What Do We Learn About Jesus and His Kingdom from a Lamp, a Bunch of Seeds, and One Small Seed?

Sometimes the work of the Lord can become frustrating and disappointing. We work hard but see little fruit. We shine the light of the gospel and sow the seed of the Word, but not much happens. It seems almost futile, and we wonder, Why even continue?

William Carey (1761-1834), the father of the modern missionary movement, labored in India seven years before seeing his first convert. He shared the gospel for more than 40 years, but the fruit of his labor was minimal. Still he could say, “The future is as bright as the promise of God” and “Expect great things [from God], attempt great things [for God].”

92Likewise, Adoniram Judson (1788-1850) labored in Burma for seven years before seeing his first convert. He would die disappointed that his labors for the gospel yielded so little fruit. Yet like Carey, he was faithful to the end and could voice these words: “In spite of sorrow, loss, and pain, our course be onward still; we sow on Burma’s barren plain, we reap on Zion’s hill.”

These men, as well as many others, may have been inspired to press on by a little lamp, a bunch of seeds, and one small mustard seed.

The Light of Jesus Will Not Be Hidden

Mark 4:21-25

Mark 4:1-34 consists of four parables. Verses 21-34 comprise the final three of these. The theme of all of them is how God’s kingdom emerges and grows with the appearance of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, who came to give His life as a ransom for many (10:45). Mark brings these parables together to reinforce the main parable of the soils (4:1-20). These stories drive home the need for the response of faith to God’s revealed Word.

Jesus begins this set of parables with a commonsense illustration about a lamp. However, a literal translation of the key phrase in verse 21 is, “Comes the lamp....” This is a reference to Jesus Himself, who has “come as a light into the world” (John 12:46). He is “the light of men” (John 1:4), “the true light” (John 1:9), and the “light of the world” (John 8:12). How then do we respond to this extraordinary Lamp?

If You Hide It, You Misuse It (Mark 4:21-23)

The Lamp, and for that matter any lamp, is not brought to be put under a basket or a bed. The very idea is ridiculous. No, you put a lamp up high in the open. Likewise, God has sent this Lamp to bring light to a dark world. He has come to reveal truth, enlighten minds, and conquer the darkness!

The light may be, for the most part, hidden at the moment. However, eventually the whole world will see the glory of this light. That which is hidden will be manifest. The resurrection of the crucified King assures this revelation. The second coming of the glorified King will establish it. The world may try to hide Jesus, but it will fail miserably in those attempts.

I like The Message paraphrase of verse 23: “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” This call to listen is found in verses 3, 9, 13, 23, and 24. Hearing the Word and acting on it is of tremendous importance, so a new set of ears is absolutely essential. Why?

If You Hide It, You Will Lose It (Mark 4:24-25)

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Verse 24 repeats the call to have listening ears. What follows is a critically important theological principle in the form of a proverb: “By the measure you use, it will be measured and added to you. For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” A similar proverb said, “In the pot in which you cook for others, you’ll be cooked” (Edwards, Mark, 140).

Here the means of measuring is “hearing.” If your hearing is good, rich, and receptive to the Word, you will receive it back and even more. Indeed, “to the one who has, it will be given.” Proverbs 9:9 says, “Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.” Respond to God’s truth and more truth will follow. Embrace the kingdom now when it is small, and you will share in it when it is worldwide!

In radical contrast, for the one who rejects the Word, “even what he has will be taken away.” Refuse Jesus and the Word, and you lose the little you may once have had. This is a critical spiritual principle. Our spiritual health, our spiritual eternity, is at stake. How we respond to Jesus day by day is of the utmost seriousness. Do not take for granted the relationship you have today. It could all be lost tomorrow.

God Will See to It That His Kingdom Grows

Mark 4:26-29

This is Mark’s only unique parable. Jesus crafts a second parable about sowing seeds. In the parable of the soils, the focus was on the necessity of sowing and the receptivity of the soils (vv. 3-8). Here the emphasis falls on the innate power of the seed. The Word of God has within it the power of its own success and triumph. Let the Word loose and watch it work.

This parable is instructive concerning the nature of the kingdom in a comprehensive sense. It notes the kingdom’s sowing (v. 26), growing (vv. 27-28), and harvesting (v. 29). From beginning to end, the sovereignty of Christ and the power of the Word stand forth in absolute authority.

There Is a Mystery to the Growth of the Kingdom (Mark 4:26-27)

The man is not important; the seed is the focus. The man is passive because the power for the seed to sprout and grow is not in him. The seed has within itself the power of its own generation. James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote in James 1:21, “Humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.” Plant the word in a receptive soul and off it goes!

94The coming of the kingdom of God is not contingent or dependent on human activity. The seed of the gospel prospers and grows of itself. Once it is sown, a process is set in motion that cannot and will not be stopped, even though its growth is a total mystery to us.

