Sunday's Message: The Parables of Jesus - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, October 20, we used Mark 4:26-29 to better understand the parable of seeds growing in a field. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Let me ask you, have y’all ever had a frustrating week? And I’m talking about frustrating not because of anything big, but  instead because of a bunch of stuff that’s actually pretty small. And yet, when they come together, they sort of form a perfect storm of frustration. Has that ever happened to y’all? Well, for me, that’s really what the last week has been all about. Of course, it didn’t help that I did weddings last Friday and Saturday, one in Butler and the other just south of Puxy, and so I was tired to start with. And during the week, I had something going on every single evening. I mean, I was noodling (or as Peg would say, socializing) on Monday. And I was moderating a session meeting in Segal on Tuesday and right here on Wednesday. And of course, I was leading our Bible study Thursday. Let’s just say, by Friday, I was worn out. 

But I’ll tell you, what was most frustrating of all was something that Debbie told me Monday morning, the closest thing I have to a day off. You see, right before she left for work, she said, “Darling, the toilet upstairs is dripping, but don’t worry, I put a towel under it. Bye, have a nice day.” Now, it’s important to understand two things about me. One, I tend to be a worrier; therefore, when someone says, “Don’t worry,” I tend to go from two to eight in a heartbeat. That’s one. And two, I’m mechanically challenged, and so the idea that the toilet is dripping, well, that put the fear of God in me. And even though, after I looked at it, I knew what was wrong, having to fix it sometime during a week when I was busy every evening, well, I found that really frustrating.

And you know, frustration is what we’re going to be talking about this morning, but not because of overloaded schedules and dripping toilets. No, we’re going to talk about the frustration that we feel when we’re trying our best to do what we think we’ve been called to do and yet we just don’t see the kind of results we might expect. Now that’s frustrating. And we’re going to do that by looking at another one of the parables that Jesus told, and this one is found only in the Gospel of Mark. And as we’ve done with the first four we’ve looked at, we’ll answer three questions: first, what did Jesus actually say; and then, second, what does it mean, you know, to us; and then, third, what are we going to do about it? Now as it’s been in the past, this will be our approach. And hopefully, by the end of our time together, we’ll have a much better idea about how we can keep moving forward even when we’re not seeing the kind of results we’ve been told to expect.

And like I said, I think what Jesus actually said to his disciples back in the day can help us handle some of the frustration we might be feeling. But I’ll tell you, as it is with most of the stories Jesus offered, I believe the context is really important. I mean, before he told the parable of a growing seed, a short, little story we’ll read in just a minute, he’d not only told his disciples the parable of the sower, you know the one about the guy scattering seeds in a field, he’d also told them exactly what each image in the story meant. For instance, according to his explanation, we are like the sower, scattering the good news about Jesus Christ in our world. And as we do that, we can expect to encounter two kinds of people: some who, for whatever reason, just aren’t going to be productive while others will be. Now, according to his explanation, that’s what Jesus was getting at when he told his disciples a story about a sower scattering seeds that happen to fall on two kinds of soils. 

And I’ll tell you, I think these are some of the images that we really need to remember as we listen to another parable about a sower and seeds and soil. I mean, just listen to what the Evangelist Mark wrote:

Again Jesus said:

God’s kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field. The farmer sleeps at night and is up and around during the day. Yet the seeds keep sprouting and growing, and he doesn’t understand how. It is the ground that makes the seeds sprout and grow into plants that produce grain. Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle. [Mark 4:26-29, CEV]

Now that’s what he said. And let’s think about what it might mean. You see, right at the beginning, we’ve got a farmer who’s scattering seed in a field. And I don’t know about y’all, but I’m experiencing a little bit of deja vu, because isn’t that how the other parable started? Sure it is; in both we’ve got some scattering going on. But then it kind of takes a swerve, because instead of the farmer continuing to work hard, he goes to bed at night and is sort of messing around during the day. But as he’s doing that, what’s happening in the field? The seeds are growing, aren’t they? You see, even though the farmer seems less than committed and frankly, doesn’t sound like the sharpest sickle in the shed, the seeds are  growing; why, because of the soil. In other words, using the other parable as a guide, because this particular soil is good and productive, the good news takes root and grows, actually, in spite of the farmer. But after it’s grown and after the grain is ready, now it’s time for the farmer to get out of bed and to start bringing in the sheaves, right? In other words, even though, outside of scattering seed, the farmer really hasn’t done anything to make the seeds grow, he’s the one who’ll help bring in the harvest. Now, as I read it, that’s what Jesus said. 

And so, in light of that, what does it mean? What does it mean to us, if we decide to listen to what Jesus told us to do in the parable of the sower and to put ourselves in the role of scattering seeds in a field? And what does it mean to say that we’re the ones who are sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to the world around us? What does the parable of a growing seed mean to us right here and right now? Now that’s a good question.

And as I interpret what Jesus said, I think the answer is three-fold. For example, according to the story, I think I’m safe in saying that we’ve been called to work. In other words, we’ve been called to scatter the seed, to share the good news through the words we use and the works we do and the attitudes we show. And we’ve been called to do this work in a field that we know has good productive soil, in other words, in a world where there are people who are ready not only to hear and to believe, but also to be productive. You see, this is the work that, according to the story, we’ve been called to do, something that, I think, Paul described when he wrote this to the Corinthians:

What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. [2 Corinthians 5:19-20, CEV]

You see, that’s the work we’ve been called to do. 

