God's Perfect Will and Perfect Timing
"Parable of the Sower" by Pieter Bruegel |
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[Jesus] 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 (Mark 4:26-34).
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ!
We know not how, and we know not when, but God
works according to His perfect will and His perfect timing.
Jesus’ teaching about
the reign of God often forces us to reexamine our expectations. This is
especially true of His parables. Whether He is talking about a generous
vineyard owner or a forgiving father, an ungodly judge or a fanatical shepherd,
Jesus uses parables to challenge our conception of the world and offers a
glimpse into another reality, which is the one, true reality. Sometimes His
parables do this with a twist, or a surprise, or an unexpected discovery. Other
times, He uses parables to make a relatively straightforward comparison. This
week’s text includes two brief parables of the latter variety. They describe
the nature of God’s reign by comparing it to seeds and the plants which grow
from them.
This is not the first
time Jesus spoke of the reign of God with images of seeds and planting. He uses
a similar metaphor in the longer parable at the beginning of chapter four in
Mark’s Gospel. There Jesus describes a sower who gratuitously spreads his seed.
As He explains to the disciples, the seed is the Word, and the types of soil
are the various ways in which the Word is received. The focus in that parable
is on the differing fate of seeds depending on the soil in which they are cast.
The parables in today’s text, in contrast, concern the nature of the growth for
the seeds which land in good soil and bring forth fruit.
The first parable
invites reflection on the timing of the growth. It begins with a man who
scatters the seed. He does not know how the growth works. That is not
necessary. He simply does his work, goes to bed, and rises each day. Once it is
planted the seed does its thing. But the growth does not happen immediately. It
comes in stages—first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain shall appear.
Finally, when the grain is ripe, the man returns to bring home the harvest.
Here, Jesus speaks of
the power and reliability of the Gospel message. All that need be done, in
fact, all that can be done, is to sow the seed, to proclaim the Word. A farmer
who plants the seed does not understand how it grows. The power is in the seed.
So, it is with the Gospel. It is sown; it sprouts; it matures; it is harvested.
Christ’s words echo Isaiah 55:11: “So shall My Word be that goes out from My
mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I
purpose, and it shall succeed in the thing for which I purpose.”
The harvest includes the final harvest at the
end of the world, when all mankind will see the marvelous fruit the Lord
produced through His Word in this world of sin. But the harvest is also reaped
here and now in the life of every child of God in whose heart the Word has
taken root and grown and whose faith God uses time and again to bring that same
Word to others.
The harvest isn’t the believer’s doing, but
God’s. Thus, this parable was of special comfort to the apostles as they
carried out Jesus’ assignment. Paul later put it this way in 1 Corinthians
3:6-7: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who
plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
Though at times we may not see the results, there will be a harvest because the
seed has God’s power in it.
One other thing must still be noted. When the
ESV translates “by itself” it might seem as though the earth (the human heart)
receives some credit. Not at all, for the Greek really means “spontaneously” or
“automatically.” The person’s heart is only the locale where it takes place.
God’s power inherent in the Word is the cause. If it were not so, you and I
would be without hope; for by nature, we are corrupt and sinful, and we reject
the grace of God. It is God alone who overcomes this opposition on our part and
brings us to faith. We preach and teach the Word; God’s Word does the rest.
This first parable
seems to encourage patience. We want to see instant results. We want to share
the Word of God and see it bear immediate fruit. Plants grow slowly and without
the sower’s full understanding. So, it is the same with the reign of God. We
must sow the seed and wait for God to give it growth.
The second parable
(Mark 4:30-32) has to do with the extent of the growth. It focuses on the size
of the seed that is sown. The mustard seed is very small—much smaller than the
other garden seeds. But do not be deceived. After it is sown and grows to
maturity, this little seed surpasses all the other garden plants. Fully grown,
it provides a home that is safe and secure for all the birds of the air.
Jesus’ second parable is also about the
preaching of the Gospel. He acknowledges that when the kingdom of God is looked
at from a worldly point of view, it seems like no big deal. It is a kingdom
without a realm, without armies, certainly without an imposing king. When
Christ proclaims the Word, the leading men of His nation—the priests, the
Pharisees, the teachers of the law, the rich Sadducees—do not follow Him. They
ridicule Him, and undoubtedly that often troubles His listeners. Even the
apostles have many misconceptions. They need to take another look at this and
similar parables.
The kingdom of God is not one of outward form
and shape. Its New Testament beginnings are so small as to be almost invisible.
But Christ keeps telling His disciples, “Don’t be disturbed; the eternal fruits
will be large indeed.” That’s the parallel parable of the mustard seed, the
smallest of all seeds usually planted, which becomes the largest of all garden
plants, sometimes reaching a height of eight to ten feet, large enough for
birds to perch in its shade. We cannot judge the final size of the kingdom by
the initial size of the seed. The Gospel has extraordinary power and vitality.
Although the farmer plays an important role in
the cultivation of his field—after all, he sows the seed—its growth occurs
apart from his efforts, even as he sleeps. The kingdom of God comes without our
watching and grows without our urging. This doesn’t separate believers from the
kingdom but reminds us that God’s work is not dependent on our constant effort.
This second parable
seems to encourage trust. The plant that comes from this seed will grow larger
than you might imagine. Again, so it is with the reign of God. What may look
insignificant to our eyes at times is God working glorious growth unto eternity
wherever the Word of Christ is preached.
I already mentioned the
connection to the Parable of the Sower at the beginning of chapter four. If we
look back a little further, we are reminded how Jesus has only recently called
His disciples to follow Him (Mark 3:13-19). They have already witnessed
incredible works, but they are still on the front end of their life with Jesus.
Mark does not give us many clues about what they are expecting Jesus to be or
do. But you get the impression that, through these brief parables, Jesus is
teaching them His reign will not grow as they might expect.
God’s kingdom grows
mysteriously of itself, at its own pace, and through the power of the Word.
This reality often causes frustration among those who eagerly long for a rapid
expansion of the Kingdom, and all the more as we only have a short-term view of
things. But God’s kingdom grows according to His plan and timetable. And it is
a great blessing that things ultimately depend on Him and not us, for only He
is able to bring home a great harvest for life eternal.
We stand on the other
side of Jesus’ life and ministry. We have read about His teachings and heard
about His healings. We have mourned His death and rejoiced in His resurrection.
We have observed His giving of the Spirit and have been grafted into the
Church. This all took place through the Word.
But there are so many
who have not believed. They may have heard the Word, but they show no signs of
faith or life in Christ. Indeed, the number of people in America who identify
as Christian is drastically falling—and these numbers were pre-pandemic. That is
not to mention the personal connections you have. Most of you have loved ones
who have heard of Christ but show little or no signs of believing.
In such a context it would
be easy for you to become discouraged and grow weary. It would be natural to
question whether God, who desires all to be saved, is really in charge. It
would be tempting to give up and throw in the towel of Christian witness.
Into this uncertainty
and weariness, these two brief parables offer a word of promise. The promise is
simple: God works as we proclaim the Word of Christ. Like plants which begin as
nothing but seeds, the life of faith grows from nothing but the commands and
promises of Jesus spoken by God’s people. We know not how, and we know not when,
but God works according to His perfect will and His perfect timing. As His
reign spreads, many people find a home that is safe and secure in Christ. By
God’s grace, you believe His promises for yourself. That is why you are here. You
also believe God promises the same for others. But not everyone believes these
promises. That’s where you come in. You can share the love of God in Christ
Jesus wherever He places you.
Go in the peace of the
Lord and share the Good News! For Jesus’ sake, you are forgiven for all your
sins.
In the name of the
Father and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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