Growth is of God

In the last few days, our family has been watching the Harry Potter movies. Most recently, we watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Toward the beginning of the movie, Harry and his good friends, the Weasley family, are on their way out the door to go to the International Quidditch World Cup (which is the wizarding world’s version of soccer).

As their hiking along the beautiful rolling hills of England farmland, the group stops and begins circling around an old leather boot. Harry is baffled by this and speaks up asking, “Why are you all gathering around that old boot?”

Mr. Weasley tries to explain something about magical portkeys and how ordinary every day items can be imbued with special magic to turn them into doorways traveling from one location to another. Harry is obviously lost in the conversation… so lost, in fact, that as the rest of the crew he is with grabs onto the boot in preparation for transportation, Harry is stuck staring at it, trying to imagine if what he has just heard is actually possible.

His friends turn in the last few seconds and call out to him, “Harry! Grab the boot!” and he reaches out, touching it just in time before it is wisked away in a magical maelstrom as they continue on their adventure.

I’ve always appreciated J.K. Rowling’s choice of using simple, ordinary things and making them magical. A big part of Harry Potter’s journey throughout the books is to work to see things in a new way. To realize that what he had originally thought was impossible might indeed BE possible.

It reminds me of Jesus’ choice of parables today. Our first one in particular mirrors Harry Potter’s first encounter with a portkey as Jesus says: 'The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed upon the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how...” The sower doesn’t understand how the plant is growing… but benefits from the miracle regardless of understanding.

A couple years ago we attempted a garden at our house. We were quite excited as we started out getting some garden fencing and good soil. We placed our seeds in the ground and tended the plants to the best of our knowledge. Which, albeit, wasn’t much.

The Apostle Paul says: "Neither the one who plants or the one who waters is anything". That pretty well described how I felt that summer. Even the Apostle Paul seemed to be saying that my job was one that really didn’t amount to much. I planted some seeds and applied some water. That was about it. But as the days went on I witnessed the miracle of growth in that garden. Seeds sprouted and grew. Leaves formed and tiny buds.

Unfortunately the plants that grew best were not the ones that I had wanted to grow. The growth of those plants was most certainly not my doing. No. The weeds that had grown had done so despite my efforts. As my plants failed due to bugs and the weeds prospered, I eventually abandoned my attempts. And it was interesting to watch in the weeks afterward that the weeds continue to grow regardless of our waving of the white flag. And perhaps that says something about Jesus’ choice of parables today too, especially the second parable. The mustard seed, in particular, was a weed in the ancient world. It was a weed that farmers tried to keep OUT of their fields because once it took over, there was no stopping it. It would grow defiantly, indefinitely.

Growth is of God! Jesus teaches us today about growth, Christian growth, church growth, the growth of the Kingdom of God in the here and now! Martin Luther says in the Catechism, “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to him."

Faith in Christ does not come about in us by our own efforts. Faith grows in us, it is the gift of God, the work not of our own efforts but of the Holy Spirit. While we can plant some seeds and we can water the garden, we cannot make the growth. Growth is of God! And we need to know that. For sometimes we think it’s all up to us. And when we feel like it’s all on our shoulders we can get frustrated in our work for the Lord by what seems to be a lack of result.

Again, we scatter the seed. God makes it grow! We can’t control the seed. We can’t break it open and expect it to bear fruit. We can only do what we can do.

And Jesus 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 shrubs...'

And we need to know this too! From small beginnings, great things can happen! We plant the seed. God makes it grow! And we have seen it happen! We have seen growth! "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed upon the ground...the kingdom of God...is like a mustard seed."

One of my theology professors from Texas Lutheran University translates this a little differently, and you perhaps noticed it in my storytelling. Another and equally correct translation to Jesus talking about the “kingdom of God” is to say that “Kingdom that God Brings.” Instead of understanding the Kingdom of God to be some far off heaven that we will one day experience… it’s the idea of the Kingdom taking root in the here and now.

The kingdom of God existing wherever God rules in the hearts and lives of his people! As Paul writes,"For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and raised for them."

In the ELCA we have the tagline for, “God’s Work, Our Hands.” The Kingdom of God grows through our cooperation with God. God calls us to plant the seed, tend the soil and do the watering. When it comes right down to it, the farmer, the gardener, doesn't have the power to make anything grow - not a garden, not the Kingdom of God. The gardener simply plants the seeds and waters them, trusting God to do all else in the growth department.

Again, one of the lessons we can learn from our text is that Kingdom growth begins very small. In a parable of the mustard seed, Jesus lets us know that the smallest effort can produce a large result. The mustard seed is so small that when held in your hand it can hardly be seen. Yet when it is full-grown, it provides nesting places for birds. Jesus often spoke of the importance of little things - the grain of mustard seed, the cup of cold water, the one talent, the widow's mite, the lost coin, a simple act of kindness done unto "one of these least."

It’s like the old leather boot that Harry Potter latched onto. It is something simple… ordinary.. easily missed… and yet transformed into something extraordinary. And as we begin to recognize how an old leather boot, a single lost coin, a cup of cold water or even a mustard seed can have an impact, it begins to change the way we look at the world around us.

When talking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus could have said, “Hey, you know that Roman Empire? Well the Kingdom of God is even bigger!” But instead, Jesus talked about something small and ordinary… something seemingly insignificant. He didn't overlook even the smallest of seeds. This parable also tells us that small seeds and yes small deeds count.

We have all heard others say that they cannot do much in the church. Yet Christ is saying in this parable that the very smallest talent, the very smallest effort can produce something of infinite worth in the kingdom of God. Who knows what some small gesture of friendship, some word of encouragement, some kind deed has done to bring growth to another? Who knows how many people have been brought to faith in Christ because of some tiny seed that took root in the heart of another and a life was turned to God. Nothing that we say or do is too small to be used by God.

Another lesson we can learn from today’s gospel text is that everyone can be part of helping the kingdom to grow. From the least to the greatest, we can all make a conscious effort every day to do what we can to enhance the kingdom of God on earth. We cannot create it, but we can work in it. We can make a difference as we plant or as we water. We can make a difference as we offer whatever gifts and abilities and resources we might have, trusting God to take what we offer and create new life.

In 1782, Matthias Claudius wrote a poem that later became a hymn: “We plow the fields, and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered By God's almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell the grain, The breezes and the sunshine, And soft refreshing rain. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav'n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His Love. We thank Thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good, The seed-time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food; Accept the gifts we offer For all Thy love imparts, And what Thou most desirest, Our humble, thankful hearts. All good gifts around us Are sent from heav'n above; Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord or all His Love.”

We all have a calling, we all have a part to play. Plant some seeds.

You speak an encouraging word to one who’s down.

You call the neighbor who’s going through a rough time.

You invite a friend to come worship with you.

You place a gift in the offering plate.

You offer your time, your skills and abilities for the good of another.

You bring some food to help feed the hungry.

You send a card.

You make that telephone call to let someone know you care.

You plant some seeds, however small and insignificant they may seem. You tend to them as best you can. God gives the growth. And thank God for the wonders of that grace. Amen