The Day of Small Things

"The Day of Small Things." To all outward appearances, the incipient stages of Christ's kingdom was a time of "small things" (Zech. 4:10). It was as Daniel's "stone cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan. 2:45), or as Jesus' "grain of mustard seed" (Mk. 4:31), observed Ken Smith in his sermon for us on October 14. It was designed by God to be like that, to demonstrate the exact opposition of His ways to those of men (Isa. 55:8-9), and to glorify His wisdom and power (I Cor. 1:18-31). 

Our Lord's first coming was unprecedentedly unpretentious and unassuming. His earthly life completely disregarded, if not disdained, that carnal pride and pomp which the world associates with exaltation and success. The twelve men He gathered about Himself, to whom He would commit the founding and nurture of His kingdom, were, by accredited standards, incapable of great and important work. To cap it all, Jesus' earthly career ended in a criminal's death upon a shameful Roman cross. He was, indeed, "crucified through weakness" (II Cor. 13:4). 

All this would be classified by the wisdom of earth as "small things"—a "mustard-seed" kind of beginning. Brother Ken noted. Yet, from it God, by raising Jesus from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand in heaven, has given it the power and efficacy to accomplish His full purpose, causing the Father's pleasure to "prosper" in Christ's hand (Isa. 53:10). will the stone cut from the mountain "without hands" ultimately "break in pieces" all the kingdoms of this world, causing them to become "like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors" which the wind carries away, and itself fill "the whole earth (Dan. 2:34-35). And the mustard seed shall become "greater than all herbs," shooting out "great branches" (Mk. 4:32). 

In this confidence, we preach the gospel, which is the seed of the kingdom, it was concluded, knowing that our labors are "not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58). "Who hath despised the day of small things?" well asks the Word of the Lord (Zech. 4:8, 10). Not we, replied the preacher, since God's Presence and purpose make it the day of great and marvelpus things. "The zeal of the Lord of hosts," combined with His divine power and wisdom, will make the day of "small things" one of marvelously great things (Isa. 9:6-7).

The Reason for Spiritual Denseness

The Reason for Spiritual Denseness. A complaint by typical churchmen is voiced when one presents anything other than the rudiments of the faith, or the first principles thereof. “Too deep!” is the cry. “We cannot understand what he is talking about.” There is a reason for that denseness concerning the things of God, and it needs to be recognized, and diligent effort made to correct the involved situation.

 

The things of the Spirit are discernible only to those who have, live, and walk in the Spirit. The natural man receives them not, “neither indeed” can comprehend them—his “word studies” and Greek lexicons, notwithstanding (Rom. 8:7; I Cor. 2:14).

 

The cause of his denseness is evident. It is earth—and flesh—boundedness. “They that are in the flesh” can neither please nor understand God (Rom. 8:8). That was Nicodemus’ trouble. He could not comprehend the simple things of which Christ told him because he was contemplating them from the flesh’s standpoint (Jn. 3:1-12).

 

If people are sincere in their professed desire to grasp the things of the divine kingdom, they must meet the conditions therefor. They must come fully into the kingdom, spiritually leaving the flesh and the world, where sense and time prevail. That is because the things of God are “spiritually discerned” (I Cor. 2:14). “He that is spiritual” readily understands and delights in them (v. 15)—they, in fact are, as Jeremiah declared, “the joy and rejoicing” of his heart (Jer. 15:16). --Fred O. Blakely