helplessness with the Source of infinite power." - Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 20.

God always takes the initiative to look for us because it is not in our nature to look for Him. This is why Paul writes in Romans 5: 8, "…that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

God set up a plan from the beginning of the world to save us if we sinned. John says that "…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). The plan was put in effect when Adam fell. Adam did not ask for it. But, at finding out about it Adam responded with gratitude.  From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is a story of God seeking after lost humanity. Luke illustrates this truth by using three important parables: the lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7), the lost coin (vss. 8-10), and the lost son (vss. 11-32).

In the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15: 4 – 7), the sheep is lost, knows that is lost, but does not the way back, and does not know how to find it. It may wander in the wilderness until it dies trying to get back or just gives up. The sheep need the shepherd to look for it and bring it back. The shepherd takes the initiative to find it. But, to make sure the sheep does not wander again the shepherd may need to resort to extreme measures like breaking its legs. The shepherd brought the sheep back, and with joy restored it to the fold, as if the sheep had never wandered away. 

In the parable of the lost coin (Like 15: 8 – 10), the coin was lost in its own house. The coin, of course, did not know it. Therefore, it had no clue about its need to be rescued. The woman takes the initiative to find the coin and does everything in her power to do so. The woman in the parable cleans the entire house just to find the one coin, even when she still had more. The woman rejoiced as she restored the coin to its proper place as if the coin had never been misplaced.

Last is the parable of prodigal son. After wasting a fortune reluctantly given to him by his father he ended up working at a pigsty feeding the pigs. This was something not only humiliating to a person of means but also an abomination for any Jew. This is an example of how low Sin takes us. But, the prodigal son remembered his former life in his home, and how good even the servants had it. The prodigal son remembered his way back home. He needed no outside rescue. However, his father was watching and waiting for him by the entrance of the home. He received his son with open arms and restored to his former position as if the son had never left. (In real life, when the "prodigal sons' remember their way it is the Holy Spirit reminding them.)

These parables not only show how we are lost, they also show God's grace and mercy. God does whatever is in His power to save us. We see that in the parables. And, He receives us with His unconditional love. All the process of Salvation is always God's initiative. We just respond, hopefully with gratitude – heartfelt appreciation – for what he has done for us. As He works in us He awaits for that response to restore us to the position we had before the fall.  Ellen White says about this.

"Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness."—Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p. 9.

When there is a desire to come to Him – however faint – there is still a chance. This desire is wrought from God trying to woo you to Him. Are we responding to Him?

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Raul Diaz
www.wolfsoath.com