God’s Unassuming Glory

Opening Prayer (Confession & Intercession)

Mark 4:26–29 LSB

26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27 and he sleeps and rises, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29 “But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The only kingdom that will prevail in this world is the kingdom that is not of this world.

Anonymous

The Question for us to consider is do I reflect the process Jesus is referring to in the text?

Hope in the Unassuming Greatness of the Gospel. (v.26-27)

The Farmer is not the focus of the parable, here the Farmer is doing what he is supposed to, but the seed is doing the work.

The Seed does the work; it is marvelous and captivating. Yet, the Farmer for doing what he must does not know the process that leads to its growth and maturation.

It is a comfort for the reader that Jesus is referring to the greatest kingdom that is to be fulfilled, in comparison to a rather common and low-priority job in everyday life for a farmer.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

The Encouragement of the Disciples’ Growth. (v. 28)

A grain of grace is worth more than a ton of knowledge. The Way Of Wisdom

Charles Spurgeon

Marking the broken soil from the earlier parable of the soils, we see here the expansion of the work of God upon the soil, through the seed.

The work of the seed is orderly and follows a pattern, which reflects the way of maturity in the spiritual life that leads to glorification for believers everywhere.

The ultimate end of the grain points to the future, while the benefit of the mature grain is at work in the field.

Revelation 14:15 “15 And another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sits on the cloud, “Put in Your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.””

The process of sanctification

Unassuming Humility leads to Manifest Eternal Glory. (v. 29)

God’s seed will come to God’s harvest.

Samuel Rutherford (Scottish Presbyterian Divine)

The farmer, now looking to accomplish the goal of the planting season, takes up the tools needed to gather the grain to bring it into the storehouse.

The image of the sickle is that of judgement, the last day, the separation between the holy and the defiled; the faithful and the faithless.

Here we know that the heads of grain, being separated by sifting, will be brought to the storehouse of the LORD, while the needless parts, or the weeds that might have entangled themselves are thrown to the fire for burning.

The beauty of the parable is not only in the eternal truth it conveys, but in the majesty of the radical transformation possible only by the work of God Almighty.

Humble obedience leads to glorious victory in the life of the disciples of the Lord.

The Glory of Salvation

For the Lost and Rebellious—Repent of your sins, plead with God for the forgiveness of our sins, and confess that Jesus Christ is LORD and King of your life.

For the Errant Child—Return to the Father; Confess your sins and plead for a renewed heart.

For the Disciple—Rejoice! Share the Gospel Everywhere you go, and Join yourself to the Bride of Christ where you life. Flourish and help the local church flourish.