Last time, we talked about the woman who had been bent over for 18 years. She sought Jesus at the synagogue and he interrupted his message to heal her, only to be chastized by the synagogue ruler. The ruler proclaimed that Jesus’ timing was off. “No healing on the Sabbath!”

Jesus promptly responded to all the synagogue officials. “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall to lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

What a change for this bent-over woman. Jesus can bring changes in our lives as well whether healing or lessons to learn through our heartaches. The leaders in our story were humiliated, but the people were delighted and we, too, are thrilled for this poor woman. Happy ending. Story over. New heading for the next verses—The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast.

It would appear that the healing and the story was over. However, the next section (in Luke 13:18) begins, Then Jesus asked. “Then” sounds like a continuation. Is it possible that the following two parables tie in with the previous story? Bible scholars think so.

The first parable was about the mustard seed. In those days, it was the tiniest of seeds. Yet when it was planted and grown, it became a good-sized tree, big enough for birds to land in it.

Okay, but what does that have to do with anything? Jesus started the verses with two questions: “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?” In other words, God’s kingdom even on earth is powerful. Like the tiny seed, it can grow. (Even to include Gentiles, often represented by birds.)

The second parable brings in a woman’s point of view. (Jesus often did that.) He said, “The kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus was slowly working the power of the kingdom of God into the people’s lives. His teachings and healings, like the miracle of the bent-over woman was one such expression of God’s power at work.

Is there something in your life that has you bent over? Maybe a health condition, a relationship problem, or the loss of a loved one. Is there a wayward son, a demeaning husband, or a grandchild about to be divorced? Is something loading a heavy burden on you? Jesus comes to bring lessons of his power and your faith.

That leads us to the question; how is God’s power working in your life? Have you been bent over in some way? Have you allowed his yeast to work it’s way through your situation? Is he teaching you something? Is your faith like the mustard seed, tiny but growing? Listen and behold.

~ Joyce ~