The Parable of the Growing Seed

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Lesson 8 The Parable of the Growing Seed
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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• The kingdom of heaven
• The kingdom, and specifically the growth of the
  kingdom, is the focus of this parable.
• The idea of the kingdom of God has its root in
  the Old Testament.
• God was King over His people in the OT (cf. Judg.
  823 1 Sam. 87 Psa. 10319).
• Through the prophets, God promised He would
  establish a kingdom and reaffirm His kingly reign
  (Dan. 244 Isa. 96-7 Jer. 309).
• John the Baptist came preparing for the kingdom.

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• The kingdom of heaven
• The kingdom, and specifically the growth of the
  kingdom, is the focus of this parable.
• The idea of the kingdom of God has its root in
  the Old Testament.
• Jesus came preaching the kingdom is at hand (Mark
  115).
• The kingdom was established in Acts 2.
• The kingdom was a present reality in the first
  century (cf. Col. 113 Heb. 1228).

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• The kingdom of heaven is as if a man should
  scatter seed on the ground
• This parable is about how the kingdom grows.
• The kingdom cannot and will not grow separate
  from the seed (i.e., the Word of God, Lk. 811).

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• And the sower should sleep by night and rise
  by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he
  himself does not know how
• The growth of the kingdom IS FROM GOD.
• The seed is sown then left to work its power.
• Natural or acquired talents of the sower will not
  substitute for the power that is in the
  seed/word. God has placed life in the seed (cf.
  John 663) it germinates when sown in good
  soil.
• When sown, the seed works regardless of the
  awareness or lack of it on the part of the sower.

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• And the sower should sleep by night and rise
  by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he
  himself does not know how
• The growth of the kingdom IS FROM GOD.
• No one can explain how things grow. Man does not
  understand how a seed has life within it, or how
  it germinates and grows in good soil.
• Man certainly has responsibilitiesprepare the
  soil, fertilize it, weed it, plant the seed, etc.
• But this parable emphasizes that man cannot make
  the seed grow. Only God can do that!

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• sleeprisesprout and growthe bladethe
  headthe full grain in the head
• The growth of the kingdom IS GRADUAL.
• The kingdom, a convert or a mature Christian did
  not and do not spring up in a moment.
• One cannot rush the growth of the seed.
• While one can detect the result of growth, the
  process of growth is imperceptible. It is
  gradual!
• A scientist is not made in a day. A language is
  not learned overnight. Even more true of divine
  things.
• This is a lesson on patience.

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• sleeprisesprout and growthe bladethe
  headthe full grain in the head
• The growth of the kingdom IS GRADUAL.
• Conversion to Christ is a gradual process.
• The seed must be planted.
• The seed must be watered.
• The seed must be given time to germinate.
• The conversion process cannot be rushed.
• Someone else may see the harvest of the seed you
  sow. You may see the harvest of the seed someone
  else sowed. Important No room for boasting on
  our part! Only God gets the credit!

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The Parable of the Growing SeedThe Narrative
Mark 426-29

• sleeprisesprout and growthe bladethe
  headthe full grain in the head
• The growth of the kingdom IS GRADUAL.
• Conversion to Christ is a gradual process.
• God can! God knows!
• So shall My word be that goes forth from My
  mouth It shall not return to Me void, But it
  shall accomplish what I please, And it shall
  prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah
  5511).
• Thus, we must sow and water continually. And, we
  must be patient! (cf. 2 Tim. 42)