The Bible is not the only source of learning we have about eternal truths though it is an extremely important one. We also learn from the living world around us. Many of the parables, (comparisons) that Jesus made were drawn from nature. Other than to his disciples, he rarely explained them. He left us to work out their meaning ourselves. Jesus didn’t waste words. Most preachers, particularly me could learn a lot from him. The amazingly complex, beautiful, ordered natural world around us shows us much about God and ourselves. Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God is like growing seeds. He reminds us of what is obvious. Most of us as children would have grown cress and like the farmer in the story, would have kept checking to look for signs of growth. The phrase Kingdom of God means the place where he reigns; where everything is perfect as God would have it be. We pray “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Taken literally, this parable speaks of creation. On the third day of creation according to Genesis, “God spoke and the earth brought forth vegetation, plant yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind and God saw that it was very good.” In the Garden of Eden there were no weeds and the first human beings were vegetarians. The luscious fruit and vegetables which God the gardener had produced from the seed scattered was varied and attractive sufficient for all human beings nutritional needs. Fruit and vegetables show God’s goodness at the creation of the heavens and earth and at the end, for in God’s new heaven and earth, we see fruits for the healing of the nations. When God reigns, there is more than enough food for everyone. Think of the seeds within a melon, a pepper or a pomegranate! God is generous. It would take us more than a lifetime to see and enjoy all the beautiful plants and flowers and to taste all the amazing fruits. We are still discovering the medicinal and healing properties within different types of plants. Working hard by the sweat of his brow on dry ground which produces thorns and thistles was the judgement given to Adam because sin entered the world. All creation Romans tells us groans waiting for the redemption of the children of God and God’s Kingly reign. Greed and pollution has brought about climate change and the death of many species. It is not only human beings who need redemption through Jesus dying for us on Calvary; the whole of creation will be made new. When God’s Kingdom comes the vegetation and fruit we will see and eat will taste better and look more beautiful. Gardening is hard work. Vegetation and weeds grow whether we plant them or not. I love unexpected surprises such as a beautiful flower a bird or the wind planted. However most seeds need sowing by us, lawns need mowing and soil needs weeding and feeding. Our efforts are never enough. the miracle of life and growth is God’s gift to us. He sends seasons, darkness and light, the rain and sun. We cannot grow plants. Only God can. We cannot eat bread or taste wine unless someone harvests the crop. If we leave our luscious fruit on the trees, either the birds will eat them or they will go rotten. We have to watch and reap when the fruit is ripe. We fit in with God’s timing. If we go on holiday when the harvest has come, even for a fortnight, we will miss the harvest of God and our labours. This parable is more than about sowing and reaping. It is about how God’s Kingdom grows in us and our world. Mark’s gospel is about the good news of God’s kingdom having drawn near to us in Jesus. His words are the seeds that bring life and enable us to grow. Jesus is the word of life who calls us to repent and follow him. When Jesus reigns in our hearts and minds we become a new creation and are rooted and grounded in God’s love. We need Jesus to make us beautiful on the inside. He died so we might be forgiven and come into his Kingdom. We cannot be cleansed and changed through our own efforts alone. Just as seeds grow in secret, we grow in the secret place as we pray and read our Bibles. What starts in a small way grows as God continues to work within us moulding our characters, changing us into his likeness. Jesus uses the second parable to show how this growth spreads so that others benefit and become part of what God is doing. A mustard seed doesn’t grow into a huge tree like the cedar in our Old Testament reading. This tiniest seed grows into a shrub with many large branches under which the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. The mustard shrub is not one which dominates the landscape or calls attention to its self. It provides safe places for birds to nest. We want to be safe places for our families to grow, for our friends to come in time of crisis’ safe places where little ones are sheltered. When we act with kindness and strength, enabling others to flourish we show what God’s Kingdom is like. When our branches grow and reach out to others so they hear about what Jesus has done for us, God’s Kingly reign is extended. The mustard shrub is a pest when left untended. It has medicinal and herbal properties and flavours our food but like the weeds in our garden it multiplies and takes over. We would uproot it if it was in our garden. Jesus is like the mustard