Introduction

Good morning. We’re going to continue working through the gospel of Mark this morning – a part of the Bible that explains key events in Jesus Christ’s life and work. And for the past couple weeks, we’ve been in a section of Mark that gives attention to a few of Jesus’s parables. Jesus has been speaking with word pictures and metaphors to teach about the growth of the kingdom of God. And in this section of Mark, there are just two more parables that are included, which we’ll be looking at this morning.

So if you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to Mark Chapter 4 if you haven’t done so already. If you’re using one of our church Bibles, you can find our text on page 788. I’ll read from Mark 4, verses 26 through 34 in just a moment. But before I do, please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Introduction 2.0

The world is filled with things that most of us can’t explain in detail. For example, how do microwaves work? Or cell phones? For many of us, we know how to turn them on, and how to use the buttons. But in terms of understanding all the circuits, and touchscreen technology, and all that stuff – it’s a mystery. Human health is another complex thing. We might have a basic idea that certain foods are nutritious for us, and others aren’t. But I don’t imagine that a lot of people in this room would be able to explain the chemistry behind how food is digested, or how the vitamins and minerals function in our cells. And many of us would likely struggle to explain the process of how carpets are manufactured, or why the sky is blue, or why some engines run on diesel fuel, and others run on gasoline. Every day we interact with things without having a good idea of how those things work.

And yet this isn’t just true about physical things. There are spiritual realities at work around us, as well, that can be hard for us understand and explain. And one of those spiritual realities that Jesus speaks about, here in our text, is the kingdom of God. When Jesus uses this phrase – the kingdom of God – he isn’t just talking about God’s kingly, Almighty authority over the whole Universe. Instead, he’s talking more specifically about a kingdom made up of human hearts, where King Jesus’s governance and greatness are being recognized. And so, actually, the kingdom of God is another way of making reference to the visible Church. And with Jesus’s arrival, not only has the kingdom been initiated – but we’re given reason to anticipate that a growing number of people will receive Jesus’s rule and reign in a way that’s publicly verified and visible. Jesus intends for the kingdom – his Church – to grow.

But where does this growth come from? This is one of those spiritual realities that you and I might have trouble explaining or understanding sometimes. When it comes to the growing of the kingdom of God – when it comes to the sprouting up of faith, and the expansion of Jesus’s Church in the world, how does all that happen? What should we expect this growing process to look like?

Well, in the text we just read, those are the kinds of questions that Jesus speaks to. That’s what these two parables are about. These two parables each answer a different question about how the kingdom of God grows. In the first parable, about the Growing Seed, Jesus essentially deals with the question, “What’s needed – what does it take for the kingdom of God to grow?” And in the second parable, about the Mustard Seed, Jesus answers a second question: “What does the growth of the kingdom look like?” So these two questions will guide us as we unpack Jesus’s teaching together: What’s needed for growth? And what should we expect kingdom growth to look like? Let’s see what Jesus has to say, in these two parables.

Where Does the Growth of the Kingdom of God Come From?

So first, what’s needed? What’s needed for the growth of Jesus’s spiritual kingdom – for the growth of his Church? Well, right away, in verse 26, Jesus tells us that there’s a resemblance between the growth of the kingdom, and the growth of plants in a farmer’s field. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” And then Jesus goes on to give us a picture of how the kingdom of God works – specifically, how the kingly influence of Jesus grows.

And in this parable, Jesus indicates that there are three different things that are involved in the growth of the kingdom. The seed, the sustaining influence of God, and the simple farmer. All three are essential. But they aren’t all important in the same way.

In fact, when Jesus opens the parable, he actually de-emphasizes the importance of the farmer somewhat. And in this parable, he labors to make the point that growth ultimately comes from the seed. Jesus focuses on the life-giving qualities of the seed, the power that’s at work in the seed. That’s what we’re supposed to see here.

Because notice how Jesus tells his story. After the farmer spreads the seed out on the soil, Jesus tells us in verse 27 that the farmer sleeps and he rises, night and day. He’s not micro-managing the fields. And yet, Jesus tells us that as time passes, the seeds sprout and grow. And the farmer can’t even explain how. Jesus says in verse 28 that the earth produces by itself – without the farmer’s coaxing and manipulation. But step by step, from the blade of grass up until the head of grain – the seed has a vividness and vitality all its own, that isn’t constrained by the skill of the farmer.

But of course, Jesus’s story isn’t literally about growing grain. Instead, the seed in this story is symbolic of something else. The seed represents God’s Word. Jesus said so in the parable of the soils, earlier in Mark 4, which is similar to the parable here. It’s implied that the imagery is the same. And so Jesus is saying that the primary, deciding factor that drives the growth of the kingdom of God is the Word of God.

