The Sure and Steady Growth of the Kingdom of God

The Gospel According to Luke

The Sure and Steady Growth of the Kingdom of God

Luke 13:10-21
Sunday, May 10, 2026

Introduction
When was the last time you stopped and stared at a large tree? There’s something special about an old tree, with a massive trunk, and thick branches, and a canopy that stretches far in every direction. It’s amazing to
look at a tree like that and to remember that it started off as a tiny seed. That its growth was never rapid, but that it slowly grew over time. The seed sprouted, and then eventually it pushed up through the ground, and
over time it grew into the tree it has become.

This is true about so many things, that they start small, and they growgradually over time. The growth is often unnoticeable day-to-day, but over time the results are incredible to see. In Luke 13:10-21 we learn that this is
how the kingdom of God grows. It started small and its growth is gradual. At times it may not appear to be growing at all, but the kingdom of God will continue to grow until it comes in its fullness.

With that said, this passage helps us to see the growth of God’s kingdom in two different ways. In verses 10-17 we get a close-up view. It’s a glimpse into what the growth of God’s kingdom looks like in an individual situation.
And then, in verses 18-21, Jesus helps us to consider the bigger picture and
a long-term view of the growth of God’s kingdom.

As we see these two views of God’s kingdom we should be encouraged by the magnitude of God’s kingdom and the surety of its growth, and also by the reminder of what the growth of God’s kingdom looks like in everyday life and ministry.

A Close-Up View of the Growth of God’s Kingdom (13:10-17)
• A sign of the kingdom (vv. 10-13)
o A disabled woman – As Jesus teaches in a synagogue on the Sabbath day, He sees a woman who has been suffering from a bent back for eighteen years. Her suffering is physical, and yet Jesus reveals that the cause of her condition is the work of Satan. For all these years he had kept her back bent and bound. In her body she
felt the power of the kingdom of darkness at work.
o Freed by Jesus – When Jesus sees this woman, He sees her condition and He has compassion on her. With His words and with His touch He frees her from her disability and her back becomes straight. In a moment Jesus overcomes the power of Satan and we get a glimpse of the kingdom of God breaking into the world.

• A rejection of the kingdom (v. 14)
o An indignant ruler – While we would expect that everyone would be thrilled with what Jesus has done for this woman, Luke tells us that the ruler of the synagogue is angry. He is angry because in his view Jesus has violated the Sabbath day that should be kept holy(Exodus 20:8-11). In the work of Jesus, we see the in-breaking of the kingdom of God, but this ruler is blind to what is actually happening right in front of him (Luke 11:20).
• A defense of the kingdom (vv. 13-17)
o A hypocritical standard – Jesus responds to the ruler and to those listening by pointing out the hypocrisy of their religious traditions. While they were willing to make exceptions to their Sabbath rules in order to care for animals, they were unwilling to make an exception for the good of this woman. They could untie (loose) their animals to take them to water, but they were unwilling for this woman to be loosed (untied) from being bound by Satan.
o Shame and rejoicing – In response to the situation, we see two groups of people. Those who opposed Jesus were put to shame and those who rightly recognized what He had done rejoiced. In the same way, on the last day there will be two groups of people, those who believe and enter the kingdom of God and those who reject
Him and who will experience eternal shame.

A Long-term View of the Growth of God’s Kingdom (13:18-21)
• Connecting the parts – After His rebuke of the crowd Jesus shares two parables about the nature of the kingdom of God. Through these parables He helps His hearers to makes sense of what they are seeing in His ministry – the coming of the kingdom of God.
• Surprising and significant growth (vv. 18-19) – Using the growth of a seed into a tree, Jesus makes the point that the coming of the kingdom of God into the world will start very small, but in time it will grow and become like a great tree. While what we see of the kingdom of God today may seem small or insignificant, the growth of God’s kingdom is steady and sure.
• Hidden and pervasive growth (vv. 20-21) – Not only is the growth of the kingdom surprising and significant, it’s also hidden and pervasive. Through a parable about leaven and flour Jesus helps us to consider that while the expansion of the kingdom may go unnoticed for a while, in time its impact will be seen and known throughout the whole world. It may seem hidden for a time, but nothing will stop God’s kingdom
from coming in its fullness.