shrub. He is a safe place to come to, he provides healing and flavour to our lives, yet the authorities uprooted and killed him. However the mustard tree keeps growing. The birds sheltering under the branches give us a vision of the end times and compares with the parable of the cedar given in Ezekiel. The birds of every kind represented the different peoples from across the world who would find safety under Israel’s rule on the Day of the Lord. We find shelter under the protection of God’s love extended to all who will come to him from all over the world and repent and believe. We are called to extend God’s invitation of shelter and safety to those in our parish. I am excited that New Starts have bought the betting shop which was destroying those with gambling addictions that socialised there. This gives them and us at St Leonard’s the opportunity to extend God’s shelter to others through a week day service. We see God’s generous, life giving, beauty every time we spend time in our gardens and eat and drink what he has provided. We are grieved by the damage done to our earth and long to see our earth restored and healed. Thank God for his generosity in sending Jesus to transform our lives and world with the vibrant, spirit filled life he gives when we come to him. May we sow the seed of his word so that his Kingdom will be extended and may we be a safe place where others will find food and shelter?
The Bible is not the only source of learning we have about eternal truths though it is an extremely important one. We also learn from the living world around us. Many of the parables, (comparisons) that Jesus made were drawn from nature. Other than to his disciples, he rarely explained them. He left us to work out their meaning ourselves. Jesus didn’t waste words. Most preachers, particularly me could learn a lot from him. The amazingly complex, beautiful, ordered natural world around us shows us much about God and ourselves. Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God is like growing seeds. He reminds us of what is obvious. Most of us as children would have grown cress and like the farmer in the story, would have kept checking to look for signs of growth. The phrase Kingdom of God means the place where he reigns; where everything is perfect as God would have it be. We pray “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Taken literally, this parable speaks of creation. On the third day of creation according to Genesis, “God spoke and the earth brought forth vegetation, plant yielding seed and fruit trees of every kind and God saw that it was very good.” In the Garden of Eden there were no weeds and the first human beings were vegetarians. The luscious fruit and vegetables which God the gardener had produced from the seed scattered was varied and attractive sufficient for all human beings nutritional needs. Fruit and vegetables show God’s goodness at the creation of the heavens and earth and at the end, for in God’s new heaven and earth, we see fruits for the healing of the nations. When God reigns, there is more than enough food for everyone. Think of the seeds within a melon, a pepper or a pomegranate! God is generous. It would take us more than a lifetime to see and enjoy all the beautiful plants and flowers and to taste all the amazing fruits. We are still discovering the medicinal and healing properties within different types of plants. Working hard by the sweat of his brow on dry ground which produces thorns and thistles was the judgement given to Adam because sin entered the world. All creation Romans tells us groans waiting for the redemption of the children of God and God’s Kingly reign. Greed and pollution has brought about climate change and the death of many species. It is not only human beings who need redemption through Jesus dying for us on Calvary; the whole of creation will be made new. When God’s Kingdom comes the vegetation and fruit we will see and eat will taste better and look more beautiful. Gardening is hard work. Vegetation and weeds grow whether we plant them or not. I love unexpected surprises such as a beautiful flower a bird or the wind planted. However most seeds need sowing by us, lawns need mowing and soil needs weeding and feeding. Our efforts are never enough. the miracle of life and growth is God’s gift to us. He sends seasons, darkness and light, the rain and sun. We cannot grow plants. Only God can. We cannot eat bread or taste wine unless someone harvests the crop. If we leave our luscious fruit on the trees, either the birds will eat them or they will go rotten. We have to watch and reap when the fruit is ripe. We fit in with God’s timing. If we go on holiday when the harvest has come, even for a fortnight, we will miss the harvest of God and our labours. This parable is more than about sowing and reaping. It is about how God’s Kingdom grows in us and our world. Mark’s gospel is about the good news of God’s kingdom having drawn near to us in Jesus. His words are the seeds that bring life and enable us to grow. Jesus is the word of life who calls us to repent and follow him. When Jesus reigns in our hearts and minds we become a new creation and are rooted and grounded in God’s love. We need Jesus to make us beautiful on the inside. He died so we might