Wednesday; November 14
When Jesus taught His disciples about working to influence the world, He chose a different approach. Jesus’ disciples were about to be challenged to change the world – a world that was controlled by the Roman Empire. The believers in this new movement would be no match for the powerful military machine, so they would have to figure out another way to exert their influence. To accomplish this goal, Jesus told a short and simple story, “ To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” (Luke 13:20-21). The answer wasn’t in overpowering the Roman government or even the Jewish religious aristocracy – the way they could accomplish it was being active agents of goodness. The victory would not be won on the battlefield or in the ballot box, but by influencing one person at a time. It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the forces of evil that are prevalent in our world.