And I want to point out a few practical reasons why this matters. For one thing, you and I must not have low expectations for God’s Word. Jesus has identified His Word as the great tool appointed by God, for bringing spiritual growth – for expanding the Church, for extending Jesus’s rule and reign over people’s hearts. Jesus truly does send out his powerful, life-giving Word to accomplish these things. And so this should put in us a desire to read the Bible, and to reveal what the Bible says to other people. The Holy Scriptures are not weak or ineffective. Taking time to digest and to discuss God’s Word will not be wasted time. The good news of God’s Word is the power of God for salvation, to everyone who believes – just as we find later in the Bible, in Romans 1:16. We shouldn’t have low expectations for God’s Word.

But here’s another practical application of Jesus’s parable. We also shouldn’t look for alternatives to God’s Word. You’ll notice, Jesus says that the growth uniquely comes from the seed – from the Word. And so we shouldn’t imagine that there are substitutes – that there are other things equal to the Word, or in place of the Word, that will truly extend the spiritual dominion of Jesus.

And yet I think that sometimes we carry around this burden ourselves. We imagine that if people are going to come to Jesus – if the church is going to grow – then we need to make it happen, through our cleverness, or through our persuasiveness, or through some other personal ability we have. But you and I aren’t a substitute for the Bible. Spiritual growth isn’t something that you and I can simply manufacture through hard work or human skill. Instead, Jesus wants us to directly, confidently rely on the life-giving essence of the Word. Because that’s what’s needed for the growth of His Church.

Of course, people may be attracted to visit church on Sunday mornings for different reasons. Churches may be able to get people into their chairs by offering a certain music atmosphere, or by having free babysitting and children’s programs. People may be willing to show up at church for the social connections or the free coffee. But none of those things have the ability to truly, transformatively bring people under the kingship of Jesus. The spiritual life of the Church is established from and expanded by the Word of God. And Jesus doesn’t give us any alternative tools that will produce the same result.

And so this leads me to my third, and my last, practical application here – we must not lose our emphasis on God’s Word. If at any point we become the church of human tradition, or the church of a certain political party, or the church of Pastor Devon, or the church of social trends – if at any point our church in Mount Pleasant loses the centrality of God and his Word, then I’m not sure what we’ll be growing at that point – but we won’t be growing the kingdom of God. Not all growth is healthy growth. Tumors grow. Mold grows. But if we’re really concerned about the healthy growth of the kingdom of God, we must passionately, persistently, and patiently emphasize King Jesus and the words that he has given to us.

The enemies of Christianity don’t have better tools than we do. When the Word of God goes out, the kingdom of God grows out. So we shouldn’t have low expectations, we shouldn’t look for alternatives, and we shouldn’t lose our emphasis on the powerful Word of Jesus. The seed of his Word brings forth growth.

And yet in this parable Jesus identifies that there are other things that have a role to play in the growth of the kingdom, in addition to the seed. And the second of these things is the sustaining influence of God himself. Jesus really doesn’t speak directly about this. So I want to keep this point brief. But if you look in our text, in verse 27, you’ll again see, after the seeds are scattered, that the farmer sleeps and rises and goes about his day. From what we can tell, he’s not actively watering. And certainly, the farmer isn’t causing the sun to shine, or causing the rain to come. And yet the seeds are growing – even though the farmer can’t explain how. And it’s just understood that behind all this, is a God who governs the details – a God who gives the sun and the rain as he sees fit, in order to nurture the Word and to produce strong, sustained growth.

I think sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we have the power to manipulate the spiritual environment of other people. It can be tempting to think that if we just choose the right words, or control the direction of our conversations – or if we can just create the right context to talk to them about Jesus – then we’ll end up with spiritual growth. But the spiritual conditions that affect a person’s heart are things we cannot control. We aren’t the governor of the details. God is. And so the second thing that largely determines the growth of the kingdom is the sustaining influence of God.

And yet in addition to the seed – in addition to the sustaining influence of God, there’s one more thing that’s essential for the growth of the kingdom, that Jesus speaks about in our text. And that’s the simple farmer.

As we’ve already seen, Jesus has made it clear that there are a lot of things that the farmer can’t do. The farmer can’t control the success or the speed of how the seed grows – he can’t control the growth of the kingdom. And it was important for the Jews at that time to hear this – because the Jewish zealots thought they could bring about God’s kingdom by overthrowing the Roman government. The Pharisees believed they could usher in a new Jewish golden age by pleasing God with their ceremonies and morality. But Jesus makes it clear that the expansion of the kingdom of God is not a matter of human strategy, human ability, or human effort. And it’s important for us to hear this, too! The true growth of the kingdom will not come through political force, or cultural coercion, or through any other power of the farmer. Instead, the growth of Christ’s rule and reign comes from God, as he works through His Word, by the power of His Spirit.