be forgiven and come into his Kingdom. We cannot be cleansed and changed through our own efforts alone. Just as seeds grow in secret, we grow in the secret place as we pray and read our Bibles. What starts in a small way grows as God continues to work within us moulding our characters, changing us into his likeness. Jesus uses the second parable to show how this growth spreads so that others benefit and become part of what God is doing. A mustard seed doesn’t grow into a huge tree like the cedar in our Old Testament reading. This tiniest seed grows into a shrub with many large branches under which the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. The mustard shrub is not one which dominates the landscape or calls attention to its self. It provides safe places for birds to nest. We want to be safe places for our families to grow, for our friends to come in time of crisis’ safe places where little ones are sheltered. When we act with kindness and strength, enabling others to flourish we show what God’s Kingdom is like. When our branches grow and reach out to others so they hear about what Jesus has done for us, God’s Kingly reign is extended. The mustard shrub is a pest when left untended. It has medicinal and herbal properties and flavours our food but like the weeds in our garden it multiplies and takes over. We would uproot it if it was in our garden. Jesus is like the mustard shrub. He is a safe place to come to, he provides healing and flavour to our lives, yet the authorities uprooted and killed him. However the mustard tree keeps growing. The birds sheltering under the branches give us a vision of the end times and compares with the parable of the cedar given in Ezekiel. The birds of every kind represented the different peoples from across the world who would find safety under Israel’s rule on the Day of the Lord. We find shelter under the protection of God’s love extended to all who will come to him from all over the world and repent and believe. We are called to extend God’s invitation of shelter and safety to those in our parish. I am excited that New Starts have bought the betting shop which was destroying those with gambling addictions that socialised there. This gives them and us at St Leonard’s the opportunity to extend God’s shelter to others through a week day service. We see God’s generous, life giving, beauty every time we spend time in our gardens and eat and drink what he has provided. We are grieved by the damage done to our earth and long to see our earth restored and healed. Thank God for his generosity in sending Jesus to transform our lives and world with the vibrant, spirit filled life he gives when we come to him. May we sow the seed of his word so that his Kingdom will be extended and may we be a safe place where others will find food and shelter?
Looking at those sitting around him, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and brothers. Whoever does the will of God are my brother, sister and mother.” The crowd Jesus spoke to were a mixture of his followers, those he had healed and delivered and maybe the curious. They were not courteous, thoughtful or caring of Jesus’ needs. They were so demanding Jesus could not eat. Jesus was being treated like a celebrity without the perks of a glamorous lifestyle and huge income. There were no locks on Middle Eastern doors and consequently no escape or protection. Even though Jesus must have been exhausted and in need of refreshment he had little choice other than to put those who came to him before his personal needs. Jesus’ natural family, Mary and his brothers and sisters were concerned. Everyone needs food and sleep to function well. If Jesus continued without attending to his personal needs he would collapse. They also knew what the religious authorities were saying and that he was in grave danger. Because they loved Jesus they wanted to protect him, restrain him and take him home. Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather was probably dead. Mary was a good mother though at times it brought her great sorrow. We do not know how many brothers and sisters Jesus had. We do know that two of his brothers, James and Jude went on to become leaders in the early church. Jesus’ family came united. They must have discussed his predicament with each other and neighbours and had come to their decision to act. Middle Eastern expectations would be that Jesus would conform. To not look after family interests was dishonourable. As the oldest son, in the absence of his father, Jesus was expected to protect and provide. By not doing so he was shaming them openly and breaking the fifth commandment, “Honour your father and mother.” When Jesus heard his family were asking for him, he ignored them. It was possibly the only way he could avoid an argument. He didn’t want his ministry to be curtailed by those closest to him. His family must have felt rejected and helpless. They thought he was out of his mind, mad! He had thrown away security by leaving the family home and the carpentry business to be a wandering preacher. He had thrown away safety by confronting the evil powers of his day, the scribes and the Pharisees, as well as the evil which gripped those who longed to be free. He was being utterly reckless and was not