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THE GOSPEL OF MARK – SMALLEST SEED…LARGEST PLANT

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SMALLEST SEED…LARGEST PLANT

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. Mark 4:30-34

In these stories about the growth of God’s kingdom there is an aspect that can easily be missed. It is a very slow process. God is patient with His children as they mature in faith, love and truth. Growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ must be thorough to be enduring. Slow growth produces strength. The root system must be well established to sustain the height and weight of the tree.

What is the root system? Belief and knowledge: belief is the confidence we have in the trustworthiness of the One about whom we are learning. It is much more than the knowledge and understanding of systematised truth. It involves leaning our weight on Him on the strength of who He has revealed Himself to be. Knowledge is built on belief and relates to experiential knowledge rather than intellectual knowledge. We can only know God as we prove His trustworthiness by acting on what He has said.

And so, this process of growth happens day by day, year by year, and circumstance by circumstance as we choose to trust God in every situation, throwing our full weight on what we have learned, believed and come to know.

Jesus spent much time with His disciples, patiently explaining God’s ways and the ways of the kingdom with stories, illustrations and applications. He was faithfully sowing the seeds of His Word into their hearts right in line with the stories He told, knowing that He was also depositing seeds of truth in their hearts which would take root and grow at the appropriate time.

What confidence this gives us to know that our labour is never in vain in the Lord. No matter where we scatter seed, there will be a harvest even though the growth appears to be slow and imperceptible. We can have confidence in the growth of the kingdom in our own hearts also. As long as we keep playing our part in patience and perseverance, God is at work in us, maturing our character for the day of harvest.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK – LIKE A MUSTARD SEED

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LIKE A 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. Mark 4:30-34

There are two ways of viewing the kingdom, quantitatively or qualitatively. On the whole, people tend to view the kingdom quantitatively, interpreting growth as numerical rather than relating to character and maturity. How did Jesus intend His stories to be understood? He made it clear to the Pharisees (Luke 17:21) that God’s government happens within people. It is about submission to God, appropriating the resources He gives to come under His authority and reproduce His character, living in the light of His standards of righteousness, holiness and truth in a world system which is temporarily under the authority of a usurper.

How does this happen? It begins in the soul by planting a tiny seed. Jesus used a mustard seed as an example. When it is planted in the ground, it is so small that it is almost unnoticeable. Given time and the right conditions, it begins to grow. What started out small, increases out of all proportion to its beginning. It outgrows all the other garden plants. This illustrates the ability of God’s word to influence and change a life so much that the whole person is transformed.

This is truly good news. It is God’s Word in peoples’ lives that transforms them by renewing their minds. The more we soak in the Word, the more truth replaces our thoughts spawned by our upbringing and environment. The more aware we become of God’s closeness to us, His intentions for us, His love, grace and power at work in us, the bigger His kingdom becomes in us and the greater its influence over those around us.

Satan has some very subtle lies he wants to sow in our minds – that he has power over us (a victim mentality) and that we need someone to rescue us. This breeds fear and helplessness and weakens our faith in Jesus. We have only one course of action – to flood our minds with the truth. Truth is light and light dispels darkness.