Small beginnings and a glorious hope

Alive with Hope

(Mark 4:30-34, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, November 4, 2018)

[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.”

[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.

The Smallest Seed

Jesus told those who were listening to Him what the topic of His parables was: “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?” It was not His purpose to teach botany, but to use the created order as a display of tremendous spiritual truths.

He spoke of a plant that started out with such a small beginning but then grew to a surprising size. Let's talk about the small beginning first.

“Certain orchids from the tropical rain forest produce the world’s smallest seeds, of which one seed weighs about 1/35,000,000 (one 35 millionth) of an ounce. These seeds are dispersed into the air like tiny dust particles, ultimately landing in the upper canopy of the rain forest.” (infoplease.com)

These orchids have such a small start, but they would not have served the Lord's purpose well as well as the more familiar mustard seed in this passage since after their full growth they produce orchids and not a bush where “birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Speaking of small beginnings, Zechariah 4:6 speaks of a kingdom that will come by the power of the Almighty through a descendant of David called Zerubbabel: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” Other powers in Zerubbabel's day were far more impressive. Note the verses that follow in Zechariah 4:7–10 “[7] Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ [8] Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, [9] ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. [10] For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.’”

God would build something (a worship “house” made of stones) through Zerubbabel that would start out very small, but should not be “despised.”

Larger than Expected Growth

Now on to the large bush for nesting birds that would spring from such a modest start. Were those listening to Jesus willing to see beyond the small seed to the promised growth that would one day came?

In Ezekiel 31, God spoke of proud empires that were towering ceders, powers like Assyria and Egypt, but they would be brought to nothing. What about God's kingdom? Ezekiel 17:22–24 says, “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. [23] On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest.”

The promised descendant of David would be the beginning of a kingdom that would be not only for Jews, but for all the nations of the earth.

The Word of God and the Christian Hope

In order for the smallest seed to become a large garden plant, a great change that seems most unlikely at the beginning must take place. There must be growth. As we have seen from other parable, Christ promised that He and the Word about Him would be the seed for that heaven-sent growth.

We are in a far better position to evaluate the progress of the kingdom than those who heard the parable when it was first spoken. So then, how have the Last 2000 Years gone? What has Jesus been doing since He ascended into heaven? Has He sent-forth His Spirit-filled messengers of the Word to bless the earth? Has it worked?

Any fair assessment of the last two millenia should cause us to be most impressed with God. From the end of BC to 500 AD Christianity won a foothold in Palestine, Turkey, North Africa, and parts of mainland Europe. From 500-1000: Northern Europe, [Islam attacked and was eventually pushed back]. From 1000-1500: Expansion in Eastern and Northern Europe, [and Islam was pushed back even more]. Most shockingly, 1500-2000: Americas, Australia, Africa, Asia, truly to the very ends of the earth.

During those years important doctrinal battles have been fought and won, the Bible was slowly lost in religion and comparatively suddenly found again. The Spirit pressed the church forward in sincere worship and sacrificial obedience.

What about your (spiritual) life story: What has Jesus been doing in your life? Has He given you faith and repentance? Has He set you on a path of pursuing holiness in love? He has not finished with you yet?

Jesus taught about the kingdom of God using parables. The new era of human experience that He began was amazingly modest in its opening days. How will it all end? What the Messiah has humbly inaugurated will be gloriously completed at just the right time, but trusting Jesus for our destiny together is massively consequential right now.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 82 – Human “gods” and the Son of the Most High

New Testament Reading—Hebrews 11 – By faith