The Second Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. George Pejakovich, Assistant to the Dean
Grace Cathedral
06/14/09

Mark 4:26-34

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD, BACK IN THE URBAN SPRAWL WHERE I GREW UP, IT WAS ALWAYS A JOY TO ENTER A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS ROOM AND SEE THE MOVIE PROJECTOR SET UP, ESPECIALLY IN BIOLOGY CLASS. I WAS NEVER CERTAIN IF IT MEANT THAT THE TEACHER HAD NO LESSON PREPARED, OR WAS HUNG – OVER, BUT, WHATEVER THE REASON, WATCHING A MOVIE WAS ALWAYS BETTER THAN LISTENING TO HIM DRONE ON ABOUT MENDEL’ S LAW OR SOME OTHER EQUALLY MIND NUMBING TOPIC. MY FAVORITE MOVIES WERE THOSE TIME – LAPSE FILMS OF SEEDS IN WHICH THE SEED WOULD SPROUT, THEN SEND UP A SHOOT, AND EVENTUALLY GROW INTO A FULL – SIZED PLANT. TO A CITY BOY, THERE WAS A MYSTERY AND WONDER ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS, AND I WAS, AND STILL AM, AMAZED OVER HOW A GREAT PLANT IS CONTAINED IN THE TINY, ALMOST INSIGNIFICANT SEED. I SUPPOSE THAT FOR THOSE WHO GREW UP IN A FARMING COMMUNITY, THE GROWTH OF A PLANT FROM ITS SEED IS A COMMON ENOUGH EVENT, BUT, I WOULD WAGER THAT THERE IS STILL SOME SENCE OF WONDER ABOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS. WITH OUR MODERN UNDERSTANDING OF DNA AND RNA, WE CAN DESCRIBE WITH SOME DETAIL THE “HOW” OF THE PROCESS, BUT THE “WHY” OF LIFE AND GROWTH CONTINUES TO ELUDE A SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION. LIFE, AND GROWTH, IS STILL A WONDER AND A MYSTERY.

OLDER AND WISER AS I NOW AM, I STILL TAKE GREAT PLEASURE IN THE WONDER AND MYSTERY OF LIFE AND GROWTH. MY WIFE WILL TELL YOU THAT I OFTEN EXCLAIM, WHILE DRIVING AROUND KANSAS, “LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL WHEAT, OR CORN, OR BEANS!” THAT SOMETHING SO GREAT AND FRUITFUL AND BEAUTIFUL COULD GROW OUT OF SOMETHING SO SMALL IS A CONSTANT JOY, AND TRULY AMAZES ME.

IN THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY, MARK GIVES US THIS ACCOUNT OF JESUS’ FIRST TEACHING OF HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT THE MISSION TO WHICH HE CALLED THEM. THE TWELVE WERE GATHERED WITH THEIR TEACHER, AND THIS TEACHING STARTS THEM ON THEIR GROWTH AS DISCIPLES. JESUS BEGINS THEIR TRAINING AS HIS DISCIPLES WITH THESE TWO PARABLES. A MAN SOWS HIS FIELD WITH SEEDS, GOES TO SLEEP, AND THE SEEDS SPROUT AND GROW, BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW. HE DOES NOT NEED TO KNOW, BECAUSE THE EARTH “PRODUCES OF ITSELF, FIRST THE STALK, THEN THE HEAD, THEN THE FULL GRAIN IN THE HEAD.” HE DOES NOT NEED TO KNOW THE “WHY” OF IT ALL, HE JUST NEEDS TO BE READY WITH HIS SICKLE WHEN THE GRAIN IS RIPE AND THE HARVEST IS READY. “WITH WHAT CAN WE COMPARE THE KINGDOM OF GOD?” CONSIDER THE MUSTARD SEED. SO TINY AND INSIGNIFICENT IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT WHEN SOWN IT GROWS INTO A GREAT SHRUB, WITH GREAT BRANCHES IN WHICH BIRDS CAN BUILD THEIR NESTS. THEIR FIRST LESSON AS DISCIPLES OF JESUS IS THIS: WHAT SEEMS SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT HAS VAST POTENTIAL, AND THE PROCESS OF THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT YOURS TO WORRY ABOUT; JUST SOW THE SEEDS AND BE READY FOR THE HARVEST.

