The Life of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM
The Life of Christ in the Synoptic Gospels
THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM
Lesson Plan:
1. Seed Growing Secretly (Mk. 4:26-29)
2. The Mustard Seed (Mk. 4:30-32)
3. The Leaven (Matt. 13:33)
Lesson Setting:
Time: The same as last lesson, probably in the autumn of 28 A.D.
Place: By the seaside near
Capernaum.
Jesus: Thirty-two years old, near the middle of His ministry John the Baptist imprisoned in
Castle Machaerus.
Three Parables Illustrating Three Aspects of the Kingdom of God: (a) Growing Secretly, Unconsciously, Unobserved; The Inner Life. (b) Growing in Outward Expression of Its Inner Life. (c) Growing by the Methods of Personal Contact. Note: These principles apply to the individual and to the community; to the sowing of good seed, as well as evil.
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:26-29
1. Seed Growing Secretly
v 26 ... "So is the kingdom of God." It always begins by seed sown, in the individual and in the community, as earthly crops start from "seed cast into the ground." Then the seed must be left by the sower, out of his sight, to the life God has given it, and to the forces of nature. No man can give life or make it grow; but ...
v 27 ... "the seed will spring and grow up, he knoweth not how." Modern science has failed to find the slightest explanation of life in a seed.
v 28 ... "For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself," through the marvelous energies and wonderful powers with which God has endowed the earth. Energies and powers greater than anyone know or will ever know. Yes, mankind constantly discovers and uses God's earth. However, while more is constantly being discovered and used more and more, yet the process is spontaneous and shrouded in mystery. This silent process is essential to achieve the best results. Sometimes it is short, sometimes continuing for months. The hundreds of bulbs available for your garden must be planted in the autumn, if you expect to enjoy their spring bloom. Why? In darkness the roots grow; and unless there are well developed roots, the spring blooms will be small and feeble. For the same reason, hyacinth bulbs must be kept in the dark for weeks if you desire flowers. Common seeds must have this silent period for growth.
Application to people: A part of our growth is unconscious and like the kingdom of heaven, comes without observation. In other words, silent and unconscious. In other words, your acts (acts of your will) are constantly forming your personal brain powers. The special mental capacities for which certain men have become eminent were all acquired. "The brain folds of a four year old child are not as complicated as those of a seventy year old, because of persistent exercise" (Dr. James E. Priest). Someone once said, 'Habits are due to pathways through the nerve centers.' One of the reasons why it is so important to learn about God in youth is because every act and thought forms and develops such pathways of habit in life. If only we could have realized while young how soon we would become mere walking bundles of habit. If so, then perhaps we would have given more heed to our conduct while in our 'clay' state of growth. These inner processes are unconscious, but the actions and choices that make them are our own. Within your own knowledge and control, as much as the seed you plant, is within your control. Yes, the spiritual seed planted in life is within the sower's control, and he will reap the harvest.
The Teacher or Preacher: Both are to sow the seed, the best seed, always in the best manner, keeping in mind that it may be a long time before either will see the results of sowing. They should therefore not be discouraged, but should take the greater care to sow the best, at the best time, in the best way, ready always to care for the plant as soon as it appears. One writer spoke deprecatingly of revivals, as if they were attempting to accomplish the whole process of Christian growth. However, a true revival pre-supposes the long period of secret growth, coming like warm sunshine, balmy air, gentle rain, helping the soul to bloom and come into the open and grow from the blade to the full ear of corn. The unconscious goodness of the righteous in the vision of the Judgment in Matthew 25 is one of the proofs that it is the highest form of goodness. The music beginner counts measures, and studies long on what note he should play with each finger. The experienced musician, on the other hand, strikes the right notes and expresses the right emotions almost as naturally as he breathes or as the birds sing their morning songs. "We are apt to estimate the merit of our good deeds according to the struggle we make in doing them; whereas, the greater our virtue, the less we shall have to struggle in order to do them, and it is purely the weakness and imperfection of our virtue that makes it so hard to do well. Accordingly we find that he who does no duty without being goaded up to it is conscious of much more virtue that he has; while he who does every duty as a thing of course and a matter of delight, is unconscious of his virtue, simply because he has so much of it" (Hudson, 'Lectures on Shakespeare'). With far too many individual Christians the subject of spiritual growth is too often one of anxiety, not being able to recognize its daily increase. The best cure is to go about our Master's business as the man in the parable did, and let the seed alone, for we cannot tell either how it grows or when it is growing most. It may be that in times of depression, of hard fought battles, of failures to reach the ideal (but never ceasing to strive, wait and pray), we may be growing rapidly in grace.
