The Gospel According to Luke - Luke 13:18-31

28 April 2026

The sermon explains Jesus’ two short parables in Luke 13 as a picture of God’s kingdom beginning in ways that seem small, ordinary, and even easy to dismiss, yet carrying immense power. The preacher says Jesus’ healing of a suffering woman showed that this kingdom is marked by mercy, not dead religion, and that through Jesus’ death and resurrection it has spread far beyond what anyone expected. Like a mustard seed, Christ’s kingdom grows steadily and welcomes people from every nation.

It also teaches that the kingdom does not only expand; it transforms. Like leaven in dough, the mercy of God changes hearts and then reshapes communities through love, compassion, and care for the weak. The sermon points to history to show how Christian faith helped foster mercy in a harsh world, and it urges listeners to receive God’s grace personally, resist hard-hearted religion, and share Christ’s love in both word and action with neighbors, sufferers, and even enemies.

Listen to the sermon