Mark - Seeds

 Seeds

Good morning Class,

This morning we are looking at seeds.  Yep seeds.  

Question of the day: What is your favorite parable or bible story?

Parables,  they are wonderful.... or challenging.... or just down right confusing.  

Today we continue to look at these parables. 

READ: Mark 4: 26-34

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. 

The Parable of the Growing Seed

We are going to break down this parable.

1. The seed

2. The ground

3. The farmer

4. Growth/ Plant

5. Harvest

What does the man or farmer do?

I find this part so fascinating. If he sleeps or gets up...  It is clear that the farmer has nothing to do with the growing process.  He scatters the seed, and then while he is going about his business, things change. 

"though he does not know"

This phrase according to David Garland, in the Life Application Commentary would  be better translated as "without visible cause" or "incomprehensibly" or "effected by God." 

What does this say to us?

What does this say about God?

How important is it for us to understand this?

How does this impact how we do ministry?

How does this impact how we even see ourselves as growing plants?

Giving God the glory, the credit, is incredibly important in our personal lives and in the work of the church.  We way too often put too high an importance on ourselves.  We put too high an importance on structures and traditions.  Think about who Jesus was talking to when he shared this parable.  We can scatter the seeds but any gemination and growth only comes from one place!!!  What this is clearly stating is that it is God who changes hearts!  

This leads into the growth. 

What do we learn about the growth of the plant?

....first stalk, then head, then the full kernel in the head....

What does this tell us?

This is a process!  We can't skip to the harvest.  The plant has to grow and it grows in an order.  

Right now as we are still waiting to hear who will be our next president, we keep hearing that there is a process that we have to go through.  We just have to wait and be patient.  

If we try to harvest when there are only stalks, what do we have?

OR only heads?

If I have one takeaway it is this...

The time is coming.  Jesus will return.  We must be patient.  Peoples hearts will mature.  The time of the harvest will come, so.... get up, sleep, go about your work.  Live for Him, work for Him, rest in Him.  He is doing amazing things even while you rest.

There is one last thought.  In this passage where it talks about the "ripe" harvest, the word used is (paradidomi) which is not what is usually used to describe a ripe harvest. Here according to Garland, it actually means, "to deliver itself," "to hand itself over." 

This is beautiful!!!!  Christ does all this beautiful work right! The miracle of a changed heart, the growth, from germination to harvest, but ripe, and ready we hand ourselves to be harvested.  This isn't a taking or a steeling, it isn't a picking but a surrender, a gift.  Only he can change and grow us, but he will not take us, we have to hand ourselves over, or deliver ourselves to Him! 

Jesus loves us so much, and love requires choice!  Love requires our hearts.  

THE PARABLE of the MUSTARD SEED.

This parable is also talking about the Kingdom of God.  Both parables are.  So what do we learn?

Well what do we know about a mustard seed?

What does this parable focus on?

What was Jesus saying in both these parables?

So many times we want the story to be big!  Big numbers, big events, big proclamations, big stories, big power.  We know the Jews were looking for a King. 

Do we look at churches with huge followings and desire it?

Here in these parables we see the quiet remarkable power and beauty of the Kingdom of God.  It isn't something that is impressive in the way we think of kingdoms, yet it is remarkable in quiet, even at times undetectable ways.  Yet even in it's quietness, in it's slowness, the Kingdom of God, is remarkable.

Life application:  What are some takeaways for you?