15 May, 2016

Introduction:

The kingdom of God grows like a mustard seed

Mark 4:24-36

Friends, in the year 356BC, at just 20 years of age,

Alexander III of Macedon, became the new ruler of
the kingdom of Macedon. And just 10 years later, at
the age of 30, Alexander had become so powerful that
he ruled over a massive kingdom that stretched all the
way from Greece to Egypt & then all the way east to
India. And this young man quickly became known as
Alexander- the Great & he was one of the greatest
military leaders the world has ever known. And even
hundreds of years after his death - at age 32, his influence was still strong across his old kingdom. You see,
Alexander had brought greek language & culture to the world. He brought greek art, & education, town
planning & government to millions of people across the world. And Alexanders kingdom spread quickly
throughout the known world - through war & fear & the death of his enemies.
Now friends, some 350 years later, another man was born into this world & he spoke of a new kingdom.
And this man came into this world, not as a great, military ruler or general - but as a humble carpenter,
teacher, & healer. And at the age of 30 this man, this rabbi named Jesus, began to walk around the
small & insignificant nation of Israel with a message - that now there is a new kingdom operating in this
world - the kingdom of God. Friends, Jesus taught the people the same message wherever he went;
Repent, because the kingdom of God is here! In other words, change your thinking about everything,
because the kingdom of God is here!
And really Jesus, was very careful to explain that Gods new kingdom was very different to the kingdoms
that normally rule over this world. You see, Jesus taught that Gods kingdom does not depend on human
strength, & it would not grow through war & fear, & it did not involve the death of your enemies. In fact,
living in the kingdom of God, involved loving your enemy & laying down your life for their good. Friends,
the message of Jesus, the good news of the Gospel, is very different to anything you will ever hear even
today. Look at how Jesus describes the kingdom of God.
Jesus said, With what can I compare the Kingdom of God? What parable should I use to describe it? 31 It
is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, 32 but it becomes the greatest of all
shrubs. It grows long branches, & the birds of the air come & make nests in its shade.
30

Friends, Jesus says that Gods kingdom starts small, very small. In fact, Gods kingdom starts so small that
you can barely see it its just like tiny a mustard seed. And really, it did start small, didnt it? I mean, it
started with just one man, Jesus who is the king over the kingdom of God. And yet, throughout his life,
Jesus, slowly & steadily brought the kingdom of God into the lives of more & more people. First, one
person, then another person, then 12 followers, then 70, then huge crowds that followed him throughout
his public ministry. You see, Jesus extended the reign of God into this world. And Jesus did this as he
brought the goodness of God & the grace of God into the lives of normal, everyday people just like
you & me. And really, I think Jesus did 3 things throughout his ministry. (1) Jesus proclaimed the free
availability of Gods kingdom now. Its small, but its here & its growing; (2) Jesus explained how to enter
into Gods kingdom- & how to live there - by trusting him with your life each day, &
(3) Jesus showed the kingdom of God in action- through powerful healings, great
acts of service & love, through prayer & through his own sacrificial death on a crossto bring us back to God. And even today, the risen Jesus, who is lord of all, continues
his supernatural work of spreading & growing the kingdom of God- the rule of God
the government of God. But friends, notice the words that Jesus uses here. He says
the Kingdom of God is like the smallest seed which is planted into the ground. But it grows to be the
largest of all garden plants. It grows long branches & the birds of the air come & make nests in its shade.
Now friends, how small is a mustard seed? Answertiny! its so small you can barely see it. And how big
is a full grown mustard tree?...well, have a look at this photo. Now friends, this may
surprise you but the truth is, a mustard tree is not that big! Indeed, a full grown
mustard tree is generally only about 3-4 metres tall. Its not a big tree, is it? Its not a
big tree - it's a big shrub. And friends, this is where I think we need to think very
carefully about what Jesus is trying to teach us here. You see, I dont think Jesus is
simply trying to say that the kingdom of God starts very small but gets very big. No!...I
mean, if Jesus wanted to say this he could have chosen a different plant altogether.

