Queen's Road Cell

1. How is the kingdom of God like a. A mustard seed (13:18-19)   The mustard seed is the 'smallest of all the seeds on earth' (Mk 4:31) - an agricultural rather than a botanical description. From insignificance it grows into significance until it becomes a blessing to the nations (Ezek. 17:23; 31:6; Dan. 4:12, 21). The kingdom will be universal. b. Yeast (13:20-21) Yeast/leaven works invisibly and silently to exert its effects. Once it enters within, a small amount carries disproportionate impact and transforming power. "Three measures" is a large amouht.     2. In what sense is the door to the kingdom wide open (13:18-19, 28-30)?  It is open to all peoples of the world, both Jews and Gentiles.     3. In what sense is the door narrow (13:25, 27)?  On what basis will some people try to enter the kingdom after it is too late (13:26)? Explain in your own words what Jesus is geting at.  Not all who think themselves deserving of the Kingdom will be ...

 17. The Jews looked at tragedies and concluded that the victims must have deserved it. But what lesson should the people have learned from the sudden deaths (13:1-5)? The people raised a question in conjunction with the idea of judgment in the preceding passage. They linked tragedy directly with personal sin (cf. Jn 9:2). Suffering in this view is proportional to the extent of sin. In response, Jesus raised yet another example of disaster/evil and delinks this from personal sin (the Gk for 'offenders' is 'debtors')  This passage gives insight into the Biblical perspective on moral and natural evil.  Suffering is not directly related to personal sin. Jesus assumes that suffering is what all men deserve. None is innocent. Some will receive judgment in this life, but allwill receive similar judgment in the next. The lesson drawn is that we must 'settle our affairs' (12:58) with God before we are similarly judged. The Bible does not speak of God as permitting evil ...