SEEDS AND SLEEPING IN A STORM
There are 3 parables in this chapter involving seeds. We have already looked at the parable of the seeds and soils.
Jesus also compared the Kingdom of God to the amazing way that seeds grow without any help.
We now understand how they are packed with plant DNA. They are filled with potential life and many potential future generations. God designed their growth process from the beginning when He made plants to reproduce after their kind “whose seed is in itself.” All of the instructions and energy needed for a seed to turn into a plant is inside the seed.
🤓 Ok. That time lapse picture is cool!
😧 Cool? I think it’s kinda creepy. Those plants look like snakes or something.
I think it’s amazing.
The farmer doesn’t have to go out and coax each individual seed to sprout or grow or ripen. It just happens.
It makes me think of this verse:
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”
2 Peter 1:3 NLT
The Kingdom of God grows because the instructions for life are imbedded within the hearts of those who have been planted by the LORD.
Jesus describes 3 phases of growth:
- The leaf blade pushes through
- The heads of grain appear
- The grain is fully grown and ripened
When they are ripe, that’s when you harvest. Not before.
I’m honestly not sure what all Jesus is inferring when He speaks of “harvest” here. If He’s using the same ideas as the parable of the 4 Soils, then the harvest seems to refer to the fruit borne by individual beleivers.
But Jesus also uses “harvest” language to describe the events around His return and judgment. We see the righteous called “wheat” which is gathered into His “barn” (Matt. 13:30). But the wicked are also harvested. In the parable of the wheat and tares, the tares are “harvested” and destroyed. In Revelation 14:17-20 the wicked are described as grapes harvested and thrown into a winepress to be trampled by none other than Christ Himself (Is. 63:1-6).
Jesus also called people who were ready to believe and come into the Kingdom a field ready to “harvest” in John 4:35-38.
I’m not sure which harvest is suggested. But I think the point of the parable is more about how the earth and the seed have everything needed to make a fully mature plant.
THE MUSTARD SEED…
We all know (or think we know) about the parable of the mustard seed. And much has been preached about “mustard seed faith.” You can even buy a pendant with a little mustard seed inside.
But this parable isn’t about the size of your faith. It’s about the Kingdom of God.
“Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.”
Mark 4:30-32 NLT
Jesus is trying to describe, illustrate and explain what the Kingdom of God is like.
He says it’s like a kokkos (kernel) of sinapi.
This is not a word of Greek origin. The Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon suggest that sinapi is a word of Egyptian origin, and refers to this plant:
While technically not the smallest seed on earth, recall that Jesus is not giving a botany lesson. He’s giving a Kingdom of God lesson. Compared to other seeds being planted and cultivated in first-century Judea, the black mustard was the smallest.
And I think the smallness is the point. Jesus is in one small place, sowing the seed of the Kingdom into the hearts of people by His words. No one can even see it happening. It’s not just tiny seed, it’s totally invisible. But this Gospel seed is going to grow and spread. And even the “birds of the air” (the ones that were snatching away the seeds in the earlier parable) will benefit from the growth of the Kingdom. It’s like how even atheists and those very antagonistic to Christ have benefitted from the good that the Kingdom of God has brought into the world. Hospitals, charitable work, and most advances in science that brought the world out of the Dark Ages were due to Christians. Good laws that respect the dignity of human life, good working conditions, the end of legal slavery…ALL the work of Christians. And the “birds of the air” come sit happily in our branches.
Some people have suggested another possible peppery mustard tree. One that grows toothbrushes.
🤨 Excuse me? Did you say a tree that grows… toothbrushes? 🪥
Meet Salvadora Persica. The toothbrush tree.
They are native to the middle east and Africa and the small branches have been used for thousands of years for oral hygiene. You can buy the twigs online or in fancy stores that sell natural and organic items. They look like this:
They go by the term “Miswak Sticks” if you want to give them a try. You cut the bark off, soak the tip in water, chew it a bit to separate the fibers and you’re ready to go. Apparently they have a strong peppery bite and they clean the teeth without the need for toothpaste and even contain antibacterial properties and a bit of natural fluoride. Might be a good teeth-cleaning idea for camping.
I doubt Jesus was talking about the toothbrush tree as its seeds are too large. But I thought it was fun anyway.
SLEEPING IN A STORM ⛈️😴🌊
How bone tired do you have to be to sleep in a small ship in a storm?
It’s not like Jesus had an “interior cabin.” Perhaps He had a bit of sail stretched over Himself to block the rain or spray of the waves and wind? The text says He had a pillow and was in the back of the boat which must have been going up and down like one of these things:
“Teacher! Is it not a concern to you that we are perishing?”
😐 That’s what I’d say if I was on one of those ship rides…
🤓 Not me! I’d be the guy on the top row with my hands in the air. 🙌🏼 Wooo!
Jesus “rebuked” or “admonished” the wind as if it were a sentient thing that could understand Him and not just air molecules. And who knows, perhaps there was something spiritual driving this storm.
And He said to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” As if He were correcting a naughty child.
This scene is almost like a replay of this:
“Now the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light.
And God said, “Let the waters under heaven be gathered to one place, and let the dry ground appear.” And it was so.”
Genesis 1:2-3, 9 LEB
The Word of the LORD has already commanded much greater waters than the little pond of Galilee. I love the line in the hymn Be Still My Soul:
The wind and waves still know
His voice Who ruled them
While He dwelt below
How many times have we felt like the disciples? Lord, don’t You care that I’m dyin’ over here?
The obvious answer is, Of course He cares.
“And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?”
Mark 4:40 LEB
When it looks like Jesus “isn’t handling it” and we get impatient for a solution, might that be evidence of a lack of faith?
If He is in the ship with me – and that’s what fellowship is, two fellows in the same ship – then I can trust that no matter what happens, Jesus is going to handle it.
Mark includes the detail that there were other boats accompanying them across the lake. We aren’t old specifically how they fared, but they must have benefitted from the calm when Jesus rebuked the wind and waves.
😐 Yeah, but I’d rather be in the same boat with Jesus.
If I get in a boat, Jesus better be there.
🤓 To calm the storm?
To heal me of seasickness.
To The Reader 