你是否曾希望你的教会能为城镇或社区带来更大的改变？或者全世界的教会可以产生更大的影响？在个人层面上，也许你祈祷过你的生活发生改变，但你并没有感受到有太多改变。
神的子民和神的工作的相对微小是圣经中一个重复的主题。在旧约中，只有少数人一直对神忠心——他们被称为“余种”。耶稣把天国比作芥菜种时，就是拾起了这个主题。
我们的经文描述了被混入面粉的酵；圣经的有些翻译说的是酵母藏在面粉中。意思是，混入或藏进面粉的酵母，没有人能看见。它太小了，好像不见了！
尽管酵母很小，它的影响却很大。耶稣说一个人和了大概60磅面粉！你能想像这能做出多少面包吗？酵母产生功效时，转变就会发生，它会让面团发起来！小小酵母起到的作用多么大！
耶稣说，天国就像那样。它可能看起来很小，却产生了惊人的、革命性的变化。
主啊，求你帮助我们，不要因为变化很微小而灰心。愿我们用信心之眼来相信，你会带来大的改变。阿们。
马太福音 13:31-35
31他又设个比喻对他们说：“天国好像一粒芥菜种，有人拿去种在田里。
32这原是百种里最小的，等到长起来，却比各样的菜都大，且成了树，天上的飞鸟来宿在它的枝上。”
33他又对他们讲个比喻说：“天国好像面酵，有妇人拿来藏在三斗面里，直等全团都发起来。”
34这都是耶稣用比喻对众人说的话，若不用比喻，就不对他们说什么。
35这是要应验先知的话说：“我要开口用比喻，把创世以来所隐藏的事发明出来。”
“The kingdom of heaven is like yeast... ”“ — Matthew 13:33
Do you ever wish that your church could make a bigger difference in your town or community? Or maybe that the worldwide church could make a greater impact? On a more personal level, perhaps you have prayed for transformation in your life, but you don’t feel as if much has changed.
The relative smallness of God’s people and God’s work is a repeating theme in the Bible. In the Old Testament, only a small group of people remain faithful to God—they’re called the remnant. Jesus picks up on that theme when he compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed and to yeast.
Our text describes yeast being mixed into flour; some translations of the Bible describe the yeast as hidden in the flour. The idea is that when the yeast is mixed or hidden in the flour to make dough, no one can see it anymore. It’s so small that it seems to be gone!
But although the yeast is small, it has a large effect. Jesus describes someone mixing up about 60 pounds of flour—that would make a lot of dough! Can you picture how much bread would come from all that mixed flour? A transformation would take place as the yeast did its work, making the dough rise! What a difference a little yeast can make!
As Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven is like that. It may seem small, but it makes an amazing, transformative difference.
Lord, help us not to grow weary when transformation seems small. May we have eyes of faith to trust that you will bring about great results. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