A GREAT GERMAN THEOLOGIAN ONCE SAID (NOW YOU ALL KNEW I COULD NOT GO TOO LONG WITHOUT QUOTING MARTIN LUTHER), THAT IT IS ALMOST BLASPHEMOUS FOR US TO THINK THAT WE, BY OUR EFFORTS, CAN GROW THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WHEN WE PRAY “THY KINGDOM COME,” WE ARE PRAYING THAT GOD’S KINGDOM WOULD COME TO US, AND THAT WE WOULD THEN BE INSTRUMENTS OF HIS KINGDOM AND ITS GROWTH IN THE WORLD. WE ARE CALLED TO LET THE KINGDOM OF GOD GROW IN OUR HEARTS, AND TO SOW THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM NEAR AND FAR. THE “HOW” AND “WHY” AND “WHEN” OF THE KINGDOM ARE NOT OUR CONCERN; LIKE THE SOWER IN THE PARABLE, WE KNOW NOT HOW IT WILL GROW, AND, LIKE THE MUSTARD SEED, WHAT SEEMS INSIGNIFICANT IN OUR EYES HAS VAST, UNSEEN POTENTIAL.

THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE WORK OF GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE ON WHOM THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM FALL, AND IT IS THE TASK OF THE DISCIPLES OF THE CHRIST TO CAST THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM NEAR AND FAR. OUR WORK IS TO SCATTER THE SEED, WHICH MIGHT SEEM TO US TO BE SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT, AND GOD WILL PROVIDE THE GROWTH AND THE HARVEST. THE KINGDOM OF GOD GROWS THROUGH THE APPARENTLY INSIGNIFICANT ACTIONS OF THE FOLLOWERS OF THE CHRIST OF GOD.

THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM IS THE LOVE OF GOD IN JESUS SOWN BY HIS DISICPLES. LIKE THE MUSTARD SEED, IT IS IN THE LITTLE THINGS THAT THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM IS HIDDEN. IT IS IN THE INVITATION TO A NEIGHBOR TO JOIN US IN WORSHIP. IT IS IN THE WELCOMING SMILE THAT GREETS THE STRANGER. IT IS IN THE INTEREST WE TAKE IN THE LIFE AND STRUGGLES OF ANOTHER. IT IS IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH FLOWS THROUGH OUR HEARTS INTO THE HEART OF THE OTHER. IT IS IN THE WORD OF GOD’S LOVE FAITHFULLY PREACHED. IT IS IN THE WORD MADE FLESH JOYFULLY SHARED. IT IS IN THE ARM ON THE SHOULDER IN SYMPATHY. IT IS IN THE MEAL SHARED WITH THE HUNGRY. IT IS IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF ANOTHER AS A CHILD OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER. IT IS IN FORGIVING OTHERS AS WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. IT IS LIVING AS A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST, BEING FOR ALL THE WORLD THE LOVE, GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD. IT IS IN THE SEEMINGLY INSIGNIFICANT LITTLE THINGS WE DO FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER THAT THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ARE SOWN.

THE FIRST LESSON FOR THE ORIGINAL DISCIPLES IS A GOOD LESSON FOR THE DISCIPLES OF TODAY TO HEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN. WE, LIKE THE FIRST DISCIPLES, HAVE HEARD THE CALL OF THE CHRIST OF GOD, CALLING US AWAY FROM OUR SELVES AND OUR OLD LIVES AND CALLING US TO HIM AND TO A NEW WAY OF LIVING. WE LIVE NO LONGER FOR OUR SELVES, BUT FOR HIM, AND FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD FOR WHICH HE GAVE HIS LIFE. AS HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD FOR THE LIFE OF THE WORLD, WE HAVE BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEATH OF OUR FORMER LIVES TO NOW LIVE IN HIM FOR THE SAKE OF THE WORLD. LIVING IN CHRIST AND HIM IN US, WE NOW LIVE FOR ONE PURPOSE ONLY; TO SPREAD THE SEEDS OF GOD’S KINGDOM.

SO, FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST, IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST, SOW THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM, THE REIGN OF GOD’S LOVE, IN ALL THAT YOU DO. NEVER THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT WHAT YOU DO IS MEANINGLESS OR INSIGNIFICANT BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SEE HOW YOUR LITTLE ACTS CAN HAVE ANY EFFECT OR CAN BEAR ANY FRUIT. THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM IS NOT YOUR CONCERN; THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – YOUR WORK IS TO SOW GOD’S LOVE IN ALL THAT YOU DO.

DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN HOLD THE SEED OF A CALIFORNIA REDWOOD TREE BETWEEN YOUR THUMB AND INDEX FINGER? HOW AMAZING IT IS THAT SUCH A GLORIOUS TREE, REACHING 200 TO 300 FT CAN COME FROM A SEED ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF LONG. HOW MUCH GREATER, AND MORE AMAZING IT IS TO KNOW THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE ETERNAL WITH GOD FOR ANOTHER PERSON IS HIDDEN IN YOUR SIMPLE ACT OF LOVE AND SERVICE. SOW LOVE AND GRACE AND MERCY IN WHATEVER YOU DO, AND GET READY TO BE AMAZED.
AMEN.