Kingdom Work Takes Patience
Sermon on Mark 4:26-32
Text: [Jesus] also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”
A parable is a teaching tool that Jesus often used in his ministry. A parable, as you might recall, is a story that was told using everyday events to teach a spiritual truth. In our text for this morning, Jesus uses a picture that everyone who has ever planted anything can understand. It takes patience when it comes to growing plants. You have to be patient as you wait for the plant to sprout. You have to be patient as the plant grows. You have to be patient until the time of harvest comes. Then, you will be able to see how great the harvest is. Jesus teaches us that KINGDOM WORK TAKES PATIENCE. 1. Patience To Let God Work and 2. Patience To See The End Result.
The first parable that Jesus told was this, “A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” This story is easy for us to understand. A man plants some seed into the ground and, over the course of time, the seed sprouts, grows and then is harvested. The sower has nothing to do with the power of the seed that causes growth. The power, if you will, to grow comes from the seed, itself.
The point of the parable is that the Word of God is the seed that is sown. The ground into which the seed is sown is the heart. Just as the seed has this mysterious and wonderful power to grow and produce a harvest, so God’s Word has a mysterious and wonderful power to grow in the hearts of people and produce a harvest for the Lord. When you and I are brought to faith, this little plant begins to sprout. It grows as it is exposed to the life-giving Means of Grace, the gospel which is found in God’s Word and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Please note that the growth was not because of the wonderful ground into which the seed was planted. Our hearts are, by nature, dry, rocky and full of weeds. We are born in this condition. It is hardly the place where you would expect to find a heathy thriving plant. However, God has plowed our hearts with his law. He has shown us where we have failed to live as he demands us live. Through the law, he has pulled out the weeds of self-righteousness, as though by our own doing we could be saved. They may look good and green, but they are nothing more than weeds. Then, after the law has done its work, he sows the gospel seed into our hearts. This seed tells us that, though we are not perfect, Jesus was. He completely and totally fulfilled his Father’s will. He was perfect. In order to pay for our sins, Jesus suffered and died on the cross. His one time sacrifice has paid for all of our sins. His resurrection assures that all has been paid for. The Holy Spirit creates this faith plant in our hearts. This is all because of God’s doing and not because of anything in us. We are living plants because of the Word planted in our hearts.
There are two points that we can learn from this parable. First of all, to those who share God’s Word with others, there is a reminder to be patient. Our job is planting. It is not our job to make the plant grow. God will provide for growth in his time and in his own way. This is a reminder that we are not to give up on someone who doesn’t know about Jesus. Who knows when the Holy Spirit might create faith in their hearts. To us, it might seem as though we are getting nowhere. We need to be patient and continue to plant the seed. Leave the sprouting to God.
The second reminder in this parable about patience is in verse 28, “All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.” At times, we may find ourselves disheartened by the lack of growth in our Christian living. We think that we should be at such and such a level. We see others who are progressing more easily than we do. It becomes discouraging when we compare our lives to other Christians around us. As a result, we might be tempted to give up. However, if we continue to apply God’s Word, growth will come. The more we are exposed to God’s Word, the more that faith will grow and the more the fruits of that faith will be there. This calls for patience on our part. Related to this is the fact that we also need to have patience with others who may not be at the level of Christian living that they could be. If they are new to the faith, you cannot expect them to be at the level of someone who has been a believer all of their lives. As their faith grows, so will their Christian living. This is also true of others, who have slipped in their Christian living. We want to be patient with them. We pray that, as they continue to hear God’s Word, they will grow in their Christian living and be the fruitful plants that God would have them be. This calls for patience. As an added incentive, we remember that God is patient with us when we are less than perfect. May God help us to exhibit this patience with others and let God do his work.
The second parable that Jesus told also teaches us patience. He said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” One of the smallest seeds that was around was that of the mustard plant. Yet, when it was planted and became mature it was the largest plant in the garden. The mustard plant in Jesus’ day would grow to the height of 10 to 15 feet. It was so large, Jesus said, that the birds were able to come and build their nests in it. All of this came from a little, seemingly insignificant seed.
God often uses the small and seemingly insignificant to accomplish great things. For example, God sent his Son into the world as a little baby. This little one was not born in a large palace in Jerusalem, but in a stable in the village of Bethlehem. Yet, through this seemingly insignificant birth, God accomplished great things. Jesus came and redeemed the world. He set the world free from sin. God often uses the little and unknown to accomplish great things.
In this parable of the mustard seed, Jesus is talking about the growth of his Church. Look at the beginning of the Christian Church. It was not large in number. There was just a handful of men and women who loved Jesus. It was not made up of the rich, powerful and influential. Look at the leaders of the church. You had a couple of fishermen, a tax collector, a political zealot. However, from these humble beginnings Christ has seen to it that his Church continues to grow. Throughout the book of Acts you read how God blessed the message of the apostles and, as a result, the church grew in number. Throughout the years that have followed God has continued to bless the efforts of those who take his message of salvation through Christ throughout the world. Everyday people are being brought to believe in Jesus as their Savior in places near and far. God is continually giving new growth to the Mustard Plant of his Church. We watch as the plant grows and matures.
Again, this calls for patience. Perhaps we do not see the church growing as fast as we would like it to. We need to remind ourselves that God’s Word is a powerful thing. At times, we might be tempted to think that we have to do something more than teach God’s Word. If we followed this program or had this group, people would come flocking to us. Yes, it is true that we have to be welcoming. You may need to catch their eye. It is also true that we can put obstacles in people’s way. We might do this through presenting God’s Word carelessly or by having an unwholesome atmosphere in which it is preached. However, ultimately, we need to remember that it is God’s Word and the Holy Spirit working through that word, that does the converting. Using God’s Word is not a limitation. It is the means that God ordained and which Jesus used and still uses to establish his kingdom. We need to be patient and let God’s Word do its work. God will bring about the harvest. Sometimes, that patch of ground that we thought we were wasting our time with, will produce that little plant, that life-giving faith. God’s harvest isn’t always measured in numbers. There will be many who will reject the work of the Holy Spirit. However, everyone that is brought to faith is worth so very much. They were so important that Jesus came to the earth to pay for their sins, as well. May God help us to keep this in mind, especially when it seems as though there is nothing happening. God is still at work. People are still being brought to faith and, at the end of time, we will be a part of a great harvest that will include people of every place and every time. When we remember this, we can be patient as we wait to see the end result.
One of the greatest examples I can think of regarding patience, or the lack thereof, is the child who brings home a marigold seed planted in a Styrofoam cup. He sets it in the window and waters it faithfully. However, at least to him, it seems as though the plant will never grow. Finally, after days of waiting, he looks and, to his joy and amazement, he sees a little leaf coming through the ground. Now he waits and waits for the plant to grow and finally, at the end of it all, he has a flower. It had seemed as though he would never get to this point, but there it is. The flower he had been told would come was finally here. His patience paid off. Sometimes, we are like that child. We want to see results. When they don’t come as quickly as we think they should, we get discouraged. May God give us the patience to let him do his work in his own time and in his own way. Then, we will find our joy at the end of time when we see the end results. The harvest time will come and we will all be gathered safely into God’s kingdom forever. Amen.
