AIt’s All About The Seed!@ Mark 4:26-34

St. John=s - East Moline 07/02/06

Intro.: This spring our lawn was in serious distress; there was the ugly spot which had been used as a burn pile, the area scorched by last summer’s drought, and that hole where one of the pine trees used to stand. After all of Judi’s diligence last year in fighting back the creeping Charlie we were bound and determined to get some grass growing in those places, so we thatched the scorched area, mixed some rich soil in the others, and spread the seed. After this, according to the directions we received from a local garden shop, we carefully covered them with a thin layer of more good dirt and raked in the seed. Then we watered and waited, and watered and waited, and watered and waited some more, but nothing happened. Weeks went by and still nothing. The only consolation was that on our walks we would always pass a newly constructed house whose yard was solid mud, and realize that our situation could be worse. One day we noticed that they had spread grass seed without working the soil or anything. What fools! That stuff was never going to grow, right? Wrong, a few days later we went by and they had a lawn full of grass. We couldn’t get a few little patches to grow after weeks of care, and they threw seed out and had a lush green lawn in a matter of days. We finally concluded that the problem was with the seed. They had sewn good seed, and we had sewn bad. In the same way our Lord teaches us that when it comes to His kingdom, “It’s All About The Seed!”

I. The Seed Gives Life And Brings Forth Fruit.

A. One of the most important points of Jesus’ first parable is that the power to bring life and produce fruit is not in the working of the field, or the way in which it is planted, but in the seed, itself. Jesus says: AThis is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain...@ (vv.26-28) The seed in God=s kingdom is, of course, His Word.

1. Unfortunately, many can’t accept that the Word of God has this kind of power in itself, so like us with our grass planting fiasco, they pay less attention to the quality of the seed, than they do to the various methods of scattering it, cultivating it, and fertilizing it. Think about it, to place all your confidence in a little seed is not an easy thing to do. It is so small, dried-up, and lacking in the signs of life, that it is difficult to see the potential power it contains. It takes tremendous faith and trust to see a future field of fertile plants locked up in a handful of shriveled seeds, does it not?

This is perhaps why some Christians view the Word of God as a lifeless object or seed, which depends on the soil of the human heart to give it life. They teach, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, that the power of salvation resides in the will and activity of man, rather than in the Gospel. According to God=s Word, however, the opposite is true. It is the soil or heart of sinful man which is dead, and the seed or Word of God which is living and active. Planted within the lifeless soil by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit it reaches into that soil; filling what was dead and empty with life, and drawing from that soil all that is useful so that it is redeemed and glorified.

2. Many who go by the name Christian seem to despise preaching and God’s Word. Despite the Lord’s promise, they consider baptism and the Lord=s Supper to be incapable of accomplishing new birth and forgiveness of sins. We, however, know and confess that the Word of God read, spoken, or made visible in the sacraments is the precious seed which has the power to give us life, and the power to build God=s kingdom. St. Paul says of the Word of Gospel that it is Athe very power of God unto salvation for all who believe.@ And St. Peter says that we have been Aborn again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.@ (I Pet. 1:23)

Every one of us here this morning were once spiritually dead, blind, and enemies of God because of our sin. But somewhere along the line the Word that was scattered planted itself in the soil of our once dead hearts and we were made alive in Christ. This is the seed that has caused God=s kingdom to grow in you and through you. This is the seed that gives life to you and to the Lord=s Church, and it is the same seed which will grow and prosper in its own time, and in its own way, even if we don=t understand how.

B. In our parable Jesus explains that the life giving power of the seed works mysteriously, even when we are unaware of it.

1. There is a certain mystery involved in the cycle of planting and growing. A farmer plants his seed and then waits for it to grow. He does not necessarily know how it grows, but he trusts that night and day it will grow all on its own; whether he is asleep or awake. It happens as the original Greek says Aautomath@ or automatically.

The Bible assures us that the Word of God will always be effective. Isaiah wrote: AIt will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire.@ (Is. 55:11) Again Paul reminds us that when we speak God=s Word, Aour labor in the Lord is not in vain.@ (I Cor. 15:58)

2. It is the Word who came in the flesh, Jesus Christ, who did battle with Satan on the cross for us. Without our help, and certainly not because we deserved it, the Son of God came as He said, with the power of life in Him, and the power to give life to us. There on the cross the Lord of life offered himself as a holy sacrifice for our sins; the kernel of wheat that died and was planted in the ground became the seed that gives life to others. When He rose again from the dead He promised us, every one of us, that we have life, spiritual and eternal life, in His name. Now, the seed of Christ and His Word works in us and through us to bear fruit to God’s glory.

3. The Word does not need our help, but continues to do its work, and accomplish God’s purpose in and through us. Luther expresses his trust in God=s Word to do its thing without His help, when he writes: AAnd while I slept....or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends…, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything. I did nothing; I let the Word do its work.@ (LW, vol. 51)

With Luther we acknowledge the nature of God=s kingdom, and the power of the Word to do its work when we confess in the explanation of the second petition of our Lord=s prayer: AThe kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer...@ God=s kingdom comes, and grows, and bears fruit not because of the things we do, not by growing a beautiful field of weeds with our own seed, nor by the manure we spread so liberally, but because the good seed of the pure Word is sown. When that seed is sown, God=s kingdom in us and around us grows and bears abundant fruit.