Applications: Most sincere and true soul-winning successes in the body of Christ have come through this secret unobserved process. All leaders, i.e., elders, deacons, teachers, and preachers, are seed sowers, sowing either self-serving, agenda-driven seeds or Christ-centered, spiritual seeds. There is mighty opposition. As in the case of the demoniacs, the devil rages and torments his victims before leaving. But all the time there is a hidden process of growth, and at last the virtues spring up, blooming into open life. Opinions change gradually; often we hardly realize a change has occurred. Great movements of progress and change in America, i.e., changes in education, the emancipation of women, business morality, peace, social customs, freedom, civil rights, etc., have made gains in this way. Like the silent gathering of electricity in clouds, eventually bursting out in the storm, clearing the whole atmosphere. In mission efforts, the work most always progresses slowly at first. In fact, often years pass before progress is realized.
v 28 ... "First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Where there is life there is always growth. Arising from the hidden processes of life, come stages of visible growth, as the young sprout springs up from the soil. Where there is only secret growth, there is death not life. Christian's growth is like climbing Jacob's ladder, i.e., having many steps, always looking up toward God. There are stages in life: childhood, youth, manhood, conversion, and living in Christ. Each of these stages need different treatments, different approaches. We also must face life's providential stages: sicknesses, work, struggles, revivals, new duties, and opportunities. Growth is the only evidence of life. A Bible teacher once said, 'All the class is converted. My work is done." On the contrary, it had just begun.
vs 28, 29 ... "The fruit is brought forth ... the harvest is come." All growth is toward this end. This is reason seed is planted. As sure as Jesus planted the seed, the time is coming when the kingdom of God shall include the whole world.
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:30-32
2. The Mustard Seed
Growing in the outward expression of the inner life. A parable of faith and hope for the kingdom. The previous parable showed the disciples that the kingdom was progressing silently and unseen. This parable shows that the small beginnings of a living cause, are no reason for hopelessness, but an assurance of faith.
vs 30, 31 ... "The kingdom of God ... is like a grain of mustard seed," good seed, living seed, seed that could produce a harvest "when it is sown in the earth," as Jesus was sowing the good seed of the kingdom.
v 31 ... "Is less than all the seeds that be in the earth," not spoken scientifically, but in the popular speech of the day. It was a common way of saying that a thing was very small, and of making a size comparison emphatic. "The mustard seed was the smallest seed used in Jewish husbandry" (Edersheim). From that standpoint the expression was literally accurate.
v 32 ... "Becometh greater than all the herbs" of their gardens and fields.
v 32 ... "And shooteth out great branches," great in comparison with other herbs; so large "that the fowls (birds) of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." Some years ago, on a trip to Carmel, a forest of full grown mustard tress were spotted in full blossom, in some cases six, seven and nine feet high, with a stem or trunk an inch or more in thickness, throwing out branches on every side. Birds were sitting on the branches and singing. The traveler around Gennesaret, during the proper season, may see mustard-bushes as high as his head, alive with flocks of bullfinches or rock-pigeons feeding on the seeds. Such can also be experienced in California.
The interpretation: (a) The seed, though small, is full of persistent energetic life. The Word of God is the seed. (b) The emphasis is on the smallness of the beginnings of Christianity. Can you think of a nation ever beginning in such a small, unnoticed, and apparently feeble manner?
