The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Ezekiel 17:22-24
- Mark 4:26-34
The Sermon title is The Growing Realm
Early Thoughts: Where do you see signs of growth? How do you know that the reign of God is growing in the world today?
Our readings this week speak about growth and the God who gives that growth. (As I typed that sentence a line from 1 Corinthians 3 came to mind "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth".) In Ezekiel we read about the God who promises new life and regrowth from a twig of the old. Under God's care that tiny twig will become a grand tree, providing shelter to many. What twig is God transplanting in the world, in our lives today?
In Mark we have a pair of parables. "The kingdom of God is like....". It is like seeds spread by a sower who then leaves it for something mysterious to happen and grain suitable for food is the result. It is like a tiny seed that grows into an large plant (according to Wikipedia it is probable that the plant mentioned here grows up to 270cm (9 feet) tall) that can provide shelter. From something small something plentiful and large develops. That is what the kingdom of God is like. What small seeds have been planted recently? Where have you seen something get much bigger than it was when it started?
The mustard seed imagery reminded me of something else, a different plant. Wild Mustard is a weed, an invasive plant, and so it is a problem for some, even if others find it useful for some purposes (one of the links in that list also told me that it is the ancestor of some common vegetables). Maybe the kingdom of God sometimes grows in places we don't expect or where it is not wanted. Maybe there are times we see the growing kingdom of God as a problem to be removed not a benefit to be celebrated.
We do not grow the kingdom of God. God is doing that. We might delay or slow its growth. We might fight against it but it will grow anyway. We are called to sow seeds. We are called to grow in love and faithfulness as God feeds and waters our souls. We are challenged to allow that growth means change. As the kingdom of God grows in the world and in our lives we will be changed. That may be why we sometimes try to control or delay the growth that God is causing. Change is uncomfortable.
Even if it might be uncomfortable at times, God is causing growth in the world. Small twigs are becoming grand trees. Small seeds are growing even if we don't know why or how. Those seeds might grow into what we recognize as a tree, or as a food-grain. They might look like an unwelcome weed. But they are growing. God is at work. The kingdom is developing in our midst.
How will we respond?
--Gord
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