C. But this growth is often a gradual process, AFirst the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head” (v.28) and then when it is ripe, finally the harvest. (nt. v.29)

1. This seemingly slow growing process is difficult for us to accept in an age that wants everything instantly. Ours is a can=t wait society. We want it, and we want it now! We grow impatient when we do not see immediate fruit, quick success and easy growth. We want to see an instantaneous change in people’s lives after one or perhaps two sermons. When we don’t see rapid growth and fast fruits we are tempted to lose faith in the seed, so that we start tearing up the soil and piling on our old manure. What would happen if a farmer were to react with such impatience? We’d all starve.

2. We need to remember that the Lord speaks of the growth of his kingdom as an often gradual process, both for the Church and in the life of the individual Christian. Godly habits, good stewardship, more committed living is not always evidenced immediately, but through continued exposure to the Word, Christians and Christian congregations will grow. 3. We must however make a distinction between, slow growth and no growth. Slow growth is the natural process. No growth is the result of your refusal to, “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21) The reason that so many of you are not bearing godly fruit, and that our congregation does not grow in size and strength is not because the seed is bad or ineffective, and it is not because it is being planted or cultivated the wrong way. The problem is with us. Most of us do not receive God’s Word, apply it, and let it have its way with us. The fact that most of us do not read our Bible’s and have devotions daily, do not attend Bible Class or Sunday School, do not worship regularly or attentively, do not apply God’s Word to our daily decisions and duties, nor share it with others is not only a shame, it is a sin; a sin that endangers our spiritual and eternal lives and one that stunts the growth of God’s kingdom.

But where the seed of God’s Word is planted it will grow and produce fruit to God’s glory in the day of harvest.

Jesus second parable, about the mustard seed demonstrates that in time, the good little seed will grow in a miraculous way.

II. The Seed Grows.

Truly, the most wonderful plant in the garden of this world is the kingdom of God.

A. In the parable of the mustard seed Jesus tells us that the tiniest little seed, which seems as nothing, results in a magnificent organism or plant. Here he is referring to the Church, the kingdom of God=s grace, which began with the tiny seed of Christ, whose lifeless body which was offered for the salvation of the world was taken from the cross and fell to the ground, and the third day rose again in glory to assure us all that because He lives we shall live also. From that tiny seed planted in Jerusalem, a handful of disciples began to spread roots throughout the world. Just as Jesus had told them to do, they went from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and then to the utter parts of the world. And wherever they went congregations were established, people were saved, and the kingdom of God grew and grew until today it is the largest plant in the world. By God=s grace, and the life giving power of the tiny yet powerful seed, billions upon billions of people are part of this wonderful and glorious plant which is God=s kingdom.

B. This magnificent plant of the Church has been a remains a blessing to all the people of the world. With the tiny seed of His Word God has grown the greatest of all the plants in His garden, which gives rest and shade to all who seek refuge in its branches. Through the Church, sharing the love of Christ, the poor are clothed, the hungry are fed, the sick are cared for, the captives are given freedom and hope, and those who mourn are comforted. The list of blessings which the inhabitants of this world, believer and unbeliever alike, find under the shelter of this great planting of the Lord goes on and on. But the greatest of all is the shade it offers from the heat of judgment. Here, in God=s kingdom of grace, the love of God in Christ is proclaimed, and forgiveness of sin is given and received. This is where God offers shelter to all the wild birds of this world.

Unlikely birds like Saul of Tarsus who persecuted Christ, and tried desperately to chop off the new growth of the plant as he went around persecuting Christ, arresting believers and having them put to death. But then he received the grace of God in Christ, and became the apostle to the Gentiles to plant that tiny seed throughout Asia Minor. In the shelter of this tree’s branches, birds like William Murray, the son of Madalyn Murray O=Hair, who was the leading athiest in our land, have found the joys of eternal life. Mr. Murray was led to the Christian faith by reading the Gospel of Luke, and after that tiny seed was planted in him, by the power of the Holy Spirit he confessed his sins and confessed Jesus Christ as his savior. Even unlikely birds like you and me, who because of our sin deserve to suffer the consuming heat of God=s wrath, have found our comfort in the shade of this wonderful planting of the Lord. Here we receive forgiveness, life, strength, and everlasting hope in the Word and Sacraments. Here God continues to plant that tiny little seed in our hearts.

My dear brothers and sisters, behold the seed (Bible), the wonderful tiny little seed of God=s kingdom. Let it be planted in your heart to give you life, and spiritual growth. Humbly receive it for it is God’s power to save you, and produce in you fruits to glorify your life in Christ. In the Word=s of St. Paul: ALet the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing pslams, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.@ (Col. 3:16) Amen.