There Is a Certainty to the Growth of the Kingdom (Mark 4:28-29)

The Greek word automatē is fronted here for emphasis. It literally reads, “Automatically the earth bears fruit.” Once the process has begun, it is destined to be completed: blade, ear, grain, harvest. The process that brings about the fullness of the kingdom of God is not spectacular, but it is certain. Even now it is present and growing, whether or not you see it.

God did not design His kingdom to come like a tidal wave or a bolt of lightning, to come quickly and disappear quickly. No, God planted it in the coming of a Galilean peasant, a homeless man from Nazareth, who gathered about Him a bunch of nobodies. The ways of God are mysterious indeed, but He will be successful.

The “sickle” is often a symbol of the arrival of the kingdom of God and the judgment that will accompany it. Revelation 14:15 says, “Another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out in a loud voice to the One who was seated on the cloud, ‘Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.’”

Who would have imagined that starting with only a group of 12 men, Christianity would grow to where it is today? But it won’t stop there. It will continue to grow until every people group on the planet is found in the kingdom. God will ensure this growth. Are you certain you are part of it?

God’s Kingdom May Begin Small, but It Will Grow Large

Mark 4:30-34

The final parable in this chapter is about a single seed, a tiny little mustard seed. The phrase “the kingdom of God” (cf. 4:11, 26) is the unifying theme of the four parables in Mark 4. Jesus begins this parable with two rhetorical questions. He has exactly the right analogy to help us see where the kingdom of God is headed.

God’s Kingdom Program Will Experience Amazing Results (Mark 4:30-32)

The mustard seed was renowned for its size in Palestine because it was the smallest of all the seeds sown. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus uses the mustard-seed image to represent a minimal quantity of faith. Here Jesus wants to draw an95 analogy between the mustard bush’s microscopic beginning and its large mature state. At the beginning a small seed is sown. But soon the small seed explodes in growth. It produces something completely out of proportion to itself.

Likewise, from small and meager beginnings, God’s kingdom will expand and grow for all to see. What began as the smallest becomes the greatest! Unlike His first coming, when Christ returns, all the world will see as He surpasses all the earth’s kingdoms in power, glory, and majesty. What an encouraging word for those who think they labor in vain, who endure rejection and persecution, and who may even experience martyrdom!

Some have suggested that “the birds of the air” represent Satan, connecting these birds back to the ones in 4:4. Others believe this reference indicates shelter for kingdom citizens. Still others suggest the birds represent the nations coming into the kingdom. Finally, some believe the birds are simply part of the story and have no special significance. I like number three: the nations! Passages such as Psalm 104:12; Ezekiel 17:23 and 31:6; and Daniel 4:9-21 would all support this. That the birds “nest in its shade” settles the issue for me. In effect, Jesus is asserting that all the peoples of the world are going to be there.

Yes, there is surprising growth to God’s kingdom, and all the nations will enter and enjoy it! This is a parable of growth and grace, of joy and celebration.

God’s Kingdom Program Requires Careful Explanation (Mark 4:33-34)

This section of Mark ends with an explanatory word from Mark about the importance of parables in Jesus’ teaching (cf. vv. 10-12). At least 39 parables are found in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. He spoke in parables so they would understand the nature of the kingdom and the central role both He and the Word would play in it.

For the tenth time in chapter 4, the importance of hearing is noted. “As they were able to understand” implies that the parables either enlighten or obscure, depending on one’s ability to hear and respond. He purposely chose this teaching method, knowing what would happen.

However, to those who drew close to Jesus as His disciples, He explained everything. Only in close communion and connection to Jesus can one understand “the language about God” (Edwards, Mark, 146). Draw close to Jesus and you get more of Him and His Father; draw back from Jesus and you lose both Him and the Father (2 John 9).

Conclusion

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Yes, the kingdom starts small, but it will grow large. And the biggest and best of this growth is yet to come! If you doubt that, listen to Revelation 7:9-10:

Reflect and Discuss

1. What inspires you to persevere when progress seems painfully slow?
2. When we are told that Jesus is the light of the world, what is our responsibility?
3. Have you found that in the seasons of your life when you were actively responding to God’s Word, these were the times when you grew the most? What made those days so productive?
4. What makes some seasons in your life spiritually unproductive and stale? How can you avoid such times?
5. How does the parable of the seeds emphasize God’s sovereignty?
6. Why is it reassuring to know that God intends the kingdom to grow automatically as well as slowly but surely?
7. Does your understanding of biology, botany, ecology, and agriculture diminish or enhance the parables of the seeds and the mustard seed (4:26-32)? Why?
8. How is the parable of the mustard seed encouraging for those who work and pray for the expansion of the kingdom of God?
9. What is the argument in favor of the birds in the branches of the mustard plant representing the nations?
10. Jesus explained the parables to His disciples. In what way do Christians today actually have an advantage over those disciples?