To what can we compare the Kingdom of God
With what can we compare the Kingdom of God?
In Mark 4:26-32, Jesus responds to the above question by bringing comparative parables:
“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.”
Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to seeds scattered by a man on the ground and which produce plants carrying grains or fruits. The man who scattered did his part by sowing the seeds but he does not know how the plant grows. He sleeps at night and has no clue of the process the earth uses to generate a plant off the ground.
As disciples of Christ, we all have been called to expand the Kingdom of God with our talents. If we want to see Godly change in our families, workplace or society, then we also need to accustomize ourselves in planting seeds through our words and actions.
Notice that Jesus compares the seed to a tiny mustard seed, and yet the same tiny seed produces gigantic trees. Jesus wanted to tell us that the seed we plant , through our words and actions, will still bear results. All we have to do is to play our part by planting the seed that will advance the Kingdom of God in our families and societies.
The seed we have been called to sow never comes from us but from God, as the Bible says: ‘God gives the seed to the sower' (2 Corinthians 9:10). Therefore, we should never confuse carnal/fleshly good seeds with the seeds coming from God. The seed we have been called to plant is a gift from God.
We plant with our words and actions. With our words, we proclaim the good news of salvation, we disciples others in the teaching of Jesus, we keep our confession of His word for our lives. With our actions, we show the world a Christ like life model , we help the poor/the widow/the orphan, we stand for justice, we serve with our bodies and possessions.
Words and actions are our seeds. And regardless of their sizes, we got to believe that they will bear fruits because as we leave after planting, God does his part of growing the plants. We do not need to harass people with long speeches or continual spiritual tantrums.
Usually, the people who plant the seeds and work hard at growing the plant, are the people who do not have faith and who try to play God’s part in building His Kingdom. If we act that way, men and women will repel our presence.
‘One day, I went out with a couple of friends for lunch. One of them was telling us how a stranger once gave him a Bible as a gift years ago before he became a Christian. Back then, my friend did not open the Bible for months…until one day his curiosity led him to read It. As he read the Bible everyday, his life changed slightly. Eventually he gave his life to Jesus but the most astonishing thing in his story was this sentence:
‘Maurice, I wish one day I could meet the man who gave me this Bible and thank him for what he did. And even if I can’t meet him, may God bless him abundantly wherever he is.’
That stranger is a sower. His Bible was the seed. He left and never met my friend again. But God made the seed grow as a plant out of my friend’s heart. We don’t know how, but all I know is that I can see the tree planted by the stranger I have never seen.
Maybe you are sending short sms, or online posts of encouragement and you wonder if people will be positively affected. Maybe you are praying in secret for the nation, and yet you still see corruption, degradation in the country. Maybe you are contributing into something positive in your church or society. I don’t really know the type of seed God gave you to build His Kingdom. Maybe you are praying for and teaching your children on a daily basis…
As long as you play your part by sowing, God will assist you in growing the plant. The growth of the plant is something you and I cannot achieve. The growth is bigger than our ability but without a seed, there cannot be growth.
The stranger in my friend’s testimony, never came back to seek a token of gratitude. As you plant your seed of righteousness, there will be times where you will never be recognized or acknowledged. At times, the trees we planted will only manifest their splendor after we die; ask the first apostles and early missionaries about it… But we are not doing it for fame, money, or recognition. We do it out of love for God and for people. Love drives us.
There is a reason why Jesus compares the seed to a grain of mustard seed: ‘so that nobody underestimates the size of his/her contribution toward the Kingdom of God.’
So I say to you: ‘ Seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness. Sow your seed and change the world.’
God bless you.
----------------
Sponsored content