The Parable of the Growing Seed
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
The Use of Parables
With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
~ Mark 4:26-34 (NRSVUE)
Now, I know that many of you like to garden and have planted seeds or plants in your yards, whether they be flowers, vegetables, or both. Jesus also knew that people liked to garden, and that is why many of Jesus’ parables use gardening examples, whether it be planting seeds, tending soil, pulling weeds, or harvesting what has grown.
Now, if you have ever tried your hand at gardening, you know that gardening teaches us lots of things. Gardening teaches us patience, faith, and the importance of diversity. Gardening teaches us that pulling weeds, just like dealing with conflicts, must be dealt with when they first sprout or appear so they don’t grow roots. Gardening teaches us to appreciate the simple things and to pay attention to the world around us: to the weather and the temperature and to the birds and animals and insects that visit our yard. Gardening also teaches us that when we think we have a plan and we think we are in control, sometimes we find out differently.
Folks, there is nothing more exciting than picking that first tomato, zucchini, pepper, or strawberry of the summer, and there are so many smells that you can’t smell anywhere else! Like the smell of a tomato vine, that early summer smell of fresh-shelled peas, or that uncanny combination of dirt and root as you pull carrots from the earth. Now don’t get me wrong, gardening is a lot of work and it can sometimes fill us with frustration and disappointment but there is something about the promise and the possibility that each tiny little seed holds, that brings us back year after year.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, and he does not know how.”
As with most things, there is a scientific explanation as to how seeds germinate and grow. But as a gardener, I’ll be honest, I look for the magic. I long for the mystery and the possibility in each tiny little seed. When I dig a little hole and plant a little seed, my heart is filled with hope and excitement, and I use my imagination to picture in my mind what will grow. Now, as we all know, some seeds just don’t germinate. Some plants get eaten by bunnies, woodchucks, deer, insects, or caterpillars of some kind. But for the lucky plants that make it, from those tiny little seeds, come an endless variety of fruits and vegetables and flowers.
As our second parable told us, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Friends, you can’t often tell by the size of a seed how big a plant it will produce. All you can do is plant it, tend and feed the soil, and make sure that it gets enough sunshine and water. Then, you just need to wait and hope for the seed to grow, allowing the amazing gift that that tiny seed contains to emerge.
When Jesus shares parables with the crowds, the parables that he shares contain many layers. We can listen to them at their face value and learn a lot or we can dig down layer by layer for a deeper understanding. Today, we heard about the mystery of seeds and how they not only sprout and grow without us fully understanding how, but also how the tiniest mustard seed can grow the biggest bush for the birds to make their nests in. All we need to do is plant the seed and then tend to feed the soil. But did you know that sometimes WE are the soil Jesus is talking about, and those tiny seeds are planted in us? Now we don’t grow vines or leaves or branches, but like fruit and vegetables and flowers that some seeds produce the seeds that are planted within us fill us with gifts, passions, and abilities to share with the world.
Now as I said earlier, when I plant seeds, I don’t worry about the science, I look for the magic! I get excited about the unseen mysteries and the endless possibilities that those seeds produce. Besides picking the summer’s first tomato, zucchini, peas, or strawberries, there is nothing that brings me more joy than seeing people begin to realize the seeds that were planted within them as they begin to identify their God-given gifts. You can just see the light of Christ begin to shine from within them as they feel an utter joy begin to bubble up as passion begins to burn within them about something and as they begin to blossom and bloom in their own unique and special way, sharing the gifts and abilities that God has planted within them.
Friends, this morning, we were blessed to welcome six new members into our church family. And from what I have seen so far, Dawn, Tom, Andrew, Pat, Bonnie, and Bruce all have amazing gifts to share. But let’s not be the kind of church that looks at our new members to fill all the empty spots on our nominating slate or to take over the jobs that no one else wants to fill. And let’s not pressure them into doing things they don’t really want to do or overwhelm them with meetings and responsibilities. But instead, let’s take some time to help them tend their soil and feed their souls. Let’s share our gifts with them, allowing them to find their own unique ways to blossom and grow.
Friends, in both parables today, Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of God is like a seed that is planted and allowed to grow and that we are all a part of God’s amazing creation. We all have different ways to sprout and blossom and bloom. But sometimes that takes time, and we need to be patient and wait for the time to be right.
I was at my mom’s house this week with my granddaughter Eliza, and Eliza was walking out by my mom’s vegetable garden when suddenly she saw something and ran straight for it. Now Eliza loves blueberries, and she knows where the blueberry bushes are in my mom’s backyard, so she ran over the bushes and let out a little squeal because right now, the bushes are full of berries! She reached up and picked two small bunches and started to eat them. I could hear the crunching from a ways away, and I was waiting for her to spit them out because the berries were still very green and bitter. Eliza knew which bushes the blueberries grew on, and she knew what the berries looked like, but at two-and-a-half years old, she has not yet learned patience or the fact that blueberries need time to ripen and grow. In a month or so, those blueberries are going to turn blue and be big, juicy, and delicious, but right now, they still need time to rest on the vine and ripen.
Friends, sometimes we all need time to rest and ripen, and we need time to soak in the sun as we let our roots spread out and become strong.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, be patient and tend not only to your own soil but also to the soil of those around you. Take some time to think about the seeds that God has planted within you. What gifts might you have to share with the world, and what work might your passions be leading you to do? Because God created you to be amazing, and the best way to share your gifts with the world–and with our church–is not by trying to be something you’re not but by being your true self and letting the light of Christ shine through you in your own unique and beautiful way!
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!!
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