As part of our worship this morning, we spent time responding to questions posed about Mark 4:26-34, which contains two of Jesus’ parables. In the NRSV, we find:
“He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
“He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all the shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
After listening to some commentary about the scripture, we discussed the following questions:
Where have you seen God’s reign beginning to sprout, grow, or bear fruit?
How do we unconsciously try to keep the kingdom of God separate from our daily life and activities?
How have you recently been challenged to sow the seeds of the kingdom?