Right after yesterday’s seemingly disjointed sayings of Jesus is this parable, which doesn’t appear anywhere else:

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4.26 – 29, NIV)

I derive some simple but important lessons:

• A man scatters seed on the ground. Even though the next verse says “whether he sleeps or gets up…” it’s not like the farmer is doing nothing. Farmers work very hard to prepare the ground, sow the seed, etc.
• The seed sprouts and grows. This is the key lesson in the parable:
  • Growth takes time: results are not instantaneous.
  • Growth occurs over time: but there are results.
• Though he does not know how. The farmer does not have to be an agronomist to plant seeds and watch them grow. He just has to do his part.
• All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. Again, growth over time.

The discipleship lessons are obvious. I don’t expect disciples to instantly mature…but I do expect them to mature! We shouldn’t be saying about 50-year church members, “Well, old Joe is angry and cantankerous, but that’s just the way he is.” Why? Where is the growth? I don’t need a seminary degree to teach people to be in the Word every day, a daily discipline that will result in growth over time.

More about personal disciplines and growth tomorrow.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4.4, NIV)

They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. (Deuteronomy 32.47, NIV)

As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2.2, NKJV)