How good are you at listening? How easy is it to be corrected?
Even by an expert? Difficult isn’t it. It hits at our pride. Particularly difficult when our cultural norms are being challenged. Jesus turns them upside down. Power shown in weakness. The hidden being revealed. The small and insignificant taking over the world.
What words of Jesus do you find most difficult to accept?
We’ve just come from chapter 3, a chapter where we saw growing hostility towards Jesus, particularly from the religious leaders; we saw the crowds fawning over him – but not for his teaching, but rather what he could do for them – healing, power, the spectacular, the show. Not for his words of life, forgiveness of sins - true spiritual power, and their greatest need. But for the sideshow of healing, something that he can do with the slightest of effort.
How often are we caught up in the same folly? We miss the wood for the trees. We want to see spectacular displays of God’s power – and miss it at work in our own lives (we’re still Christians), in the wonder of creation all around us (Notodden is a beautiful place), and supremely when someone crosses from death to life, from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Jesus – that took even the very death of the God-man Jesus Christ. There is the power of God! Not in a healing. In salvation.
So, let us listen to Jesus as in three short stories sketches out the beauty, the wonder, the glory of the kingdom of God. The King is amongst us, describing his kingdom –and it is good. Will you listen?
1. The secret of the Kingdom is Jesus. (v1-14)
Again he began to teach beside the sea... 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen!...9 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God... 14The sower sows the word.
The seed that is sown is the word of God (v14). But it’s worth asking “what word is that?” What word must we hear? Listen to?
What word of God have we seen in these first few chapters of Mark?
That’s right – it’s all been the word about Jesus – the good news of the arrival of the King of God’s Kingdom. He is the Lord who will come suddenly to his Temple (amongst his people). He is the Lord whose way was prepared by John the Baptist. He is the One who can be baptised in our place to fulfil the righteous requirements of the law – he who knew no sin identifying with sinners in order to save us. He is the one who can heal at a word, who has power over evil spirits (we who are in Him need never fear curses or spells or ancestors or black magic or voodoo – He has power over all that). He is the stronger man who can bind up the “strong man” (Satan). He has power over the Law – his touch cleanses the leper and makes him lawfully clean – Jesus is not made unclean. He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lord over the Law. He is the doctor of souls who came for sinners, and will never turn aside those who ask him for help. He is the one who can stand and proclaim “your sins are forgiven”.
So who is he? Indeed. For he certainly takes liberties! He acts as if he were the Creator himself – Yahweh, the covenant God.
Could it be true? Those whom he chooses to call follow him, like Abraham. He does not choose the great and powerful, but the ordinary, like Abraham, and Israel. A small, ordinary tribe. And then, in chapter 3, in the midst of foolish responses to him, we see him stand upon the mountainside, and call forth 12 men, the new 12 tribes of Israel reforged. The new people of God, who would fulfil the promise to Abraham of all nations and peoples being blessed.
Who is he? He is not a prophet or an angel, or he would take great pains to ensure that the focus of attention was NOT on him, but God. For what prophet or angel would even allow the charge of blasphemy?
In fact, the whole of chapter 3 was about responding to Jesus, not simply his message, but to him personally. His actions, his person, his words, all must be responded to rightly. Every one of us must answer this question: who is Jesus?
And Mark says: he is the embodiment of the kingdom, the King himself standing before us: the ultimate revelation of the mystery of God. What was hidden is now revealed in Jesus. 21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. BUT – you must listen. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
The secret of the kingdom, the Word of God, is Jesus.
So, how do we respond?
2. The only right response is to gather around Jesus and listen (v9-14)
9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
There is only one response, only one that bears fruit: those who hear the word and accept it. Those are the ones gathered around Jesus, asking him “what does it mean?”. Tell us more. 24 Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given.
And they are given more – even the very secret of the kingdom of God.
The others, however from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
The religious leaders from Jerusalem, full of the words of Moses – but their hearts are hard, their ears closed to the truth, and when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. They embody the quote from Isaiah 6 (Isaiah’s call to prophesy): “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven”. In chapters 1-5 of Isaiah we’re introduced to rebellious Israel, refusing to listen to and obey the words of God Almighty. Israel’s leaders are particularly singled out for their hard-heartedness and rebellion. Sound familiar? Same situation as here in Mark. They will not repent because their hearts are so hard. Isaiah’s job then was to confirm them in their unbelief, and show them the horrific truth: they now have become enemies of God Most High, and he will fight against them. A short while later, Jerusalem lay in ruins, and the people of the land were carried off into exile.
Be careful, then how you listen to the parables. For you too may be left with old Israel, the old religious order, ending up as the enemies of God. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Don’t close your heart to the truth. For Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown.
Then there’s the fickle crowd, the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. As soon as Jesus challenges their selfish lives, their set religious order, calls them to a new path, when it becomes costly to follow him – they fall away, abandon him, disown him, reject him, shout “crucify him”.
