UPDATED Today’s Spiritual Food for Thought, prepared by Pastor Jason Sato who is currently serving in Japan as a missionary, is an updated version of his blog first posted on April 27, 2014. Jason is a graduate of University of California, San Diego (BS) and Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.). 

Spiritual Food for Thought for the Weekend

“Taking My Eyes Off Of Someone Truly Unimpressive and Gazing at Someone Who Is”

Matthew 13:31-33

“He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. [32] It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” [33] He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

Scripture is clear that the Kingdom of God may appear unimpressive; nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that the Kingdom won’t be truly glorious. While the Kingdom is “the smallest of seeds,” it grows “larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree” (v. 32).   Likewise, the leaven hidden in the flour works its way through all the dough (v. 33).

When I was a kid, I used to watch “Transformers,” the cartoon. The theme song ended with the words: “Transformers, more than meets the eye!” The idea is that while that car looks like a car, it is, in fact, a giant, awesome robot with lasers. Yet when we look at our Christian lives, all we see is a minivan with no A/C. We wonder, “Where are the lasers?”

One of our major problems is that we have a very low standard for awesomeness. Our culture defines “great” as fast, easy, and fun. However, the reality is, Jesus does not promise us fast, easy, or fun: in fact, He can get in the way of such things. But ask yourself, what is better than fast, easy, and fun? What is truly awe-inspiring? What can take your breath away?

Perhaps you thought of a groom seeing his bride for the first time on their wedding day. Or maybe a natural wonder like the Grand Canyon, or the birth of a child. Notice what all these wondrous things have in common. They all draw our attention completely away from ourselves. So often the Kingdom of God is unimpressive, boring, and even disappointing because we are still looking at ourselves. We have gone far too long without gazing at Jesus.

God does better than give us a better life now. Rather, He frees us from our obsession with ourselves so that we can see and experience something and Someone truly awe-inspiring. May the Son of God take your breath away as you worship Him this Sunday.

Prayer: Lord, I got to take my eyes off of me and place my gaze upon You!  I got to go from looking at something that is truly unimpressive to fix my eyes on Christ, the most awesome entity in the universe.  Please, remind and empower me to make this critical move. Amen.   

Bible Reading for Today:2 Chronicles 36