14th June 2024
We do not know how
… “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”
Mark 4:26-29 (NRSVUE)
Late spring/early summer is my favourite time of year in the garden because that is when I think it looks its best. All the perennial plants are blooming, and the new green leaves are that beautiful shade of bright lime green.
It is also a period of joyful discovery. The cold winter weather is finally over and in celebration, the plants seem to be bursting to show off their blooms. Gardeners like me wait in eager anticipation. We wonder how the plants will do this year because it really isn’t up to us. Yes, we weed and till the soil, but the growth takes place seemingly by itself. Some years a late frost withers the fragile leaves and buds before they get a chance to open, or there is too much rain and the buds rot. Other years there is a marvellous breathtaking display.
Once the perennials are planted they come back year after year without a great deal of effort from the gardener. They are a gift, I think, from God and remind me of the parable about the Kingdom of God, found in Mark 4:26-29. Here the gardener sows the seeds and then leaves them. The Bible doesn’t say he or she cares for the seeds, just that they sprout and grow. We are told “The earth produces of itself…” (v.28).
What can we learn from this parable about the Kingdom of God?
As ‘gardeners’ for the kingdom of God, we join in sowing the seed. We just sow it. Only that. Then we wait in peaceful trust. Just like in a real garden, there is a lot of hard work in preparing the ground beforehand, and in sowing the seed, but once done we don’t need to fret and worry. God ensures the growth, and we trust in him. It is not up to us.
The parable goes on, “But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.” (v.29). The harvest is a traditional image for judgement, and it is God who is the ultimate judge. He will even manage the kingdom harvest.
The word ‘grain’ found in this passage has been elsewhere translated as ‘fruit’. So while this is about the natural progression of rising wheat, it is also an image of fruitfulness. The kingdom grows organically and inevitably, as day follows night, God’s work in the world, and in us, will be fruitful.
Prayer
Our loving Father, there are many parables in the Bible, and we need the Holy Spirit to teach us what they mean, and to guide us into your truth. You are the head gardener, and as we join you in your work, help us to be willing to work hard, but at the same time be able to rest in the knowledge that you will produce the growth, and that you are the Lord of the harvest. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Study by Jackie Mill
About the writer:
Jackie Mill is a minister in Grace Communion International and Co-Regional Pastor for Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Central Glasgow
Garnethill Room
Conference Suite
St Andrews West
260 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4JP
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:15 am
Local congregational contact:
Peter Mill
Email: edinburgh@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church