And there are others, those who are among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things (idolatry) enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
Which soil are you? Hard path? Rootless? Choked by worries and idolatry? Or fruitful?
Now I could say that:
you must be the fruitful soil!
You must work hard at obeying Jesus!
Pray more.
Read the Bible more.
Evangelise people.
Do more for Jesus.
And although there is some truth in that – it is wrong.
It is not the gospel.
We are not the fruitful soil and we can never make ourselves the fruitful soil. To carry the parable a little further: only the farmer can plough the land, remove the rocks, fertilise and water and do whatever other magic things farmers do to soil to make it fruitful.
Because, if we’re honest, we often feel like the path, or the rocky ground, falling away when things become hard, or choked by worry, loving other things more than Jesus.
Thankfully, Jesus did not come for the spiritually superior, the “good people” the ones who’ve got it all together spiritually and can do it in their own strength thank you very much. He came for the sick – the sinners.
To strive, to achieve, to do it in your own strength – that leads to blaspheming the Holy Spirit: setting up another path to salvation other than Jesus. Only Jesus, the King of Gods Kingdom can save you. Nothing and no-one else can, not even you.
I want you to leave here tonight not filled with a to-do list, filled with guilt – but filled with praise and glory and wonder for the Lord Jesus. Listen to him, for his words are truth. Trust him – for he is at work, in you (if you belong to him) transforming you and changing you. For the kingdom of God is at work, unseen, in you, and in the world.
3. The kingdom of God is at work, with unseen power, in you
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
V25: For to the one who has, more will be given – the one who LISTENS to Jesus (that is, accepts the seed) – well, that seed takes root in him, and grows and grows. We know not how, but “all by itself” (that is, not by human effort) the kingdom will grow until harvest-time. The Spirit is at work.
Christian, the Lord is at work in you. The seed is growing. As Philippians 1:6 says I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (that is, Christ’s return). Do not fear, but trust. Listen to him, and obey him in joy for he is at work in you, and you will see a harvest of righteousness, you will see fruitfulness if you trust in him. Only he can change a heart, so trust in him to change yours.
Remember the story I told about Kaleb a few weeks ago? While I was away in England, one day Kaleb had been having a bad day, and was being an absolute terror. A battle had been raging for four hours, with him throwing things, being rude, saying he "hated" Debby, etc.. In exhaustion she went up to our bedroom and prayed "Lord, I don't know what to do. Nothing can make him obey. Please would you change his heart. Amen".
15 minutes later a small face appeared at the door and said "Mummy, Jesus has changed my heart. I'm very sorry Mummy."
That is trust. That is the grace of God, at work, in Kaleb’s heart, in Debby’s heart – and in yours and mine. The seed keeps growing.
But this parable is more than just the individual believer. And to help us understand it, let’s look at the next parable as well.
4. The kingdom of God is at work, with unseen power, in the whole world
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Indeed, the church is growing, surging forth in the world. We do not know how, but 2000 years on, the church spans the whole world. From a tiny seed in a backwater Roman jurisdiction where an unknown Jewish trouble-maker was crucified, spread this enormous empire spanning centuries and engulfing the whole world – every people-group, nation, and tongue. The church is the greatest empire the world has ever seen.
It is the great empire of Ezekiel 17, which Jesus is referring to, where the prophet Ezekiel sees this vision the Lord God takes a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar...and...plants it...23 on the mountain height of Israel..., that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest....I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.
The kingdom of God will flourish because our Sovereign Lord wills it. He has spoken and he will do it. From the beginning of “sprig from the lofty top of the cedar” (Jesus, the descendant of King David, the “lofty top” of the cedar, Israel), to the mountain height of Israel (Jesus crucified in Jerusalem on top of Mount Zion), to birds (nations) nesting under its shade.
The invisible church, with invisible power going out among all the nations. Note I said invisible as not all of the visible “church” is indeed part of the kingdom of God. For who is it that belongs to the kingdom? Who are Jesus’ mother and brothers? It is those who do the will of God: listen to Jesus.
And that is helpful for us here in little Rock International Church. For our job is to be faithful to the words of Jesus. To listen to him. To help others listen to him. And then to trust in the unseen power to bring growth. We will not grow either in numbers, or in maturity, in any other way. We must listen to Jesus. No strategies or methods or techniques or music or styles of preaching or hours of prayer or technologies or whatever else. No, we humble ourselves before the word of Jesus, and trust in his unstoppable power.
For he is the King of God’s Kingdom. He is the secret revealed. He is the word spoken.
And we respond by listening, and in joy receiving the word, trusting the Lord of the harvest to do his work, and produce a harvest within us.
Christian, rejoice and praise the Lord of the Harvest.
Non-Christian, repent of your unbelief, and accept the word of the King as truth.
Praise Him with great praise! Amen.
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