Readings
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalm 92:1-4,11-14
2 Corinthians 5:6-10, [11-13],14-17
Mark 4:26-34
I’ve always been fascinated by plants. It is nothing less than a wonder and a mystery how something can start out as a relatively small seed and grow into a flower, or bush, or tree. Perhaps part of my fascination is because I don’t have a green thumb, and yet even in my ineptitude I have watched plants in my yard grow and thrive again and again.
Today, Jesus uses the images of a sown seed and a mustard seed to capture something of the nature of the Kingdom of God.
He says that the Kingdom of God is like a farmer who sows seed, and with no more effort the seed sprouts and grows to full maturity leading to the farmer going out to harvest it.
Then he says that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds, and yet it has the capability of growing into a bush so large that birds can come and nest in it.
Now, if we have spent any time with the Gospels, these are familiar images and easy for us to gloss. But if we stop to think about it they are not necessarily self-evident, nor is there one simple explanation for them. In fact, the passage ends acknowledging that Jesus ended up having to explain the parables to the disciples in private.
So, what do we do with such teaching on Jesus’ part.
Well while there is more than we can deal with in one sermon, what struck me in my preparation was the idea that the Kingdom of God is not something we create, rather it is something that God creates for us and for all of creation.
Moreover, Jesus’ teaching is a call for us to recognize that there is something of a mystery going on when we speak of God’s reign. It is like the mystery of the sown seed which sprouts up not simply because of our efforts, but because of the wonder of creation and the gift of God’s grace. It is like the mystery of the mustard seed which is almost microscopic in size and yet still produces a bush so large that birds nest in it.
Acknowledging all of that, it would be easy for us to think that Jesus is saying that it’s all about God and not about us. But I don’t think that’s what he’s saying.
No. We are called to sow the seed and collect the harvest. God calls us to use our gifts, but we need to recognize that, in the end, we do not create the blessing rather God does.
That is both challenging and counter cultural. We live in a society that teaches us that we are in control, that whatever is good or whole is the product of our effort, our will, our talent, and our planning. We are called by our culture to admire the big, the bold, and the impressive.
But this scripture challenges us to recognize that when it comes to living into a world where God is in charge, living into the commonwealth of peace and justice that Jesus proclaims, it is not strictly up to us to make it happen and it will not always come in big or bold ways. It is like humble seeds. It is sewn in small and discrete ways. And, it is nurtured and brought into being by God before our eyes as we patiently await its appearing.
And the harvest we are called to reap? Well, that’s the peace, love, joy, meaning, and purpose that comes with living in and with God. That is the gift of our salvation. It is nothing less than the blessing God has intended for all of us since the beginning of creation.
So, what does that look like? What does that mean?
It means that whether we are looking at our desires for society or our desires for the Church our task is to plant the seed and trust that God is at work. As I have said multiple times recently, we are not called to fix the system that is broken, but to be an alternative to it.
And we do that not with the agenda of us changing the world into what we believe it should be, but by living into the vision of the world that Jesus proclaimed.
We’re called to be good stewards of our resources and the natural order. We’re called to be a people of love and justice. We’re called to create safe space for worship and fellowship. We are to seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.
But another part of the mystery, friends, is that we are both the seed and the one who sows. We are both God’s agent and the source of God’s produce. And God? God is at work in all of it and in us creating a harvest that will be a blessing to everyone and everything.
May we have the vision and the courage to plant the seed. May we have the patience and the trust for God’s work in what will grow. And may we all receive the blessings of his harvest.