How’s Your Faith?

Scripture:

Mark 4:26   He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:30   He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² 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.”

Observation:

Jesus continues teaching his followers about the kingdom of God. They had been invited to participate with him in kingdom work. Day after day they followed him as he taught people and yet, they may not have been sure about the results. Jesus wants them to see that the work of the kingdom is far greater than anything that they can see or that they can control. 

Again, the disciples are invited to become lavish sowers of seeds. At the same time the disciples were to trust in God for the harvest. By continuing faithfully in labor and rest, the one who scattered the seed would not be able to explain the growth. That growth was not for the sower to explain, but instead, the faithful sower was also to be prepared for the moment of harvest. 

Too much about this kingdom of God was not visible to those who were following Jesus. Here he is explaining that there is growth that happens when the sower is sleeping and now he says that the kingdom is small like the mustard seed. Jesus was working to plant tiny seeds which would someday grow up to become big and strong. Overall it was a call to his followers to live by faith, trusting in the things which could to be seen. 

Application:

I confess, I’m a person who likes to see results. My number one on strengths finder is Achiever. It means that I like to see that I have accomplished things on my to-do list and tick them off. At the end of the day I like to review that list and feel a sense of fulfillment, or success. As we partner together in the kingdom of God, we also want to see results. This gentle reminder is one that speaks to faith. 

Those who are on mission with Jesus must live in a space of faith. This is faith to know that the seeds are being scattered but the growth is dependent upon forces outside of our control. This faith allows us to labor while it is day, but also know when it’s time to quit and go to bed at night. This is a faith that allows success to be measured by God and not by the world who scoffs at our mustard seeds. 

Journeying with Jesus requires having faith in things that are unseen. This can be a sweet place of rest, free from worry, for we are not expected to accomplish the things that God alone can do. When we try to take the place of God we begin to lose our faith. Maybe we need to take a moment, drop in on Jesus and the disciples, and embrace a faith that believes in the power of the mustard seed.

Prayer:

Lord, increase my faith. Amen.