“And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 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.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.”
Have you ever known someone was talking to you, but didn’t really catch what they said?
Throughout Mark 4, Jesus keeps urging people to listen carefully.
“Pay attention to what you hear.”
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
These aren’t just invitations. They are also warnings.
Jesus is revealing the mysteries of God’s kingdom. Those who receive His Word in faith are given more. Their understanding grows. Their faith is strengthened. He gives them new life which is abundant. But those who reject His Word eventually lose even what they think they possess and suffer condemnation.
The stakes are high because Jesus is not merely sharing interesting ideas. He is announcing how God is saving the world.
That helps us understand the parables that follow.
Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to seed scattered on the ground. Once planted, the seed grows. The farmer cannot explain exactly how it happens. He sleeps and rises, day after day, while the seed sprouts and matures.
The focus is not on the farmer’s effort.
The focus is on God’s work.
When Jesus came preaching, His ministry may have appeared small. A handful of disciples. Crowds that came and went. Opposition from religious leaders. Yet through His Word, God was bringing people to faith and gathering them into His kingdom.
And that work continues today.
Every time the Gospel is preached, God is at work. Every time His Word is taught, read, heard, or proclaimed, He is planting seed. He is creating faith. He is gathering people into His kingdom, into the Church.
The growth may be hidden from our eyes, but it is not uncertain.
And when the harvest is ready, Jesus says it will come. The day will arrive when Christ returns and brings His saving work to completion.
The mustard seed makes a similar point.
It begins small, almost unnoticed. Yet it grows into something large enough for birds to nest in its branches.
That is what the Kingdom of God looks like.
Jesus did not arrive with armies, political power, or worldly influence. Instead, He came humbly. He would soon suffer, and die. The Kingdom of God would start with one man, Jesus Christ, buried…or planted…in the ground.
Yet from that small beginning, God would grow a kingdom stretching across nations and generations. Today, hundreds of millions of people find refuge in Christ because of what began with one Savior who gave His life for the world.
These parables invite us to trust what Jesus says, even when we cannot yet see the full results.
The Kingdom of God is growing.
The Gospel is bearing fruit.
The Church is being gathered.
And the King who began this work will one day return to bring in the harvest.
I pray you have ears to hear and find rest in branches of God’s gracious Kingdom.
Let’s pray…
Lord Jesus,
Give me ears to hear. By Your Spirit, help me to understand Your Word and believe. Strengthen my faith to trust Your Word and Your promises. When Your kingdom seems small or hidden, remind me that You are at work through the Gospel. Keep me in Your saving kingdom until the day You return in glory.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
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