eMeditation on the Bible
Question: What is the nature of the spiritual life that comes from a relationship with God?
Story (Luke 13:18-21)
After Jesus told people that separation from God brings spiritual death
but that a relationship with God brings never-ending spiritual life, he
told a couple of short stories to explain the nature of spiritual life:
“What is the spiritual life that we receive from God like? What
can I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed
and planted it in a garden. It grew and became a tree. The birds sat in
its branches.”
“To what can I compare spiritual life from God? It is like yeast
that a woman used. She mixed it into a large amount of flour. The yeast
permeated (spread) through all the dough.”
Interpretations
In the first story, the mustard seed represents the small beginning of
our relationship with God when we entrust our life to God and follow
Jesus as God’s authority over our life. The birds coming and
resting in the branches teach us that as we mature spiritually, we
become a source of help and protection for other people.
In the second story, the yeast permeating the dough and causing it to
expand teaches us that when we are in a relationship with God we grow
spiritually by God’s love (symbolized by the yeast) transforming
every part of our lives (symbolized by the dough): our thoughts,
attitudes, behavior and relationships with other people. Our
relationship with God not only impacts one or two parts of our life but
all aspects of who we are.
General Principles
Both stories teach us that, in a relationship with God, spiritual
growth and the transformation of our hearts and lives are a gradual
process that takes place throughout our lifespan. But the difference
between who we are spiritually at the beginning and who we become when
we reach spiritual maturity is amazing! It is the result of God’s
power transforming us through our deep connection with God by
God’s Spirit living within us.
Personal Application
Both stories teach us that spiritual life is a developmental process
that begins very small but grows over time and matures to fulfill
God’s purposes for our lives.
(1) We do not begin our relationship with God fully developed spiritually.
(2) Spiritual life involves spiritual growth in the direction of
becoming stronger in our ability to honor and please God with our
thoughts, attitudes, actions and character.
(3) Spiritual growth enables us to increasingly overcome
self-centeredness and the tendency to prioritize our own desires and
success above the needs of the people around us. Instead, we grow in
our capacity to love and serve others, especially the needy.