Consider the situation: a Teacher, with a band of twelve peasant disciples; without wealth or worldly power; without rank, honors, armies, grafting a new kingdom of heaven; facing age-long customs, prejudices, pride, learning, established forms of religion; facing the temple, wealth, along with the influence of the whole Jewish nation. These unarmed, seemingly feeble folk conquered the Roman Empire 'when to be a Roman was greater than being a king.' Rome had conquered every nation standing it its way. It had wealth, power and glory beyond the dreams of avarice. The Roman throne! The Cesars! Who with a word could sweep away Teacher and disciples as easily as the wind sweeps dust from the roadside, or at least so it might seem to men. (a) Yet, that little seed has fulfilled in large measure the parable promise of Jesus and is more repidly than ever moving on to its goal. It conquered the Roman Empire. The Ceasars are dead. But Jesus lives and reigns over a vaster, richer and stronger kingdom than Rome ever dreamed of being. The victories of Rome were but skirmishes compared with the victories of the cross. Whatever be the thoughts of men about Jesus, none can deny that His forecast in this parable has been and continues to be fulfilled, in that His kingdom in its external development is the greatest growth of history. The little well of living water in Palestine has become a mighty river of salvation. The famous seven wonders of the world dwindle into insignificance beside this, the greatest wonder of all the ages. (b) Growth has been in four basic directions: understanding, numbers, practice and influence. (c) The mustard seed grows not only from its inner life, but absorbs its elements from earth, air, and water. So grows the kingdom of God from within, but it absorbs into it all the forces of education, science, wealth, organization, commerce, discoveries, as well as being the atmosphere in which these have so marvelously developed. (d) The branches may represent the 'vast extent of the kingdom' (Burton Coffman, Commentary on Mark). (e) The birds of the air may refer to 'the operations which are either evil or at best irrelevant to the kingdom, but which are connected with it, and yet no part of it' (Coffman). It could also refer to the systems of thought, institutions, hospitals, colleges, sciences, educational discoveries, all the methods and appliances of civilization which flourish best and most under the shadow of Christianity. Also to the fact that Christianity gives shelter to the weary, the wandering, and the oppressed. (f) The power of this assurance of success is great.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:33
3. The Leaven
Kingdom growing by personal contact: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven" (v 33), The likeness does not end at this word. It is like the leaven working in the meal. The leaven of the Bible is exclusively a piece of sour dough. Its effect upon dough is due to minute living organisms disseminated through it in great numbers. They are now known to be single-celled plants, each one having the capacity to produce a new group of from two to six or eight members. Pasteur found that two cells produced eight in two hours at a temperature of 13 degrees C. (about 55 degrees F.). The multiplication is more rapid at a higher temperature. Thus the process goes on in geometrical progression.
Its figurative use: 'Leaven' suggests two sets of figures, one taken from the mode, the other from the result, of the process of fermentation. Some, not noticing this distinction, argue that leaven is the symbol of evil, a corrupting thing, a species of putrefaction. Some, therefore, believe this parable represents the church of our Lord seen as being marred by the introduction of corrupting influences. But in this parable the emphasis is on the method of its working which is entirely distinct from the results, indeed the results are the same whether evil or good, i.e., leavening the whole. Here it cannot mean corrupting influence. The Son of man who puts the leaven into the mass of meal is represented by a woman because bread making usually devolved upon women. It is persons who are filled with the living spirit of Christ, who are leavening the world.
v 33 ... "Three measures of meal." The Greek word here for measure denotes the Hebrew word, seah, i.e., a measure equal to five or six quarts, the ordinary measure for household purposes. The three measures would therefore contain an ephah, or about a bushel.
The meal: Represents the whole world of men, to be permeated and transformed by the Gospel. The parable speaks of three times the usual amount in order to represent the vast extent of the work to be done by the Gospel.
The parable teaches: (a) That besides all the visible manifestations of the Gospel represented by the growth of the mustard seed, there is a deeper underlying progress of the Gospel which operates silently, without observation, but with constantly increasing pervasiveness till the whole mass of mankind, i.e., all hearts, nations, commerce, business, social life, and political institutions, shall be transformed. (b) The leaven is a living, working organism. It is living Christianity that spreads Christianity, transforming into its own nature that with which it comes in contact. Hence it is of the utmost importance that the leaven be pure, that Christian character be as perfect as possible in doctrine and life. (c) The leaven works by personal contact with those to be leavened, from individual to individual. It is personal work, i.e., a personal soul in touch with another soul, one to one. The greatest power in teaching is the close touch between teacher and student. A box of leaven on a shelf will never leaven the meal. The whole process of living in this world is arranged to bring you in contact with another person. It is God's marvelous way. All missionaries know first-hand the working power of the leaven of righteousness in the world.
Illustration: Many have read Hawthorne's charming story of King Midas of Phrygia, and his golden touch, by which everything he touched was changed into gold – his books, his eye- glasses, his food, the roses, and even his little daughter. It was a terrible power. But we all have something of the same power that whatever we touch is made to partake somewhat of our own nature. We impart our cheerfulness and happiness to others. Our character changes the character of those we live with. And so we have in our power 'a golden touch,' infinitely better than that of Midas, in that we can bless and help all with whom we come in contact.
This parable not only tells us of the method by which the world is to become better, but is a promise that the leaven of Christianity will transform the world. The power of Christianity lies in this all-pervading influence of character. Christ said, "Ye shall receive power." When? Whey ye have learned My doctrine? No. "Ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you." In other words, Ye shall have power when ye begin to develop the Christly character. "Except for Jesus, I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into Heaven and say there is no God" (Abraham Lincoln).
