Can We Believe When We Don't Understand?

This morning we continue to look at the parables of the Lord Jesus at the beginning of Mark’s gospel, and we have seen in recent weeks that parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings.  Jesus used parables to reveal truths about life in the Kingdom of God to those who were insiders and to conceal truths about life in the Kingdom of God to those who had willfully and intentionally rejected Jesus’ calling on their life for salvation.

 

So far, we have heard the parable of the soils and the parable of the lamp and the parable of the measure.  Today, we will see another agrarian parable as Jesus often taught His people using these very familiar stories about farming. 

 

In Mark 4:26-29, I want to show you the parable of the growing seed.  However, let’s add mysterious to that to make it the parable of the mysteriously growing seed and answer this question.  Can you trust what you don’t understand?

 

This parable is again about life in the kingdom of God, and that what Jesus said in verse 26.  Let’s see this parable in three scenes. 

 

 

1.     The Sower Sows, Mark 4:26.

26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…

 

Again, this parable revealed truths about the kingdom of God, which is not just heaven, but the invisible of here and now.  Jesus has done this previously, and we will see it again next Sunday.  See 4:11, 4:26, and 4:30.

Mark 4:11, 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…

 

Mark 4:26, 26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…

 

Mark 4:30, 30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

 

In this first verse of the parable, we see the sower or the farmer who faithfully sowed or scatter seed in broadcast form on the ground. 

 

I would say that the sower represents every Christian, every follower of Christ, and the seed is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is the good news of how to be saved, and we should regularly and continuously be sowing and scattering the seed of the gospel.

 

 

2. The Sower Waits, Mark 4:27-28.

27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

 

After the sower sows, he or she goes about his daily life.  He goes to bed at night.  She gets up in the morning.  He goes to work.  She goes to school. 

 

The something very strange happens.  The seed sprouts and grows.  This happens mysteriously.  The sower doesn’t even know or understand how this happens.

 

Verse 28 says the seed and the soil bring forth growth without any outside force.  The soil produces crop by itself or on its own.  The language of the NT uses the word that gives us automatic.  The crops come up automatically. 

 

The same word is used in Acts 12:10 to describe the gate that opened by itself in releasing Peter from prison.

 

Acts 12:10, 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

Let me let you in on something.  God opened the gate in Acts 12, and God makes the seed grow in Mark 4.

 

1 Corinthians 3:6-7, 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

 

 

3. The Sower Harvests, Mark 4:29.

29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

 

When the crop ripens or brings forth fruit or is ready, the sower puts in his sickle and harvests the crop.  The phrase “puts in his sickle” is used in John 4:38 to describe reaping a harvest of souls through witnessing.

 

38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

 

 

Conclusions or Heavenly Meaning

As it relates to life in the kingdom of God, obeying is essential.  Witnessing is expected, and trusting is eminent.  By eminent, I mean of the utmost importance. 

 

We are trusting the Lord to sovereignly accomplish His purpose.  We must do our work, and trust God to do His.

 

The sower went about his daily life going to bed at night and getting up each day, and James 5:7-8, tells us to trust God by being patient.

 

James 5:7-8, 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.