The surprising growth of the kingdom

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.  He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.  The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”  And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,  yet when it is sown it grows up and 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.” - Mark 4:26-32 ESV

Pastor Won Ho Kim

The audience, first century Jews, is expecting a kingdom. Jesus' disciples were expecting a kingdom as well. But they were expecting to see a new political, physical kingdom. When Judas betrays Jesus, they draw their swords. But Jesus tells them to put away their swords. This kingdom does not come from force, power, influence, or numbers. It is a different kind of kingdom.

Who grows the kingdom

Jesus talks about a farmer sowing seeds. He emphasizes certain things in His story. Jesus says that this farmer sows and goes to bed. This farmer sleeps night and day. He says the farmer does not make the seed grow. The farmer only sows the seed. The power that causes germination and growth is in the seed, not the farmer. The power of the kingdom is not in the farmer. God establishes and builds the kingdom.

How the kingdom grows

The kingdom only needs the word. Our work is relatively unimportant. The farmer sleeps. We are not supposed to be lazy, but for all of our labors, only God gives fruit to our labors.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. - Psalm 127:1 ESV

We do very ordinary work along with providing the Word of God. Somehow, the Word works without the need of eloquence or charisma.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV

How big the kingdom grows

Jesus talks about the mustard seed as an analogy of the kingdom of God. The seed is small, but it grows pretty big. Big enough for a bird to perch and to provide shade.

The emphasis is on the growth. Jesus is saying that from this small group of disciples with come something impossibly enormous. From humble beginnings, there will come something of a humbling scale.