The parable of the sower.
Last week we talked about the parable of the sower. The parable goes something like this. A farmer goes out to sow his seed. Some seeds fell along the path, where the birds came and ate it up. Some seeds fell on rocky, shallow soil, where it quickly sprang to life, but then withered away because it had no deep roots. Other seeds fell on thorny soil wheretheygrew up, but got choked out by other plants. And some seeds fell on good soil where it grew and produced a harvest.
Like some of you, I’ve heard this parable from childhood. It is talking about our receptivity when Christ speaks. Some people are hardened to the words of Christ. When Christ speaks, some people scoff at his words. I say this with sadness, but some of you here this morning are scoffers. You hear the same things everyone else around you hears. But the word bounces off of you instead of penetrating deep into your heart. You have no intention of obeying Christ’s words. Your heart is hard.
Some people only let Christ’s words penetrate shallowly. You may be one who loves going to church. You love the music, the ambiance, the preaching, the warmth of God’s people, and the many programs. But you have chosen for yourself a comfortable level of obedience. When push comes to shove, you don’t allow Christ’s words to lay claim on your life.
This past week I talked to a man in our church who has been dishonoring Christ in a business relationship. His actions cast Jesus Christ and our church in a negative light. A while back, we brought the matter to his attention and asked him to take care of things. But instead of honoring Christ, he’s decided to find another church. What do you say to a person like that?
Other people let Christ’s words penetrate deeply, but then God’s word gets crowded out by the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things. You may be one who is trying to serve two masters. At times you flourish as a Christian. You're active, you're engaged, obedient, and going deep! But suddenly you're blindsided by work, health concerns, family life, relationship problems, worries, endless activities, vacations, making money, and getting this or getting that. Sure enough, all these other priorities start choking out your spiritual life.
Of course, all of us want to be like the seed that falls on good soil. We want to be like the person who hears the word, accepts it, and produces a crop which is thirty, sixty or even a hundred times more than what was sown. SeeMark 4:20 (NIV).
In Mark 4:21-34 Jesus shares a series of parables to help us understand how we might produce a crop thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was sown. Each of these parables makes a simple point.
The first parable reminds us to sow the seed faithfully.
In Mark 4:21-23 (NIV) Jesus says to his disciples, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
There is nothing complicated about any of these parables. Here is the meaning of the first parable. You don’t put a lamp under a bowl or under your bed. You put it on a stand so that it can give light to the whole house.
The reason we are unproductive is because we hide Jesus Christ from other people. It’s like we're ashamed of him. We don’t want people to know who Jesus is, or what he’s done for us on the cross. We don’t want to offend, and we don’t want to alienate. But essentially, we keep Jesus hidden from our friends, our work associates, our families, and our enemies.We become the bowl that conceals the light of the world from others.
In Mark 4:23 (NIV) Jesus gives some helpful criteria about who we should tell about Jesus, and who we should not tell. "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."Every oneof us has ears! So everyone should bereceiving the gospel message.Let him hear! Don’t withhold the light. Don’t conceal Jesus for any reason! Sow the seed and shine the light. It’s not about you. It's about others hearing.
The second parable reminds us to obey the seed fully.
In Mark 4:24-25 (NIV) Jesus instructs, " 'Consider carefully what you hear,' he continued. 'With the measure you use, it will be measured to you— and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.' "
Have you ever heard the mantra, "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer?" How about the mantra, "Use it or lose it?" Both of these mantras hold true in a spiritual sense. If you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much. Those who obey the word find themselves enriched more and more every day. And those who disobey the word find themselves more and more impoverished.
When I am obedient to Christ’s words, I have an abundance of spiritual treasure to share with others. But when I am disobedient, I can’t put two words together.
We cannot be passive about the words of Christ. If we don’t put them to use immediately, Satan will steal them. If we don’t let them take root immediately, we’ll shrivel up and wither away spiritually.
The third parable reminds us to trust the seed patiently.
In Mark 4:26-29 (NIV) Jesus says, "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."
There is nothing quick about spiritual growth. There is a process of growth that cannot be fast tracked. The seed is sown, the soil receives the seed, and then it produces the grain. First comes the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. Then once the grain is ripe, it’s harvested.
The point of this third parable is that once that seed is sown, God is completely in charge of the result. It’s humbling to think how little control we have over the spiritual growth of other people. I am always encouraged reading 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NIV) where Paul writes, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."
Whether we produce a crop that is thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more than what was sown isn’t up to us! We’re not called to be consumed with success. Instead, we're called to be faithful. We pray for people even though we see no change in their lives. We love people even as they show contempt for our generosity. We keep trying to include people even when they decline our invitations. We tell people about Jesus (and put the lamp on its stand) even though people appear unreceptive.
The fourth parable reminds us to watch the seed multiply.
In Mark 4:30-32 (NIV) Jesus says, "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 seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
The mustard seed was one of the smallest seeds known to people in Jesus' day. When placed in one’s hand, the mustard seed looks tiny and insignificant. But when planted, that same seedbecomes one of the largest and most stubborn of all garden plants.
Sometimes doing God’s work makes us feel tiny and insignificant. Praying for people, loving people, inviting people into our fellowship, and sharing Jesus-- it can all seem futile a times. At times it can feel like noonereally cares and that our efforts don’t matter. The world with all its desires seems more captivating to people. In this final parable Jesus reminds us to watch confidently. We are to watch the kingdom of God take root and grow and multiply.Watch God do his thing!
Sow, obey, trust, and watch!