And after the seed has been scattered and the good news shared, in other words, after the work has been done, now we’ve been called to watch, to watch as the seeds begin to take root and grow, to watch as the good news of grace and mercy and love begins to change lives, and I’m talking about the words and the works and the attitudes of those around us. Put another way, we’re called to watch, not to fertilize the field by dumping on a whole lot of fertilizer, but to watch the seedlings sprout and grow, because we already know that there’s some really good soil out there in our field and that good soil is going to produce some outstanding grain. As a matter of fact, I think it’s showing the same kind of trust that the Apostle Paul described, again, to the Corinthians:

Some of you say you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn’t this how ordinary people behave? Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. What matters isn’t those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. [1 Corinthians 3:4-8a, CEV]

You see, we’re only able to watch, because we know that something beyond our control is happening.

Which, I believe, also gives us the ability to wait, to wait for the harvest to come, to wait believing that, in spite of our work and sleep habits, the good soil is going to produce a bumper crop. Now we might not be able to see it right away, but it’s coming. Therefore, we better make sure the sickle is sharp and the combine is gassed up. Why? Because the harvest is just about ready, something that, I believe, Jesus himself wanted his disciples to understand when he said this:

You may say there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready to harvest.

Even now the harvest workers are receiving their reward by gathering a harvest that brings eternal life. Then everyone who planted the seed and everyone who harvests the crop will celebrate together. So the saying proves true, “Some plant the seed, and others harvest the crop.” I am sending you to harvest crops in fields where others have done all the hard work. [John 4:35-38, CEV]

I’m telling you, as it relates to scattering the seed and sharing the word, I think we’ve been called to work and to watch and to wait. You see, in my opinion, that’s what the parable means.

And so, what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do, having heard that after seed has been scattered in a field, it’s the soil that causes growth and results in a harvest? I mean, what are we going to do, knowing that we’ve been called to work so the good news is shared and to watch as it changes lives and to wait because, although it might not be here today, the harvest is coming? Brothers and sisters, what are we going to do about this parable? 

And as I’ve said before, I think there are many different ways this story might be applied, let me offer three possibilities, all of which are related to what, I believe, we’ve been called to do.

For example, first, I think we can work with focus. In other words, as we’re out there in the field, we can focus on how we can be the best seed scatterers that’s ever scattered a seed. You see, we can take the time and make the effort to be crystal clear about what we’re doing out there in the world, and I’m talking about on the other side of these walls. And I’ll tell you, even though knowing the story we’re sharing is important, it may be even more important to follow the specific instructions of Jesus Christ himself. I mean, right before his arrest, this was what he told his disciples:

My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. [John 13:33-35, CEV]

I’m telling you, in response to this parable, first, we can work with focus.

And second, we can watch with patience. In other words, we can watch knowing that, with or without our help, God is going to get the job done. And so, instead of coming up with ways that we think will make the seeds more productive or distorting the gospel so that it’s more appealing with folks have a tendency to be a little bit self-centered and self-interested and to be easily swayed by unrealistic promises and flexible moral and ethical standards, instead of compromising the message, we probably should simply trust God and watch as he works through men and women who may never attract television cameras or hold rallies or crusades, and watch as he works in ways that seem so basic that they’re easy to ignore or overlook. You see, we can watch what God is doing with the same kind of attitude the Apostle Paul suggested to the Romans:

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God’s gift of undeserved grace on which we now take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5, CEV]

You see, in response to this parable, not only can we work with focus, we can also watch with patience.

And third, we can certainly wait with anticipation. I’m telling you, the harvest is coming. As a matter of fact, the fields are becoming ripe and the grain is just about ready to be gathered. This we know; this we believe. And so, as we wait, we can prepare ourselves to bring it in. And I’ll tell you, we’ll be in a perfect place to do that. Why? Because we’ve done the work with focus; man, we’ve scattered the seed. And we’ve watched them grow with patience, not wanting to stomp on the seedlings by tromping through the fields or to smother the sprouts by dumping on too much fertilizer. In stead, we can wait with the same sense of anticipation Peter expressed in his first letter:

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, he has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.

You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. [1 Peter 1:3-5, CEV] 

Now, in my book, that’s what waiting with anticipation is all about. And along with working with focus and watching with patience, I think that’s what we can do with this parable.

And with any luck, this should reduce some of our frustration as we go about doing what we know we’re supposed to be doing without seeing the results that we expect. As a matter of fact, our frustration just might drop like mine did when I figured out why my toilet was dripping and then bought these new brass nuts, bolts and rubber washers to replace the one that had gotten all gunked up. But I’ve got to admit, since I’m the one fixing it, I probably need to keep a plumber on call. 

But you know, having that kind of support, well, it just isn’t necessary as we claim this story Jesus offered to his disciples. I mean, we already know what Jesus said, how we’re like farmers scattering seed in a field, confident that a harvest is coming. And we know what it means, you know, that we’ve been called to work and to watch and to wait. And if y’all buy my interpretation, we know what we can do about it, that we can work with focus and watch with patience and wait with anticipation. You see, I believe we can take all this from the parable of a growing seed. And next week, we’ll look at the last parable Mark records in chapter four, the parable of the mustard seed.