We begin with a statement by Michael Reeves, the president and professor of theology at the Union School of Theology: “When all seems broken, uncertain, or wrong, remember God the unchanging who, through it all, cannot be broken, uncertain, or wrong.” (Authentic Ministry, 75) Let’s just sit with that for a minute. Are there times when things seem broken? Are there times when things seem uncertain? Are there times when things seem wrong? Yes, yes, and yes. Maybe those are the moments when we need to remember God the unchanging who, through it all, cannot be broken, uncertain, or wrong. Just because you and I can’t see how something broken is going to get fixed… Just because you and I can’t see how something uncertain can become clear… Just because you and I can’t see how a wrong will turn into a right… that doesn’t mean God can’t. And we belong to him. In Jesus’ day, he came announcing the kingdom of God—where and when the almighty God ruled as King in the midst of his people. It (and he) were the hope of the ages. Some incredible things were happening. But to many people, there were still so many problems and questions. ‘If Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, and if God’s kingdom is near, why are the Romans still ruling us, why are we still wandering around the countryside, why is there so much opposition, why are things taking so long?...’ In response, Jesus taught a series of parables (a) to help people understand the true nature of God’s kingdom, and (b) to encourage them forward when so much in the world still seemed broken, uncertain and wrong. What he said to them then, continues to be instructive for us today. Mark 4:21-34 (ESV) We are in a section of 4 parables. A parable is an illustration taken from everyday life to teach about a greater reality. 1st was last week: Parable of Sower, Mark 4:1-20. It talked about being “good soil,” i.e. those who hear God’s word, accept it, and “bear fruit.” To “bear fruit” is to show evidence of your faith in a way that loves or serves others. Today’s parables follow up on that one. 21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Explanations: “a lamp”: a lamp is made to shine, not put under a basket. i.e. you were made to bear fruit and “shine,” not be hidden away out of use or service. This first example comes on the heels of the parable of the sower and is an extension of its meaning; you are here for a purpose. A “lamp” is a person who shines God’s light in and through their lives. You are here on purpose and for a purpose. You were born to bless. You are made in God’s image, and as an image-bearer carry forward his goodness to a world that is hurting. “For nothing is hidden…”: In God’s kingdom, light will expose darkness. 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Explanations: “with the measure you use”: this short proverbial saying was used by Jesus’ in different contexts (see, for example, Matthew 7:2). Here, along with the statement “to the one who has, more will be given,” the emphasis is as follows: If you share and show the light of Christ, you will be given more of that light. If you don’t share and show the light of Christ, whatever you have will be taken from you. In short, “use it or lose it”! “There is no such thing as spiritual unemployment or spiritual retirement in the Kingdom of God.” (Donald Whitney, Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life,” 58) You may retire from the school board, or from the electric company, but you will never retire from discipleship. Your lamp was meant to shine. 26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Explanations: “scatter seed on the ground”: this immediately makes us think of the parable of the sower (vv. 1-20) which began in a similar way. “he sleeps and rises”: The point is that it is ultimately God who is bringing about his kingdom (not us). Only he knows the timing. The word (seed) has its own power which works, even if we think it is small and helpless. Like how the earth produces “first the blade, then the ear,” the kingdom comes in steps or stages. “the harvest has come”: this is language about the final Judgment Day. When God is ready, he will come as Judge and Saviour—at that point the time for bearing fruit will be over. He will come to gather what is good and toss away what is bad. (Rev. 14:15 is one of the places where the final judgment is spoken of as a harvest.) 30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Explanations: “a grain of mustard seed” is very small. For farming in Judea in the 1st century, it was the smallest used. A mustard bush/plant could grow to 6 to 10 feet and have sturdy branches. In the spring it had bright yellow flowers. The plant was used for oil and medicine. The point here is that the kingdom of God begins in small (and seemingly insignificant) ways, but grows to incredible proportions. When it does, it is a source not only of beauty, but of sustenance and healing. “the birds of the air can make nests in its shade”: the kingdom is ultimately a place of blessing, safety, and even home (because that is what a nest is to a bird). This statement about the tree may call to mind Ezekiel 17: 22-24 where a tree is described as a symbol of God’s peaceful reign in the world. This parable may have been to help explain why God’s kingdom wasn’t coming immediately and with great force to overthrow the kingdoms of the world. It also may have encouraged those in the early church who didn’t feel as if their work was advancing. Be patient! 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. Explanations: “as they were able to hear it”: this shows Jesus’ wisdom and compassion. He didn’t teach ‘over their heads.’ He taught in a way they could relate to and apply. This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. Before we went through today’s text, I said that these parables were intended (a) to help people understand the true nature of God’s kingdom, and (b) to encourage them forward when so much in the world still seemed broken, uncertain and wrong. I also said that what Jesus said to them then, continues to be instructive for us today. Here it is. First, you are a light which is intended to shine. You are not to be “put under a basket” (v. 21). This is an extension of what we learned last week in the parable of the sower. We hear the word, we accept the word, and we strive (with God’s help) to show evidence of our faith in a way that loves and serves others. Even when things seem broken, uncertain or wrong, you are a light which is intended to shine. Even when you are frustrated that God is not being obvious in your life as you would like, you are a light which is intended to shine. Rebecca McLaughlin says: “We’re not called to blend in or to check out, but to shine.” (No Greater Love, 139) We could add “or until all of our questions are answered.” We are called to shine. -‘But the world feels like it’s falling apart.’ Sure. And your job is to shine. -‘But I’m frustrated with the people around me.’ Sure. And your job is to shine. -‘But I don’t know what the future is going to be like.’ Sure. And your job is to shine. Second, God’s kingdom advances according to his timing, not yours. That’s what we learn in verse 27: “the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” According to the Lego organization, how many possible combinations are there from 6 standard Lego bricks? 36? 128? 128,000? Over 9 million? They say it’s over 9 million! Here’s the connection. In our minds and hearts, we picture what God can and should be doing in the world. But our perspective is limited. Not only do we have a limited point-of-view, but we can’t even start to comprehend all the ways he can and does advance his kingdom in the world. If there are over 9 million possible combinations from those 6 standard Lego bricks, just think of the possibilities for how God can and does advance the work of his kingdom in our world today. “the seed spouts and grows; we know not how…” But God does. And he is moving forward his revolutionary kingdom according to his good wisdom, even when we can’t see how all the pieces fit together. Third, God’s kingdom starts small but ends gloriously. This is what we learn in the parable of the mustard seed. It begins with a tiny seed, but grows into something great. Patience! A friend of mine told me about something he saw on a fridge magnet somewhere: “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple. But only God can count the apples in the seed.” Here’s an apple seed (hold it up). Look at how small it is. But if this is planted, it will grow into an apple tree, which will produce a lot of apples with a bunch of seeds on their own, and then we could say the same thing about all of those seeds. There are times when we feel discouraged because we look around and all we see is a lack of progress. But God’s kingdom works differently than we often expect. The mustard seed becomes a plant which becomes a home for birds; it turns a beautiful yellow in the spring which is used for sustenance and healing—all from this tiny little seed. This is often what it’s like to be a part of God’s work in the world. But you and I need to trust that process—and that, in the end, it will be on earth as it is in heaven, and that God has used our faithfulness in that process. So, what should we do with all this? Trust God and leave the results to him. In Jesus’ time, the disciples were being invited to trust God and to engage in his work even when things weren’t moving ahead in all the ways they envisioned—and to leave the results to him. The same is true for our day. As disciples we are being invited to trust God and to engage in his work even when things aren’t moving ahead in all the ways we envision—and to leave the results to him. At a church in Oklahoma, a man felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to give the lady in the pew beside him all the money in his wallet. Seemed like a strange thing to do, and it would mean he wouldn’t have any money left in his wallet. But he decided to trust God. He gave her the money. That’s when he learned her story. The lady only had enough money to get to church, but that was it. No money for lunch afterwards and no money to get a taxi home. But she felt that God was telling her to be there. So his gift to her was an answered prayer. The man who gave the money knew that it was important to trust that prompting from God, and to leave the results to him. The woman who received the money, knew that it was important to trust that prompting from God to be in church that Sunday morning, even when she didn’t know how she was going to get home, and she left the results to him. Think about the challenges that you might be facing. Some of you are worrying a lot about the future. Some of you are dealing with a kind of exhaustion that makes your soul tired. Some of you are dealing with uncertain health issues. Some of you are navigating family dynamics that are causing you pain. Some of you are trying to create a new life, almost from scratch. Some of you are trying to do Jesus’ work in a world that you feel is against you. Whatever it is, the best thing that you can do for tomorrow is to trust God today. Why? Because living by the teachings of Jesus is always the best thing we can do. But when we’re worrying about the future, or dealing with exhaustion, or having uncertain health issues, or navigating painful family dynamics, or trying to create a new life, or doing Jesus work in a world that you feel is against you, when we don’t see the results that we want to see we are tempted to veer off of God’s course, and try something else. But that is always worse. The job today is to live by faith. The job tomorrow is to live by faith. And the job the day after that is to live by faith. And God will guide and provide, as he always does. “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket?” “to the one who has, more will be given” “the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how” The kingdom “is like a grain of mustard seed” “When all seems broken, uncertain, or wrong, remember God the unchanging who, through it all, cannot be broken, uncertain, or wrong.” Are there times when things seem broken? Are there times when things seem uncertain? Are there times when things seem wrong? Yes, yes, and yes. Maybe those are the moments when we need to remember God the unchanging who, through it all, cannot be broken, uncertain, or wrong. Trust God and leave the results to him. Amen.