A 'hidden' growth

Mark 4: 26 - 34

Night and day.....the seed sprouts and grows

Just after Jesus talked about how different soils affect the seeds' growth and productivity, he seems to say that it doesn't matter because "all by itself the soil produces corn...". No wonder his parables can be confusing! However, this time he refers to the 'kingdom of God', the reign of our God. The kingdom is not of this world, so the dynamics of growth must also be different.

The world, always hurried and pragmatic seeks instant growth and even Christians would prefer to see results when we sow God's seed. We are an impatient generation, allured by the dynamics of growth proposed by the world. But Jesus warns that this is not so in the reign of God, a hidden kingdom that can only be recognized with spiritual discernment. In fact, the seeds grow into stalks of corn and the mustard seed into a large bush, without our knowing how and largely outside our control. The kingdom of God was inaugurated with the coming of Jesus. But it was not a powerful political kingdom to oppose Roman rule. In fact, the passion and death of Jesus seemed 'foolish' and 'weak' in the eyes of many. But according to his hidden plan, God brought triumph through the resurrection.

Often our frenetic activity in God's name is merely to justify our lack of trust in God, and our impatience. In the end, the growth of the seed does not depend on our 'heroic' human efforts. Of course this is not an excuse for inertia. But it is also not an excuse for thinking that we are 'helping' God by our clever ministry programs. Our efforts place us in the right place to receive grace, but in the end, the glory goes to God alone. As I recall how God works in the lives of individuals, it is apparent that no particular style of small group ministry, no teaching program, no discipleship program can claim to be 'the' way. Whatever means we obediently use is graciously taken by God and worked into the growth of his kingdom.

It is actually a relief to know that God accomplishes his purposes in the world, often silently, often mysteriously. It takes the pressure off our efforts. We need to be faithful in service but also relaxed because the kingdom of God is ultimately not in our hands.