And yet, Jesus acknowledges in this parable that the farmer still has an important role. The farmer still has the responsibility to go out and to scatter the seed – to speak about the good news of the kingdom with others. And this job is important because God has decided and decreed that that’s how the field will get planted. That’s how barren wildernesses and wastelands are converted into cultivated fields. Simple farmers must faithfully scatter the seeds – that’s our job – and then we can rely on God to bring life, growth, and a fruitful harvest as he sees fit.

And I hope that Jesus’s words here are a bit freeing for you. Because he wants you to know that it isn’t your burden to bear, to control the faith or salvation of other people. It isn’t your job to try to manufacture numerical growth or spiritual growth in your Bible study or your church. It is not your job to extract spiritual responses out of anybody. But as you go about your daily life, Jesus simply urges you to scatter the seed of God’s Word – to tell others about the good things that Jesus has done for you and taught you. And as you do that – God will see to the business of bringing growth, and a joyful harvest. We really can trust that God will produce a crop and a joyful harvest at the end of the growing season.

What Does the Growth of the Kingdom of God Look Like?

But what should we expect the process of growth to look like? This is the second main question that we’ll give our attention to – what does the growth of the kingdom look like. And Jesus addresses this question in his other parable, here – the parable of the Mustard Seed.

So look with me in verse 30. Again, Jesus makes it clear that he’s giving us a parable about the kingdom of God. He says, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?” And then in verses 31 and 32, Jesus answers his own question.

He directs our attention to a tiny mustard seed. And Jesus explains that the mustard seed – even though it’s very small – it grows up and becomes larger than virtually all the other garden plants – to the point where birds are able to nest in it, like they nest in trees. And we’re told that the growth of this mustard seed is a reflection of the spiritual dominion of Jesus, and how his dominion spreads.

So from this brief story – this little parable – there are two main points we can see about how the kingdom grows – what the growth of the Church looks like. Jesus draws attention both to the modest beginnings of the kingdom, and also to the magnificent glory of the kingdom.

The Modest Beginnings of the Kingdom

Jesus describes the modest beginnings of the kingdom in verse 31, when he says that the kingdom is like a grain of mustard seed. You’ll notice, Jesus doesn’t just compare the kingdom of God to a seed that’s smallish. But he singles out the seed that, “when it’s sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.”

Now, a quick side note here. When Jesus makes this comment, he’s just talking about all the agricultural seeds that people were planting in fields in those days. Mustard seeds weren’t (and aren’t) the smallest-sized seeds out of every plant on earth. But among the regular agricultural seeds planted by farmers at that time, they were the smallest. If you haven’t seen a mustard seed before – the seeds are small and round – not much bigger than poppy seeds. So these seeds were obviously much smaller than the other types of seeds that farmers worked with, like lentils, chickpeas, barley, wheat, or other common crops.

And here’s the point – Jesus intentionally compares the beginning of his spiritual kingdom to the smallest of the field crop seeds – to the seed that’s the humblest and the least impressive. And he does this because, otherwise, I think that most people wouldn’t recognize the kingdom of God when they saw it. Just think about it – even the words themselves – the kingdom of God. I expect that most of us immediately have thoughts of great walls and gates, and a magnificent city, and a golden palace. Wealth, power, royal robes, a jewel-studded crown – those are the kinds of things that come to mind.

And yet, Jesus makes it very clear that the kingdom of God has very small, very humble beginnings. This is, in a fact, a reality that God had already been demonstrating for the Jews throughout their history. In Genesis 12, God starts the work of setting aside a people for himself by calling just one, rather ordinary man and his family – a man named Abraham. Abraham didn’t have any territory. He wasn’t from a royal family. Abraham was just a herdsman who lived in a tent. And yet as God certifies his special covenant relationship with Abraham and his family, in Genesis 17, verse 6, God promises, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.” Through this humble man Abraham, God promises to establish a line of kings – a kingdom.

And this modest, mustard-seed kind of pattern continues. Abraham’s descendants become slaves under the Egyptian empire – and yet these lowly slaves are the people that God chooses to form the Kingdom of Israel. And when God raises up a king after his own heart to rule the nation – the man he chooses isn’t the tall, aggressive, influential person you might expect. Instead, God puts his crown on a humble shepherd named David.