listening to those who cared for him most. The teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem to Nazareth thought he was bad. They said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” From their point of view, this unauthorised, lowly carpenter who they had caught breaking Sabbath laws couldn’t be driving out evil through the power of God so they had to find another explanation. Their explanation didn’t make sense. Jesus was making humans whole and well. He wasn’t casting out evil Spirits through a more powerful one. If this was what he was doing, Satan’s kingdom could not stand because it would be divided against itself. Instead Jesus was binding, tying up the strong man so his kingdom or house could be plundered. Jesus had come to forgive sins, to cast out evil, and to set those bound by evil free When we come to Jesus and are forgiven of our sins we are delivered from Satan’s Kingdom and become members of the Kingdom of heaven. Instead of being controlled by Satan, we become one with Christ. Jesus did not argue about where evil came from. He dealt with it and gave his followers the power to overcome evil too. We are called to deal with the evil within our own lives by turning to Christ, renouncing evil and repenting of our sins. We are also called to challenge the institutional evil within society, the injustice that keeps the poor where they are and causes mental and physical illnesses. Challenging evil and the ministry of healing are closely linked. When someone is physically sick, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are bound by Satan. Sin, sickness and death, however came about because evil entered the world. Jesus came to overcome these evils in our lives, healing bodies, minds and spirits. The teachers of the law were sinning against the Holy Spirit. This was blasphemy. They were calling Jesus and the good he had done evil. Instead of responding to Jesus’ heart of compassion, they had set their hearts against him. Jesus would have forgiven them if they asked. Because they didn’t, they would remain bound in Satan’s domain. Jesus’ mother, brothers and sisters would also have to come to Jesus in repentance if they were to be part of his new Kingdom. Why does Jesus call those who do not care for him family whilst ignoring those who love him? Jesus explains his behaviour using images to do with the kingdom of heaven. Through his ministry Jesus was ushering in a new community who would be obedient to a higher realm than Rome, the Jewish authorities and even his own family. The natural order within society was being turned upside down. Jesus had shown power over demons and nature. He healed the sick and forgave sins. Only God was allowed to forgive sins. Jesus was aligning himself with God and proclaiming himself King. The beginnings of the new community were sitting around him. If they obeyed God they were his new family. Fleshly ties will not be a feature once we have passed from what is temporary into what is eternal. We are immensely privileged to be members of Jesus’ family today. He is even closer to us than a brother, because he invites us to take him into ourselves, so that we become one flesh, one body. Jesus shows great humility. He is not a King who Lords it over his subjects. We are brothers and sisters in Christ We minister to Christ as we worship, follow him and serve others and he ministers to us through the power of his Spirit. Jesus risked all that he had to rescue us from sin and death. When we follow him we are family, we move into an eternal Kingdom and live in God’s house where the devil and his agents have no power. Was Jesus mad as his family thought him to be, was he bad as the scribes and Pharisees thought he was or is he the Son of God who came to set us free from evil through his death on the cross and resurrection? He has the power to deal with the evil within and unite us. Is Jesus your brother? Have you invited him to forgive and heal you? How is the Holy Spirit calling us to confront evil and welcome newcomers into God’s family?
Looking at those sitting around him, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and brothers. Whoever does the will of God are my brother, sister and mother.” The crowd Jesus spoke to were a mixture of his followers, those he had healed and delivered and maybe the curious. They were not courteous, thoughtful or caring of Jesus’ needs. They were so demanding Jesus could not eat. Jesus was being treated like a celebrity without the perks of a glamorous lifestyle and huge income. There were no locks on Middle Eastern doors and consequently no escape or protection. Even though Jesus must have been exhausted and in need of refreshment he had little choice other than to put those who came to him before his personal needs. Jesus’ natural family, Mary and his brothers and sisters were concerned. Everyone needs food and sleep to function well. If Jesus continued without attending to his personal needs he would collapse. They also knew what the religious authorities were saying and that he was in grave danger. Because they loved Jesus they wanted to protect him, restrain him and take him home. Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather was probably dead. Mary was a good mother though at times it brought her great sorrow. We do not know how many brothers and sisters Jesus had. We do know that two of his brothers, James and Jude went on to become leaders in the early church. Jesus’ family came united. They must have discussed his predicament with each other and neighbours and had come to their decision to act. Middle Eastern expectations would be that Jesus would conform. To not look after family interests was dishonourable. As the oldest son, in the absence of his father, Jesus was expected to protect and provide. By not doing so he was shaming them openly and breaking the fifth commandment, “Honour your father and mother.” When Jesus heard his family were asking for him, he ignored them. It was possibly the only way he could avoid an argument. He didn’t want his ministry to be curtailed by those closest to him. His family must have felt rejected and helpless. They thought he was out of his mind, mad! He had thrown away security by leaving the family home and the carpentry business to be a wandering preacher. He had thrown away safety by confronting the evil powers of his day, the scribes and the Pharisees, as well as the evil which gripped those who longed to be free. He was being utterly reckless and was not listening to those who cared for him most. The teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem to Nazareth thought he was bad. They said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” From their point of view, this unauthorised, lowly carpenter who they had caught breaking Sabbath laws couldn’t be driving out evil through the power of God so they had to find another explanation. Their explanation didn’t make sense. Jesus was making humans whole and well. He wasn’t casting out evil Spirits through a more powerful one. If this was what he was doing, Satan’s kingdom could not stand because it would be divided against itself. Instead Jesus was binding, tying up the strong man so his kingdom or house could be plundered. Jesus had come to forgive sins, to cast out evil, and to set those bound by evil free When we come to Jesus and are forgiven of our sins we are delivered from Satan’s Kingdom and become members of the Kingdom of heaven. Instead of being controlled by Satan, we become one with Christ. Jesus did not argue about where evil came from. He dealt with it and gave his followers the power to overcome evil too. We are called to deal with the evil within our own lives by turning to Christ, renouncing evil and repenting of our sins. We are also called to challenge the institutional evil within society, the injustice that keeps the poor where they are and causes mental and physical illnesses. Challenging evil and the ministry of healing are closely linked. When someone is physically sick, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are bound by Satan. Sin, sickness and death, however came about because evil entered the world. Jesus came to overcome these evils in our lives, healing bodies, minds and spirits. The teachers of the law were sinning against the Holy Spirit. This was blasphemy. They were calling Jesus and the good he had done evil. Instead of responding to Jesus’ heart of compassion, they had set their hearts against him. Jesus would have forgiven them if they asked. Because they didn’t, they would remain bound in Satan’s domain. Jesus’ mother, brothers and sisters would also have to come to Jesus in repentance if they were to be part of his new Kingdom. Why does Jesus call those who do not care for him family whilst ignoring those who love him? Jesus explains his behaviour using images to do with the kingdom of heaven. Through his ministry Jesus was ushering in a new community who would be obedient to a higher realm than Rome, the Jewish authorities and even his own family. The natural order within society was being turned upside down. Jesus had shown power over demons and nature. He healed the sick and forgave sins. Only God was allowed to forgive sins. Jesus was aligning himself with God and proclaiming himself King. The beginnings of the new community were sitting around him. If they obeyed God they were his new family. Fleshly ties will not be a feature once we have passed from what is temporary into what is eternal. We are immensely privileged to be members of Jesus’ family today. He is even closer to us than a brother, because he invites us to take him into ourselves, so that we become one flesh, one body. Jesus shows great humility. He is not a King who Lords it over his subjects. We are brothers and sisters in Christ We minister to Christ as we worship, follow him and serve others and he ministers to us through the power of his Spirit. Jesus risked all that he had to rescue us from sin and death. When we follow him we are family, we move into an eternal Kingdom and live in God’s house where the devil and his agents have no power. Was Jesus mad as his family thought him to be, was he bad as the scribes and Pharisees thought he was or is he the Son of God who came to set us free from evil through his death on the cross and resurrection? He has the power to deal with the evil within and unite us. Is Jesus your brother? Have you invited him to forgive and heal you? How is the Holy Spirit calling us to confront evil and welcome newcomers into God’s family?
