The Kingdom of God starts small, but it doesn't stay that way! We may be discouraged by the apparent lack of progress that we sometimes see in the work of the Church, but we may rest assured in knowing that the Kingdom is growing and the day of harvest is coming.
When Jesus preached His parables to the crowds that gathered to hear Him, He knew that He was speaking to a mixed crowd. His message was – and still is – veiled to some of His hearers. According to the way people listen to and receive Jesus' words, the Kingdom is revealed to them in the same measure. The time of full revelation has not yet come, but eventually the day will arrive when the Gospel Kingdom will be unveiled for all to see. In His perfect Providence, Jesus knows the right timing to make this revelation full.
As laborers in the Lord's work, we are like farmers planting seeds. We can do all the right things in a perfect way; but at the end of the day, it's the Lord of the harvest Who determines the final yield. There is no magic program that we can implement that will grow the Church. But our evangelistic efforts are not failures, even if people persecute us and turn a deaf ear. God's Kingdom will still grow like a tiny mustard seed that takes over and balloons out all over the world! Even now, the Gospel of Jesus is not done working in our lives, our families, and our communities! |
