God's Kingdom Grows...
The first parable focuses on the mysterious growth God gives in His
Kingdom. The Seed is the Gospel. God gives growth by Word & Sacrament
ministry BOTH individually and corporately, AND both locally and around the
world. "Not you, nor I, nor anyone knows" (oats, peas, beans, and barley
grows - old British song) how it does, but God tells us: "when you plant
it, it will grow". God promises it. And God never breaks promises.
The second parable focuses on how such a seemingly insignificant thing
as the Gospel will continue to grow to an astonishing size by Judgment Day.
God is giving us (the persecuted church) assurance that His Kingdom will
grow.
God's Kingdom grows as people are added to His church thru His means of
grace. That is, when "repentance and forgiveness of sins" (Luke 24:47) is
constantly preached, and the gift of Holy Baptism is given.
The Gospel is planted in the soil of hearts. God guarantees it will
grow. When a person hears or reads God's Word, seeds are planted. When a
good sermon is preached, hymns are sung, or devotions are read: God is
planting seeds.
The seeds grow. Not because we do anything, but because the power to grow
is in God's Word (Romans 1:16). As an unbeliever hears it, God's Word is at
work to germinate faith. As you hear it, your faith strengthens. When the
Lutheran Hour is broadcast, a missionary works among the Latinos, or you are
in a solid Bible study: God is planting seeds.
Sadly, we disciples do not trust God's seeds. Rather than helping
growth, we hinder it. We forget all the growth of God's Kingdom and church,
even here at ______ (insert name of Lutheran Church) comes from God, not us.
People ignore church services, daily personal devotions, and the like. That
shows a lack of trust in God.
Some act as if all we need to do is have the right shrubs and flowers,
the best sound system, good greeters, or pop music and God's seed will grow.
While presenting an attractive building and service are not bad ideas, any
person who relies on them for Church Growth is sinning because they don't
trust God for the increase.
We hinder growth of God's seed in us and others when we let what seems
to be a failure or bad experience rob us of faith. When a church member
cuts us down, we may lose some of our faith when we trust in our feelings
rather than God's promises. When we lose our job, self-respect, or friends,
we may weaken our faith: we are trusting in our experiences, failing to
believe God still cares and is working in our life for our eternal good.
Emotions and experiences can be gifts from God; but they can change and we
should not depend on them. God's Word is our only hope.
Lastly, we also hinder the growth of God's seed when we act as if we
have no role in spreading the cross of Christ.
We will not be making pickles this year. It is not that we have no
dill, or vinegar, or jars. We have cucumber seeds too. They are still in
the seed packet. They weren't planted. [Burpee - burpless!]
Are you regularly planting seeds of forgiveness in your own life, or in
others? Or are you leaving the message of the cross in this stain glass
packet you are in today? We need those seeds in our souls. Others do, too.
If God's Word is not planted in you by Word and Sacrament, don't expect
genuine growth of faith in your self or the church you attend.
Then, too, what of missions? (James 4:17) If you are able to pray for
Christ's church here and support it financially but won't do so, that is
like expecting pickles but never planting cucumber seeds. The same must be
said about missions here in Iowa and around the world. We hold back the
growth of God's seed when we live as if the seed will plant itself.
The parables emphasize the growth of the seed (Gospel) even tho the
person planting the seed doesn't help. God forgive us for not planting!
And He does! Abundantly! For which we thank and praise Him. His
offer to forgive does not quit when our strength fails. He keeps planting.
The forgiveness of Christ is the seed. God has remade us thru Baptism in
Christ and called us His own. God continues to plant seeds of forgiveness,
mercy, and pardon in us each time we hear or read His Word. He does this so
we will want to grow in faith and share the message of the cross with the
whole world.
God wants us to be in His Kingdom, so He plants seeds of mercy in us
each time you gather in His House to hear His Word in the liturgy, hymns,
readings, and sermon. He plants seeds of pardon as you receive the
absolution, or the Holy Supper. God wants us to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). He
keeps planting seeds in us. He wants the seed of the Gospel to go to all
the world, where it will grow by His power.
The Kingdom of God was firmly set up by the life, death, and
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The message of what God did and does
for us, the Gospel, is the seed Jesus spoke of. It will continue to grow
all by itself to a great, surprising size. Whenever and wherever God's Word
of Law and Gospel are preached, seeds are sown. Wherever and whenever Holy
Baptism and Holy Communion are rightly administered, seeds are sown.
We do not need to concern ourselves with HOW the seed grows, or how
quickly. God will take care of that. Our joy is to plant. God's Word says
what it does and does what it says. He says it will grow if we plant it.
We live in that trust.
In the early 1800's, a nurseryman named John Chapman took seeds from
apple cider presses, grew trees, planting them in Ohio and other places.
Johnny Appleseed was less concerned about himself than he was about God's
creation and being generous. He is remembered for his planting. (check his
"wiki" link). Chapman merely planted seeds, cared for them, and left. He
was confident they would grow. Many did.
We can have even more confidence in God's seed. We scatter it in our
own lives, the lives around us, and thru our mission dollars we scatter seed
to the whole world. All by itself, it grows. God promises it grows. Even
when we don't see it, His kingdom of grace grows.
May we as His people continue to scatter the seed of His Word in the
soil of our own lives, and work to scatter it everywhere in creation! To
the glory of His holy Name. Amen.
For my grammar friend: this one checks okay under micro$oft, and reads 7th
grade level.
Pastor Michael Harman, CTSFW`87
St. Peter LCMS - Newell, IA
vacancies at ...
Immanuel, Pomeroy
First Evangelical, Fonda
oh, and a nursing home tomorrow (as usual)
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