Jesus was The Master Teacher. He spoke in parables. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. He often used illustrations from observed nature to describe unseen spiritual realities. That’s what He did in describing the unseen kingdom of God. In this passage, He used two parables to describe the growth of the kingdom of God.
In the first parable, He describes the growth of the kingdom as being like a scattering of seed on the ground and how the seed sprouts and grows independently of the sower, until it reaches its full growth when it is ready to be harvested.
In the second parable, Jesus illustrated the kingdom as growing from a tiny beginning like a mustard seed, to a large entity like a massive tree with great branches.
1]. THE PARABLE OF THE SEED GROWING. 4:26-29
Mark 4:26 ‘And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”’
Earlier in this chapter Jesus had described the seed as the word of God. When the word is scattered on different kinds of soil, it brings forth different results. Only when it is sown into good soil does it produce a bountiful crop. Here however, the emphasis is on the secret nature of growth that does not depend on the efforts of humans. As verse 27 says, “he sleeps arises night and day.” The sower is responsible for sowing the seed but it is God himself who makes it grow. It is God who brings the growth to ripeness. The sower then harvests only what God has ripened.
2]. THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED. 4:30-34
Mark 4:30 ‘And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 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.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.’
In this second parable, Jesus illustrates again from nature the growth of the kingdom of God. He says it begins in a small way but experiences tremendous growth just as a small mustard seed when sown into the ground, grows into a large tree. The tree puts out large branches and it attracts different kinds of birds to come and make nests in its shade. The kingdom of God did begin in a very small way with a few followers of Jesus among the crowds that thronged around Him. But it did begin to grow and disciples of all nations came to find safety and refuge in its branches.
These two parables have proven to be helpful for the disciples of Jesus in every generation to reflect on. As disciples seek to share the gospel message they have the words of Jesus in their minds as they sow the word of God. They understand from His teaching that their responsibility is to sow the word faithfully into good soil to achieve growth and an abundant harvest. However, they can then rest knowing that it is God Himself Who grows the seed until it is ready for harvest. But in their rest, they can pray that those who hear the word of God might have open ears to receive the word and open hearts to make it become part of their lives.
I remember someone saying in a seminar that it is our responsibility as disciples of Christ to sow the seed of the word of God faithfully into people’s lives. But it is God’s responsibility to grow the seed until it reaches fruition. That is something He alone can do and our praying for people to soften their hearts to receive the word is another part of our responsibility. I have been surprised during 50-plus years of ministry as a lay person and then as an ordained minister to see how God had highlighted a part of scripture that was not the main message of a sermon, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind to the things of Christ. As God said through the prophet Isaiah, “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, 11 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.
The words “it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” remind us that in His love and grace, God knows the needs of every human being and will bring His appropriate word to human hearts to meet those needs.
Blog No.533 posted on Sunday 26 May 2024.
About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
holbeck 
553. Sermon Notes on “KINGDOM GROWTH” Mark 4:26-34 For Sun 16 June 2024.
Jesus was The Master Teacher. He spoke in parables. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. He often used illustrations from observed nature to describe unseen spiritual realities. That’s what He did in describing the unseen kingdom of God. In this passage, He used two parables to describe the growth of the kingdom of God.
In the first parable, He describes the growth of the kingdom as being like a scattering of seed on the ground and how the seed sprouts and grows independently of the sower, until it reaches its full growth when it is ready to be harvested.
In the second parable, Jesus illustrated the kingdom as growing from a tiny beginning like a mustard seed, to a large entity like a massive tree with great branches.
1]. THE PARABLE OF THE SEED GROWING. 4:26-29
Mark 4:26 ‘And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”’
Earlier in this chapter Jesus had described the seed as the word of God. When the word is scattered on different kinds of soil, it brings forth different results. Only when it is sown into good soil does it produce a bountiful crop. Here however, the emphasis is on the secret nature of growth that does not depend on the efforts of humans. As verse 27 says, “he sleeps arises night and day.” The sower is responsible for sowing the seed but it is God himself who makes it grow. It is God who brings the growth to ripeness. The sower then harvests only what God has ripened.
2]. THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED. 4:30-34
Mark 4:30 ‘And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 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.” 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.’
In this second parable, Jesus illustrates again from nature the growth of the kingdom of God. He says it begins in a small way but experiences tremendous growth just as a small mustard seed when sown into the ground, grows into a large tree. The tree puts out large branches and it attracts different kinds of birds to come and make nests in its shade. The kingdom of God did begin in a very small way with a few followers of Jesus among the crowds that thronged around Him. But it did begin to grow and disciples of all nations came to find safety and refuge in its branches.
These two parables have proven to be helpful for the disciples of Jesus in every generation to reflect on. As disciples seek to share the gospel message they have the words of Jesus in their minds as they sow the word of God. They understand from His teaching that their responsibility is to sow the word faithfully into good soil to achieve growth and an abundant harvest. However, they can then rest knowing that it is God Himself Who grows the seed until it is ready for harvest. But in their rest, they can pray that those who hear the word of God might have open ears to receive the word and open hearts to make it become part of their lives.
I remember someone saying in a seminar that it is our responsibility as disciples of Christ to sow the seed of the word of God faithfully into people’s lives. But it is God’s responsibility to grow the seed until it reaches fruition. That is something He alone can do and our praying for people to soften their hearts to receive the word is another part of our responsibility. I have been surprised during 50-plus years of ministry as a lay person and then as an ordained minister to see how God had highlighted a part of scripture that was not the main message of a sermon, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind to the things of Christ. As God said through the prophet Isaiah, “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, 11 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.
The words “it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” remind us that in His love and grace, God knows the needs of every human being and will bring His appropriate word to human hearts to meet those needs.
Blog No.533 posted on Sunday 26 May 2024.
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.