Growth

Biblical text: Mark 4:26-32

I am sure that many of you can relate to the image of a special door frame in your house where your parents or grandparents would periodically stand you very carefully, heels pressed tightly against the wall so they could record your height. I can remember the notches in the wood marking off a little more stature gained.

But what about our growth now that we seem all grown up in a physical sense? Nobody is keeping track anymore on those door frames, but hopefully we have not stopped growing.

Jesus is talking about growth in his parables in this section of Mark’s gospel. We are fortunate in this area where we live that – just like the early disciples – we understand about seeds growing. The farmers I know seem to understand the process: plow, sow, wait, and pray. We can all relate tales of our own to the growing seed Jesus is talking about. Even if we are not the one doing the planting ourselves, we are fortunate to be able to watch crops grow. And this season of the year brings the delight we read about in verse 27 – we sleep at night and rise up by day and the seed should sprout and grow without us knowing how. So often during the spring and summer something fresh and new sprouts forth – almost overnight – we don’t know how – but what a feast to our senses.

And the mustard seed: from such a tiny, insignificant looking seed grows a plant greater than any other herb. From such a tiny seed, we see tremendous growth.

First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. That can be compared to our own growth, to the spiritual journeys we are all on. Somewhere, sometime, someone planted the seed of the Lord in you and in me. Our love of God did not start as a huge tree where birds nested in its shade. But the seed took root and began to grow. Think about those early faith models you had when you were younger. What were the stories they told you? How did they plant those seeds?

And what tiny seeds can we plant? I think I hear the Lord calling us to help Him work His fields. He is calling us to participate in the growth. So put on your gardening clothes and let’s talk about growing seeds.

Jesus starts this parable making the point that seeds grow by themselves while the farmer doesn’t know how it happens. I don’t really perceive the farmers I know being like that but for the purpose of this parable, this particular farmer is clueless and he is in over his head. Maybe Jesus is reminding us that when it comes to understanding how the Kingdom of God works, we are all clueless and in over our heads. The realm of peace and freedom and justice that Jesus was talking about is something only God can create. We might try to find ways to plant seeds, but the only source of any lasting growth is God. But that does not discharge us from planting those seeds! We all must plant seeds and yet, we might not see them bloom.

Do we have a story to tell? I read one time where we should always be prepared with a speech that lasts about as long as an elevator ride that tells how God’s Love got planted in your heart. Plant a seed in someone’s heart.

Do you know people who are thirsty for the word of God? Sometimes I feel it is so important where we are on Monday mornings after being with our church families on Sunday. Maybe that is where we find the people who need to hear about our worship experience or a scripture verse that was read on Sunday. Plant a seed in someone’s mind.

Do you know people who need encouragement? We Christians are the people of Hope. We trust the Gospel stories. God’s promises are real. We know the words to speak to show care and love. Plant a seed in someone’s soul.

Will weeds grow up? Will we have to sweat and get dirty? Will we feel the heat of the day and become parched? Will neighbors try to keep our plants, our seeds, from encroaching on their soil? Will we sometimes have to change implements?

Most definitely! But we know the Master Gardener we are working for. We need to keep toiling in the dirt. We need to be the seeds God sends forth – from one tiny seed to thousands of seeds. We have to keep planting even when we see no results. We might never know what comes from the seeds we plant. But we keep on planting. And we want our roots to go down so deeply that we cannot be uprooted. Because we know there will be times when we just want to give up and wilt.

But we can keep ourselves growing through worshipping together, through encouraging each other, through reading the Word, and through giving ourselves in prayerful quietness to the Lord.

What a wonderful image when we picture the Kingdom of God as that huge mustard seed plant where the birds – and each of us – find rest under its shade.

And that work in the garden won’t really feel like work at all because we are doing it for our Lord and Savior, helping Him as He grows His Kingdom right here where the seeds are planted. We can rejoice in the labor we are called to do as we participate in His growth. These parables tell of wonderful things that can come when the Lord directs the planting. The growth starts from a tiny seed that becomes tremendous. There is a similar image in John’s gospel when he talks about the Holy Spirit: “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.” So it seems with the growth of these tiny seeds. We are not sure exactly where the seed will go, but the growth will be beyond our expectations when we are working the fields with our Lord directing the planting. We labor faithfully and we wait patiently on the Lord who makes all things grow. We sow the seeds; God produces the harvest. We blossom and provide fruit and sheltering branches so that others might live. But to do this, we have to get out of the way. We must decrease so that God can increase. God’s steadfast love and care for all will never change.