Proper 6 Growth of the Kingdom/Live by Faith

The parables of our Lord convey the mysteries of the kingdom of God to those who are “able to hear it,” that is, “to his own disciples,” who are catechized to fear, love and trust in Him by faith (Mark 4:33–34). He scatters “seed on the ground,” which “sprouts and grows” unto life, even as “he sleeps and rises” (Mark 4:26–27). “On the mountain height of Israel,” He plants a young and tender twig, and it becomes “a noble cedar.” Indeed, His own cross becomes the Tree of Life, under which “every kind of bird” will dwell, and in which “birds of every sort will nest” (Ezek. 17:22–25). His cross is our resting place, even while now in mortal bodies, we “groan, being burdened” (2 Cor. 5:1–4). Yet in faith, we live for God in Christ, who for our sake “died and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:15). We know that, in His resurrected body, “we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).

Scott’s summary: Growth is a more dominant theme than Faith, but they are both there, so how best to think about this week? We are in the season of the Church, the Church half of the year. We’ve seen the Church powerfully enabled by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Obviously a healthy Church is one that is growing. We need to take stock yearly, let’s do it now, how have we done in the last twelve months? How can we do better? If I had to name this Sunday, then, it would be “Take stock of the church Sunday.”

Because the secondary theme is faith, which we read in our epistle today and if you did the weekday readings it was our Friday NT reading from Heb 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith, because the secondary theme is faith, I would say, the Church (universal) and our church (local) are meant to grow, it is the way of nature. God and Jesus and the Spirit are obviously front and center as they always are but we could say we grow through faith. Not faith in faith, but faith in a) Jesus being head of the Church, b) the Message being both true, and life-giving, and powerful, c) Jesus’ last command before his ascension was to “go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”

Eze 17.22-24 Parable of Sprig from the Cedar Tree

Ezekiel 17:22–24 RSVCE

Thus says the Lord GOD: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it out; I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain; on the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar; and under it will dwell all kinds of beasts; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.”

Notes:Yahweh will take a branch of a tall cedar and plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, birds will build their nests in it.

Psa 92.1-4, 12-15 The Godly will Flourish like Palm Trees

Psa 92.1-4, 12-15

Psalm 92:1–4 RSVCE

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to thy name, O Most High; to declare thy steadfast love in the morning, and thy faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by thy work; at the works of thy hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 92:12–15 RSVCE

The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green, to show that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Notes: It is good to yada Yahweh + the godly will flourish like palm trees. They are transplanted to Bet Yahweh, even in old age will be vital, green and producing fruit.

2Co 5.6-10, 14-17 We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

2Co 5.6-10, 14-17

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 RSVCE

So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

2 Corinthians 5:14–17 RSVCE

For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.

Notes: As long as we remain in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. We live by faith and not sight. Christ died for all, and also we have died to our old life. We live for Christ. We don't evaluate others from a human point of view. Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new creature, the old life is gone, a new life has begun.

Mar 4.26-34 Parables of the Growing Seed and Mustard Seed

Mark 4:26–34 RSVCE

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of 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 puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Notes: This is the key to the whole week,

parable of the growing seed—seed sprouts and grows, happens while the farmer sleeps and when he's awake.

parable of the mustard seed— where although it is the smallest of seeds it grows large and the birds nest in its shade

Related Media

Related Sermons