And so this is the same pattern that Jesus follows and fulfills when he arrives as the chosen King of God’s everlasting kingdom. His arrival on the scene is exceptionally modest. Despite Jesus’s real identity as the divine Son of God – he hasn’t come to us dressed in heavenly brightness. Instead, he’s come as a human baby. He wasn’t born in a castle, but in a stable. He and his family haven’t been wealthy. He hasn’t had any status among the cultural elites. And the men Jesus ends up choosing to be his followers are humble fisherman and tax collectors! Now, certainly – for a short time, Jesus draws some public attention with his teachings and miracles. Yet within three years, everything seems to end in disgrace. He’s betrayed, denied, and abandoned by his closest friends. He’s falsely accused by the religious leaders of the Jews. He’s mocked and mistreated by the Roman soldiers. He’s rejected by the crowds, and he’s sent to the cross to die a shameful death, like a treacherous, violent criminal. “Behold, the king of the Jews!” That’s written on a sign, on Jesus’s cross, as he hangs there dying. This doesn’t look anything like royal success, or power.

And yet even beyond this – after Jesus’s resurrection from the dead – the plan for the growth of the kingdom maintains a mustard-seed type of modesty. The kingdom isn’t something that’s brought in through government takeover, or by recruiting professional speakers or entertainers, or by appealing to the desires and demands of the crowds. Instead, Jesus’s plan for kingdom growth is much different. He puts responsibility for the global expansion of the Church into the hands of a small, unimpressive group of disciples. And he sends them out to proclaim a rather strange-sounding message – that the King of God’s everlasting kingdom has died like a criminal, in order to bring eternal life to the rebellious creatures who once lived as his enemies. To many people, this probably sounds and looks like weakness – like foolishness. And perhaps the disciples were tempted to feel overwhelmed by their feelings of smallness and inadequacy.

The Magnificent Glory of the Kingdom

And yet, Jesus assures them in this parable – and he assures us – that the kingdom of God isn’t doomed to an everlasting future of modesty and mediocrity. Instead, in this parable, Jesus confirms that the future of his kingdom is one of Magnificent Glory. He promises the growth and establishment of his Church in a way that’s visible and verifiable, even from an earthly perspective. And that’s why, in verse 32, Jesus speaks about the mustard seed and comments (that), “when it is grown, it becomes larger than all the garden plants, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Jesus promises to his followers that his church will grow – that the gates of Hell will not be able to stand against it. God will call his sons and daughters from the north and south – from the east and the west. And not only is the kingdom of God for the Jews – which would have been assumed by many people at that time. The kingdom of God is also being established as a home for the non-Jews – the Gentiles – people from all nations.

And I say this, because of that comment that Jesus makes about the birds of the air making nests in the mustard seed branches. In the Old Testament, when the prophets spoke about birds making nests in branches – that was a metaphor for nations coming and settling in and making a home somewhere. You can see this in Ezekiel 31(:6), or Daniel Chapter 4(:9-21). And so Jesus picks up on this symbolism and he uses it again here, to explain that the growth of his kingdom will reach so far, and be so great – that it won’t just mean life and glory for the Jews – but the kingdom will also be a home for people from all kinds of different places, family backgrounds, and languages.

And certainly, in the past two thousand years, we have seen the kind of growth that Jesus was speaking about. Jesus’s kingdom has, indeed, expanded across the world. The visible Church has become larger than the teachings of the Pharisees – larger than the Roman Imperial Cult – larger than Greek paganism. In fact, many of the religions and philosophies that governed the ancient world have shriveled away into nothing. And yet the smallest of all the seeds – has somehow, miraculously, by the power of God – grown across the world. The light has shone into the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Of course, the church may not always feel glorious right now. Certainly, for as long as we’re waiting for the return of Christ, we won’t expect the Church to reach the fullness of maturity and finality. And until that day comes, local churches will sometimes close. Some church plants and churches will struggle along in a humble sort of way for years and years. And in different places, in different seasons of history – the people of God will continue to be subjected to humiliation just like our Lord Jesus was. Christians will be mocked, rejected, and even killed for their faith.

And yet this doesn’t mean that Jesus’s word here has failed. Because just as Jesus was raised from death – raised from his humiliation into glory – that’s the future of his people, as well. If you’re relying on Jesus for salvation, that’s your future. Your fate is not to rot away in a graveyard. Your future is not one of condemnation and torment. But if you are in Christ, than your future is resurrection, and glory, and eternal life.

And when we know this, then we don’t have to be concerned about the humiliation or dangers of this world. Just as Martin Luther wrote in his famous hymn: “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever!”

So do not be ashamed or afraid to scatter the seed of God’s Word. Don’t assume that your weakness is too great, or that the powers of this world are too strong, for the good news of the kingdom to produce growth. You may assume that you’re dealing with people who are so hard-hearted, that talking about Jesus is pointless. But even in concrete sidewalks, there are tiny cracks where I’ve seen seeds grow. You and I are simply charged with spreading God’s word in faith. And we can trust that in God’s way – in God’s time – according to the full measure of God’s power and glory – he will bring the growth. Let’s pray: