DAY 18 | MARCH 1, 2023
Mark 4: 26-34
He 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 of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
REFLECTION
Jesus often uses parables or short stories to teach about the Kingdom of God. In the first parable, Jesus talks about a man scattering seed on the ground and waiting for it to grow without knowing how it happens. The second parable compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds but grows into the largest of plants.
These parables illustrate the nature of the Kingdom of God. Like the seed, the Kingdom of God starts small, often unnoticed by the world, but with time and patience, it grows and produces fruit. The Kingdom of God is not something that can be forced or rushed. It requires trust in God's timing and faith that He will bring about the growth.
As believers, we are called to scatter seeds of the Gospel, trusting that God will bring about the growth in His timing. We may not see the immediate results of our efforts, but we must have faith that God is at work, even when we cannot see it.
The parable of the mustard seed also reminds us that even the smallest of seeds can grow into something significant. As a matter of fact, the mustard seed is an invasive species. As much as they tried to kill it or destroy it, it just continues to grow and spread. Similarly, the kingdom of God will not be stopped. It might face obstacles and people might try and stifle it, but it is a kingdom that will always prevail.
So let us trust in God's timing and have faith that Jesus will bring about the growth. Let us also be encouraged that even when things are difficult and hard, the Kingdom of God has been unleashed in the world, and there is nothing that is going to stop it.
Mark 4: 26-34
He 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 of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
REFLECTION
Jesus often uses parables or short stories to teach about the Kingdom of God. In the first parable, Jesus talks about a man scattering seed on the ground and waiting for it to grow without knowing how it happens. The second parable compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds but grows into the largest of plants.
These parables illustrate the nature of the Kingdom of God. Like the seed, the Kingdom of God starts small, often unnoticed by the world, but with time and patience, it grows and produces fruit. The Kingdom of God is not something that can be forced or rushed. It requires trust in God's timing and faith that He will bring about the growth.
As believers, we are called to scatter seeds of the Gospel, trusting that God will bring about the growth in His timing. We may not see the immediate results of our efforts, but we must have faith that God is at work, even when we cannot see it.
The parable of the mustard seed also reminds us that even the smallest of seeds can grow into something significant. As a matter of fact, the mustard seed is an invasive species. As much as they tried to kill it or destroy it, it just continues to grow and spread. Similarly, the kingdom of God will not be stopped. It might face obstacles and people might try and stifle it, but it is a kingdom that will always prevail.
So let us trust in God's timing and have faith that Jesus will bring about the growth. Let us also be encouraged that even when things are difficult and hard, the Kingdom of God has been unleashed in the world, and there is nothing that is going to stop it.