God's Kingdom and Growing Seeds

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Seeing children in church is a great and heartwarming thing.  I love hearing their voices when we pray and sing together.  It was a great blessing to have so many of our Vacation Bible School students with us on Sunday to celebrate the closing of VBS week.  It was a joy to hear them sing and to see them dancing with the songs they learned during the week. 

Our Gospel lesson came to us from Mark 4:30-34, where Jesus told us two parables about the Kingdom of God using images from the garden.  He talked about planting seeds and growing plants; something many of us do as a hobby, but which is truly at the center of our survival.  If farmers fail to plant their crops the seeds don’t sprout and they never reach harvest so we could starve. 

It is an interesting thing that Jesus chooses to use a garden as an image for the Kingdom of God.  When we hear the word “kingdom” we think in terms of political structures.  Kingdoms have kings, queens, princesses and princes.  There are dukes, lords, generals, subjects and servants.  Jesus’ original hearers would have understood these things – perhaps with different titles, but they knew king, emperor, and governor, and they knew they fell in the category of subject and even slave.  But instead of such a political picture, Jesus goes agricultural.  The Kingdom of God is not a dead political system, but a living, life-giving, gathering of those who have God’s Life within them. 

Often when we talk about the Kingdom of God today we think of the Church; and rightly so!  The Church is, in many ways, the visible manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth.  The only problem with this is that so many of us view the Church more like a political structure than like a place where life thrives, is given, and is sustained.  The Church is seen as a building, the people who gather there as members, and its pastors and officers and the governing body. 

I’d like to challenge us to think a little differently about Church; to take Jesus’ parables to heart as we think about who we are in Him.  Here are some points for us to hold on to:

-          The Kingdom of God and its growth are not things we control.  God is at work, and, as His children, He gives us the privilege of enjoying His work and participating in it. 

-          The Kingdom of God is not a place.  Our congregation is an expression of the Kingdom in our location, but the Kingdom exists wherever people believe in Jesus, including our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces.  God’s work is done far beyond 2113 Ravenna St., and we get to be part of God’s mission wherever we go. 

-          We are not members of a church as much as we are Jesus’ disciples.  Members choose to join an organization.  As Jesus’ disciples we are people who have had the seed (God’s Word) planted in our hearts so that it grows and gives us new life:  life we can share with others through the power of the Holy Spirit! 

-          The Kingdom of God is large (although it seems insignificant to those who do not believe in Jesus) and it welcomes anyone.  This life that we have is for all people, and we are called to share it, like planting seeds, so all may believe that Jesus has saved them from sin and death.  Which is also how we came to faith: God used someone to plant the seed in us and it has grown to faith which receives all of God’s good gifts. 

We are part of the Kingdom of God!  In the joy of that truth, let’s scatter the seed, sharing the Good News that God loves sinners and welcomes us all under the shadow of the cross. 

Questions to Ponder

-          What challenges you in regard to the Parable of the Seed?  Do you tend to view God’s Kingdom politically or organically?  Is it difficult to think of the powerlessness we have to make God’s Kingdom grow?  Where, ultimately, does growth come from?

-          Mark 4:29 says, “As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”  This is a reference to the Judgment Day.  How does this verse impact the meaning of the previous verses?  What do these passages say about God’s plan and design? 

-          What is going on in your life that is outside of your control?  How can this passage be a comfort to you?  How are you dealing with being “out of control”? 

-          In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus talks about the smallness of a mustard seed in contrast to the size of a mustard plant.  Part of what He is teaching here speaks to the world’s perception that God’s Kingdom is insignificant, and the reality that it is huge in its size, scope, and power.  Where have you seen that the Kingdom of God is seen as insignificant in the world?  Where have you experienced the greatness of God’s Kingdom? 

-          Jesus speaks of birds resting in the mustard plant’s shade.  We don’t normally welcome birds in our gardens.  What significance does Jesus’ welcome of the birds that we reject have?  How can we be more welcoming? 

-          What is God teaching you about His Kingdom?  Where is He challenging you to grow?  How is He helping you know His grace more profoundly?