26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 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.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Question 1
Have you ever seen a plant grow?
Question 2
Looking at a small seed, are you able to see how big the plant will be? Does the size of the seed matter?
We’ve already seen that Jesus likes to use the picture of sowing seeds to explain truth to his disciples. In this section we see Jesus using two new illustrations again.
The first picture explains the fact that the kingdom of God is growing in a way that we are unable to understand or control – it is the kingdom of God, and he is responsible for the growth. Similar to a seed growing, there is a process of growth in the case of the kingdom, and that process happens gradually, over time. This is true when we think about the way the gospel spreads throughout the world, but also as God brings about fruit in our lives. While we have a responsibility to do everything we can to grow in our faith, it is very comforting to think that God himself through the Holy Spirit is also working in us. From the moment we believe in Jesus Christ, the Spirit gradually changes our lives to be more like him.
In the second picture Jesus explains yet again about the kingdom, by saying that it resembles one particular type of seed – the mustard seed. This seed is a very interesting one, because as Jesus explains, although it starts as a very small seed, when it has grown it becomes huge. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing in the history of Christianity. What started with a small group of people following a person named Jesus in the Middle East 2000 years ago, has now extended throughout the world until millions of people today call themselves Christians. At the end of time, when the kingdom has reached its full growth, the Lord Jesus will gather his people together.
Question 3
Why do you think the picture of seeds growing is such a good one to help us understand the way God works?
Question 4
In what way is it comforting that it is God who causes growth and not us?
Pray
to see the kingdom of God continue to grow and more people become a part of it. Pray that God would continue to work in your life as you grow more fruit.
