Ezek. 17:22-24; 2 Cor. 5:6-10; Mk. 4:26-34
In the Old Testament, many references are found to the Lord's promise of His coming Kingdom. Isiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Micah have many references.
"In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law willgo out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." Isaiah (2:2-4)Jeremiah 23:5-6 declared "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.'"
Daniel 2:44 spoke about the Kingdom: "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."
Ezekiel 37:24-28 had his vision about the coming kingdom:
"My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.’"
These passages collectively convey the hope and anticipation for a future kingdom characterized by divine rule, peace, and righteousness.
In the Gospels we hear many times Jesus speak about the Kingdom of God.
"He also said, “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.”
Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Two thousand years ago, Jesus commanded that those who want to follow Him, must go and preach the good news, saying that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. [Mt. 10:7] His followers obeyed this command. [Acts 19:8, 28:23, 31] Having proclaimed the good news to other, they strengthened the souls of other Christians, encouraging them to continue in the faith, teaching, "It is through many persecutions that we must enter the Kingdom of God." [Acts. 14:22]
Today, we delve into the parable of the growing seed, a story that Jesus used to describe the Kingdom of God. This passage is a reminder of the mystery and natural growth of God’s Kingdom, a concept that can sometimes seem abstract but is deeply rooted in everyday experiences.
George Washington Carver was born into slavery in the early 1860s in Missouri. Despite his humble beginnings and the many obstacles, he faced, Carver's life is a testament to the mysterious and powerful growth of God's Kingdom.
Carver had a deep love for nature and a strong faith in God. He believed that God had a purpose for his life and sought to discover and fulfill it. As a young man, he pursued education despite numerous challenges, eventually becoming a prominent agricultural scientist. Carver scattered seeds of knowledge and innovation in the field of agriculture, particularly in the southern United States, where he advocated for crop rotation and the use of alternative crops like peanuts to restore soil health.
Carver’s faith was central to his work. He believed that God revealed the secrets of nature to him, which he then used to benefit others. He once said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour if we will only tune in." Carver’s discoveries and innovations were like seeds scattered on the ground, bringing new life to the exhausted farmlands and new hope to struggling farmers.
Like the farmer in the parable, Carver did not always see the immediate results of his work. He conducted countless experiments and shared his findings, trusting that God would bring the growth. His efforts gradually transformed agriculture in the South, improving the livelihoods of many poor farmers. Carver’s work also extended to numerous uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other crops, which revolutionized agricultural practices and industries.
The impact of Carver’s life and work is evident in the lasting changes he brought to agriculture and education. His commitment to serving God and others produced a bountiful harvest, benefiting countless people and leaving a legacy of innovation and stewardship. Carver’s story reminds us that even from humble beginnings, great things can grow when we faithfully scatter seeds and trust in God’s mysterious work.
Carver’s life teaches us that our efforts to advance God's Kingdom may not yield immediate results, but we must trust in God's timing. In our daily lives, we can scatter seeds of kindness, knowledge, and innovation, believing that God will bring growth.
There is a joke about a farmer, after planting a tree, he would sit in its shade every day, saying, "Grow, tree, grow!" One day, a passerby asked why he did this. The farmer replied, "Patience is a virtue, but a little encouragement never hurts!"
The parable of the growing seed reminds us of the mysterious, autonomous, and progressive nature of God's Kingdom. As we scatter seeds of faith through our actions, we must trust in God's power to nurture them. At the same time we must work actively by embracing humility, practicing patience, living with hope, and engaging in acts of kindness and service, we participate in the unfolding of God's Kingdom.
In today's fast-paced and complex world, the call to establish the Kingdom of God faces significant challenges. Jesus' parable in Mark 4:26-29 illustrates the mysterious and gradual growth of God's Kingdom, but it also implicitly acknowledges that this process is not without obstacles. Let's explore some of the major challenges we face today in our mission to bring forth God's Kingdom and consider how we can address these challenges with faith and resilience.
Technology, while offering numerous benefits, also presents significant distractions. Social media, constant connectivity, and the 24/7 news cycle can detract from spiritual practices and face-to-face relationships.
To address this, we need to foster mindful engagement with technology. Use technology to enhance, not hinder, our spiritual lives. Ephesians 5:15-16 advises, "Be very careful, then, how you live... making the most of every opportunity."
As Practical Steps we should be able to set aside regular tech-free times for prayer, meditation, and face-to-face interactions. Use social media and other technologies to share uplifting and faith-based content, spreading the message of God’s Kingdom. Encourage digital Sabbath practices, where individuals take a break from screens to reconnect with God and each other.
While the modern world presents significant challenges to establishing the Kingdom of God, these obstacles are not insurmountable. By embracing spiritual riches, proclaiming absolute truths, fostering mindful engagement with technology, promoting unity, and innovating our approaches to ministry, we can effectively advance God’s Kingdom.
Let us be encouraged by Jesus’ parable in Mark 4:26-29, which reminds us that the growth of God's Kingdom is a divine process. Our role is to faithfully sow the seeds and trust God to bring the harvest.
Satish