For example, Jesus could have chosen this tree the Cedar of Lebanon, which still has a small seed but
it grows to be the largest of all trees around the Mediterranean. You see, this tree gets to over 40metres
tall. And in the ancient world the forests of Cedar were so big & widespread that in the Old Testament,
king Solomon used its wood to make the temple of God. You see, 2000 years ago, when people heard
the word Cedar of Lebanon they thought towering strength, majesty, wealth & great power. So can
you imagine, Jesus changing his parable to say something like this: With what can I compare the
Kingdom of God? What parable should I use to describe it? It is like the seed from a Cedar of Lebanon
which is planted in the ground. It is only a small seed, but it becomes the greatest of all the trees. It grows
massive branches, & the birds of the air come & make nests in its shade. But friends, Jesus doesnt say
this, does he? No!... in this particular parable about the kingdom of God, Jesus uses the tiny mustard seed
which becomes the relatively small mustard shrub, to show us that the kingdom of God is not
overpowering! You see, the kingdom of God is not like a massive Cedar tree that everyone can see.
No!...the kingdom of God is more like a mustard seed that slowly grows to become a shrub. And so, I
think Jesus is trying to teach us that the kingdom of God doesn't tower over people, it isnt found in things
like human wealth, power or status, the kingdom of God doesnt force itself upon people, it isnt obvious
to people, & it doesn't look strong to many people. Indeed, I think Jesus is saying that if you dont look
carefully for the kingdom of God - you wont even notice it. Youll walk straight past it & you wont see
that God is at work, right now, there in front of you, slowly growing his kingdom today. Look v 26. And I
think this story goes side by side with the story of the mustard seed.
Jesus then said, The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night & day,
while hes asleep or awake, the seed sprouts & grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28 The
earth produces the crops on its own. First the stalk, then the heads of wheat are formed, & finally the grain
ripens. 29 And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes & harvests it with a sickle, because the harvest
time has come.
26

Friends, in this second parable which I think goes together with the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus
teaches us that Gods kingdom grows gradually, slowly, & almost secretly. Indeed, it doesnt seem to
depend on humans at all, does it? And yet, you can see each stage of growth clearly. First the stalk, then
the heads of wheat, & finally the grain. And I think this is a very accurate way for us to think about how
God works in this world & in our lives, today. You see, how is the risen lord Jesus, now spreading Gods
influence & goodness throughout the world & in our lives today? Answer/ Jesus is doing it slowly &
gradually. But friends, if we look carefully we will be able to see the signs of Gods kingdom growing all
around us- everyday. Really, Jesus is trying to teach us here that we need to look for God in action in our
world- everyday. In other words, we must learn to see Gods reign spreading, we must train ourselves to
be able to identify what God is doing in our lives & in the lives of people around us: in our families, at
work, with our neighbours & even here at church. You see, because Jesus has risen from the dead &
because Jesus is the lord over all- Jesus is now growing his kingdom today & he is doing it slowly,
patiently, & quietly- almost secretly. And although the kingdom of God might not be as overpowering &
obvious as the great Cedars of Lebanon the truth is that it is still strong enough for birds to nest in its
shade. You see, the kingdom of God is still strong enough for us to live in, for us to make our home in, &
for us to grow & flourish in - with Gods peace, hope, & security in our lives.
Conclusion:

Now friends, I think we need to do some more homework this week. And I think we need some
homework because we all need to practise looking for signs of the kingdom of God in our lives & in this
world, today & everyday. And friends, the best advice that I have ever been given about how to look for
Gods kingdom is this: If you want to see what God is doing - then look for what is good. Now, I think
that is a great place to start, don't you think? I mean, If we want to know what God is doing right now, if
we want to see God in action today, if we want to see the kingdom of God in everyday life then look
carefully around you for what is good - look for good things being done around you, look for good things
being done for you & look for good things that are being done by you as God works in you to do his
will. So friends, that is our homework for this week. To look!...to look for Gods good in every small detail of
your life, to look for the kingdom of God in action.
So perhaps this week you may want to make a list of the things that you see. And perhaps most
important of all we can ask God to help us bring the kingdom of God to people around us - to help us
bring Gods goodness, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, patience & love into the lives of people all
around us. Friends, that is one way to make sure you see the kingdom of God, each day
Lets pray