Thursday: Parables of Growing Seed
Daily Lesson for Thursday 25th of July 2024
Read Mark 4:26-29. What is the primary focus of this parable?
Most of the Gospel of Mark has parallels in either Matthew or Luke or both. But that is not the case with this parable. It is unique to Mark. The focus of this brief parable is the growing process. Jesus indicates that this is how the kingdom of God works. Humans have a part to play, but the real growth is the work of God. It is not an endless process. The story comes to an abrupt end with the maturation of the grain. Just so, the return of Christ a second time will suddenly bring an end to our world’s history.
Read Mark 4:30-32. What is the important stress of the parable of the mustard seed?
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
This parable stresses how something very tiny grows into something remarkably large. Mustard seeds measure typically one to two millimeters in diameter (.039 to .079 inches). The plant described here is probably the black mustard (Brassica nigra), which has tiny seeds (more than 700 seeds in one gram). While not the smallest seeds in the world, they are quite small, especially in comparison to the plant they produce, which can grow as large as three meters (ten feet) tall. Jesus notes that birds even nest in the branches of the mustard plant. This last reference is an allusion to Psalms 104:12, with an allusion to Daniel 4:10-12, as well. Psalms 104:1-35 speaks of God’s power in creating the world, and Daniel 4:1-37 represents Nebuchadnezzar as a great tree under which all the world finds shade and food.
The point Jesus makes is that the kingdom of God, which began very small, will become large and impressive. People in Jesus’ day may have looked down on the dusty itinerant preacher from Galilee with His band of disciples, but time has shown that His kingdom of grace continues to expand throughout the world.
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“ ‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come’ ” (Matthew 24:14, NKJV). Consider what the “church” was like when Jesus made that prediction. Why is this such a remarkable and faith-affirming prediction? |
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There are two opposing philosophies about growing plants in our house. When I plant seeds, I know it takes several days for seeds to germinate and poke through the ground. Someone else in the family wants to see if they are growing the very next day so she digs down to see how the seeds are going. To put it bluntly, it does not do the seeds a lot of good. Furthermore, we have some very observant Crested Pigeons hanging around and they have learned that a freshly planted row of pea seeds is like an avian fast-food outlet. My idea is that once you have planted the seeds it is best when you leave them alone for a while.
Growing plants successfully requires that you understand what you can do and what the plants do for themselves. Planting, weeding, fertilising, and keeping the pests at bay are what we are good at. But, growing is something that the plants have to do themselves.
Spiritual growth is a living thing and is something that God looks after. We can sow spiritual seeds and provide water and nutrients but after that, we need patience to let the Holy Spirit do its work.
I find it strange and slightly concerning that the Daniel 4 tree representing King Nebuchanezzar and the Kingdom of Babylon is considered an allusion to the mustard seed from Mark 4 which represents the kingdom of heaven.
What does Babylon and the New Jerusalem have in common? I see the allusion is more to Daniel 2:34-35 where we find a rock is cut out and grows to fill the whole earth after crushing the kingdom of Babylon along with all the other earthly kingdoms. This rock that grows into a mountain is the Kingdom of Heaven / God.
I find this concerning because Revelation 18:4 the call is for the people of God to come out of Babylon and Revelation 14:6 tells of how the Gospel message call out those from every nation to become part of the Kingdom of God.
This is not to distract from the greater picture however...
Jesus used the mustard seed to represent faith (Matt 17:20)... Faith in Jesus is the foundation of the Kingdom of heaven because Jesus has been,is, and will always be faithful. This gospel will be preached to all Nations and it is true and faithful causing His Kingdom to continue to grow!
You make some excellent points, Jodi. Thank you.
It seems that the author was really stretching to make this connection and perhaps used a concordance to find references to "tree" in the Bible. (I know of a young pastor who makes some fantastical connections by that method. )
Yes, Dan. 2:34-35 is more appropriate.
And, yes, a loose association with Matt 17:20 is also relevant, since the Kingdom of God is founded on faith and grows by faith.
I just took a seminar at camp meeting on Biblical interpretation, so some of my comments reflect some things I learned.
The presenter mentioned that references to the Old Testament come in different forms. The direct quotes are easy to identify, but there are also allusions and echoes which are weaker. Sometimes also New Testament writers use Old Testament language homiletically which means they are using familiar wording, but not necessarily in the same way that the original author used it. Ellen White also sometimes writes this way. He also mentioned that an Old Testament allusion often actually alludes to an earlier book in the Old Testament. For example, Jeremiah contains allusions to Isaiah which contain allusions to the Torah.
In this case, the psalm was probably older than Daniel, so it seems likely Daniel was alluding to the psalm when he spoke to Nebuchadnezzar. I also think Jesus was thinking of the psalm (since it's the original image) and not necessarily Daniel when He told this parable. You are right that connecting Nebuchadnezzar to the Kingdom of Heaven is not the best connection and probably a little lazy. I find Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 to have better connections in terms of the tree concept.
There is one connection though that does work. Nebuchadnezzar, as king of the greatest empire at the time, was meant to be a "tree" that provided shade to those under him. As all leaders, he was meant to care for his subjects. He failed at that and was removed as king temporarily as a result. But the same images used in Jesus' parable indicate that is the purpose of the church (the expression on earth of the Kingdom of God). We should be taking care of those under our care and perhaps even the whole world. Are we doing this? Something to ponder.
In this analogy likening the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, in the spiritual realm, I see the seed as prayer and God answering our prayers according to His will. And our being blessed becoming a blessing to others as well Share your testimony.
One of my biggest take away from today's lesson is that no matter the outlook of things today, God's plan will at the end and in His time come to pass and that we have a part to play, Jesus told the people back in the day that This gospel of truth shall be preached in all parts of the world and the end will come, just like when Jesus talks about how the plant grows regardless of what is happening and on whether one takes notice or not, the end is certain its just up to Us to choose to play a noble part in spreading this Gospel as Jesus asked us to do.
Great lesson.
We have a role to play in the plan of salvation but we need to realize that ultimately it is God who saves.
Let us plant the seeds of salvation among our fellow-man then allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to finish the work!!!!
“ Consider what the “church” was like when Jesus made that prediction. Why is this such a remarkable and faith-affirming prediction?”
Evidence of His truth
Isa 45:21 (NLT) “ Consult together, argue your case. Get together and decide what to say. Who made these things known so long ago? What idol ever told you they would happen? Was it not I, the LORD? For there is no other God but me, a righteous God and Savior. There is none but me.”
In answer to last question of day:
Could it mean that the ‘church’ should focus more on transformation?
— “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.
(Christ’s Object Lessons 68.1).
— “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.
(Christ’s Object Lessons 69.1).
— It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.
(Christ’s Object Lessons 69.2).
To liken the mustard seed to the kingdom of God always intrigued me. Something so insignificant, ordinary, or common in its appearance, ”grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
I am certain that we can observe the 'effects' of this very special seed in our life. Yes, the kingdom of God, once entered to life in by faith, changes life from the ordinary to the extra-ordinary. To see the mustard seed as an herb for the use in the kitchen is one thing, but to understand it's spiritual aspect, its influence when living life by God’s Grace and His Love in His kingdom here on earth, is entirely different - its influence grows as it is being 'consumed'.
I see the growing, maturing, and branching out mustard seed exemplifying the kind of life the believer lives in the ‘kingdom of God’ – maturing/growing in the application of our heavenly Father’s Love and Justice when living our daily life. Eventually, every aspect of the believer’s life will reflect the authority/Lordship of Jesus Christ – Eph.1:11-23; Micah 6:8.