What Is It Like?

## Explain

There is a sub forum on a website called “explainlikeimfive” that I frequent for entertainment. People can go on this forum and ask a question about any topic, and the response should come from someone with the knowledge of said topic and dumb it down for the questioner to grasp its meaning. This can be entertaining to say the least, but it is an interesting idea. When it comes to topics like vehicles or woodworking, I need the experienced person to explain it to me like I’m 5, otherwise I just won’t get it. Jesus is left with the task of explaining something that no one really knows about to the fullest or has yet to experience. The truth is that the person doing the explaining, Jesus in this case, needs to have a knowledge so they can do so accurately.

## Experience

There are events in life that only a few will ever experience, such as being President of a nation or winning the Super Bowl. I had a lovehate relationship with basketball during the mid to later 1990s because it seemed like the Chicago Bulls were always winning. In fact, it caused me to dislike Michael Jordan because everyone I was friends with loved him, and it was easy to speak about him with arrogance. He was just too good. As I look back, I wish I had enjoyed watching him play as opposed to rolling my eyes because of who it was playing the game. That team, being led by Michael Jordan, kept several known superstars from ever experiencing a championship win. They could tell

you what it was like to play against Jordan or perhaps what it was like to be in the playoffs, but could not speak from a first-hand experience of winning a championship. In other words, Michael Jordan could explain what it’s like to be on a winning team when many other players can’t. Jesus had not only lived in heaven but was part of the whole process of leading people back to God. The way Jesus chose to explain what the kingdom is like seems so simple, but the meaning behind it can go deep. The mustard seed is a small thing, but it grows into something enormous. Our small act of surrender to God in accepting Him into our lives can have a huge impact on our lives and the lives of those around us. We as individual Christians and the Church as a whole should become a shelter for the world as the tree became a shelter to the birds. In the second illustration, leaven works from the inside, much like the Spirit works on the inside. We may hear the Word spoken, but it is the unseen effect that makes us into a new creation.

## Self-Check

So what is the kingdom of God? In these illustrations Jesus is speaking of a transformation in one's life that takes place (2 Corinthians 5:17) and how we effect those around us. What is it like? It’s is seeing color for the first time or hearing someone say "I love you," after never hearing it. Jesus explained it, but called us to experience it so we can explain it to others.

## The Narrow Door