99 Days to Pentecost: Day 37

Day 37 - March 22, 2021
Mark 4:10-12 (Read Full Chapter)
10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”

“Seeds at Sea”
Written by Pastor Joseph Noh

The parables in this chapter are all rooted in the metaphor of a seed. The first parable (v. 4-12) speaks of the seeds that fall into 4 different types of soil with the seed falling in the good soil grows bountifully yielding a 100 times as much fruit. The second parable (v. 26-29) describes the timely process for a maturing seed to produce a grain for harvest, and the third parable (v. 30-32) tells of the growth of a small mustard seed that becomes a large nesting place.

In each of the parables, the Kingdom of God is the focal point. From hearing the Word and receiving it well, to growing faithfully over time, to becoming much from something small. The “seeds” are recipients of the mystery and power of the Kingdom of God that each of these parables describes. 

We are like these seeds and how we receive the Word, cultivate it in our lives, and faithfully live it out, will determine the result. The process is ongoing. 

Even after all these parables, in the final verses (v. 35-41), the disciples find themselves in the middle of a storm and cry out to Jesus for aid. Jesus calms the storm and turns to rebuke them saying, “Do you still have no faith?”, implying that they themselves could calm the storm in Jesus’ name. Knowing is indeed not the same as doing. At the time, the disciples could not relate or see themselves performing such a miracle in Jesus’ name, but we know that later on, they did many such things. 

As followers of Christ, we can take great faith and joy in the fact that as seeds, upon hearing the word, tending to it, and trusting (no matter how small we may feel), much can be done and much will come! 

Prayer: Father God, how great is Your name! We know that in Your power and word, just as the seeds, we can grow to be a wonderful part of Your great Kingdom work. We seek Your presence to guide us to be faithful in today! In Jesus' name, Amen.
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