Faithful on Fridays Blog

Episode Five: Already

Jesus made the powerful declaration in the Lord’s Prayer, “Kingdom Come! Will be done on earth as in heaven.”  Those anointed words show the crucial nature of the Kingdom of God already a reality.

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) He expressed truths we shouldn’t miss. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else …, enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate …, follow God’s commandments, teach others, and you’ll be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, additionally, only those who do the will of My Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thankfully, his four seed-parables from Matt. 13 and Mark 4 give us insight into understanding the secrets of the Kingdom: The Parable of the Sower, The Growing Seed, The Wheat and Weeds, and The Mustard Seed. We’ve already looked at why people don’t receive the seed of God’s Word when we share, but we still get frustrated. We witness and testify of God’s love and grace, the higher life is right here; why don’t they respond (Parable of the Sower)? 

The second seed-parable Jesus told reveals the process of The Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) comforting us that when we testify of God’s goodness we remember it’s a slow process. You don’t plant a seed one day and there’s fruit the next. It requires patience recognizing there’s a lot happening underground we can’t see: the seed coat needs to break open, gravity draws the roots down, and the baby plant reaches up to the light. This all takes time, but eventually the fruit ripens and it’s harvest time; God’s Kingdom is like that (Is. 55:10-11).

Next, Jesus explained His story (Matt. 13:36-44) of the good seed (wheat) and the bad seed (weeds). He reminded us of an enemy opposing our every move to share the Kingdom. Jesus planted good seed in us mandating we go and do likewise, yet realizing Satan is sowing bad seeds at the same time: social media, news outlets, or politics are often weed-seeds. Pointing us to the end of this age or time, He clearly addressed the separation of believers and unbelievers. Judgment Day is real.

Lastly, The Mustard Seed; that tiny, insignificant seed planted as we share God’s love and mercy with others. Jesus desires us to know that every word we speak about Him doesn’t go unnoticed; He sees it all. Again, seeds take time to germinate; you may be the first, tenth, or even hundredth time someone hears the message, but when it does take root God nourishes it to full growth. The smallest, seemingly unimportant seed you sow becomes the largest plant providing shade, shelter, and protection for those who receive the seed.

Moral of the four stories? Recognizing obstacles to responding to God’s Word, including Satan, we share His message of the Kingdom of God remembering it’s a process that takes time and patience. The smallest kindness in His Name will have an effect so … ‘shine the sun’ in His Kingdom now.