Pentecost 3 [Mark 4:26-34]

This sermon was preached at Trinity Lutheran Church, Tailem Bend (9 am) and St. John's Lutheran Church, Karoonda (11 am).

Intro: When it's winter, it's time to be near the heater. And we call it the heater because that's what it does, whether it's the dual cycle or the wood stove or what have you. And we know that being by the heater is a good place to be, at least to avoid being cold. Even as we know that, and as we know that seeds come up automatically and that mustard seeds grow mustard plants, it's still up to the Holy Spirit to bring us Christ's words that in his Kingdom, the Word does what it's meant to do, and that his kingdom is a safe haven for sinners. Indeed,

The reign and rule of God is as certain as planting and harvesting and as reliable a place to dwell as branches for birds.

The reign and rule of God is as certain as planting and harvesting. Do you want a harvest? How do you get one? You plant seed, and then, after a while, you harvest when the grains say it's time. This is basically it. That's how you get a harvest, if you want a harvest. (Jesus doesn't mention all the troubles that can affect a harvest.)

Now Jesus tells the first parable so that you may ask, “What does God want?”. The first parable goes, “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”. And earlier in Mark chapter 4, Jesus told the parable of the Sower, and he later explained to the disciples that the Seed is the Word of God, and the soil is human hearts. So what God wants, his Word will bring about. He wants the sinner to live, to believe in him above all things. His Word brings this about. It does what it's meant to do, just like seeds do what they're meant to do; just like rain does what it's meant to do. The Word of God does what it's meant to do. When he wants a harvest of the forgiveness of sins, he sows his Word which brings it.

Isaiah 55:10-11 says the same thing: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”. Here the Word of God is like the rain. It does what it's supposed to do. That's why we're saying now, “if we get three nights of rain, that will help the fields.” The rain will do what it's supposed to do. This helps us to not be prideful and think that we have added anything to our salvation because of how good we are. How did God bring about the harvest of my faith, that I believe in him? He sent his Word and what sprung up was the forgiveness of all my sins for the sake of Christ alone, who died for me.

And so Jesus speaks about what his own words would bring about. But what did Jesus' words bring about? They got him killed – he said he was the Son of God. He said “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”. He spoke the truth, but it got him killed. Jesus has the Word and he is the Word. So what do Jesus' words still bring about? Jesus' words both brought about his death for you and deliver how his death is truly able to exchange your sins for his holiness and purity. His Word does what it was meant to do, which is bring the light of salvation to you.

Transition: And we can have complete and total confidence in Christ's salvation because

Jesus is the Sower of the Word, which brings a harvest without needing our human might. This is good news because we would spread something different than the Word and would see no value when God does spread it. Left to our own fallen hearts we would spread a false word of “Just try your best, but remember, whatever you say is right is okay.” That's not a harvest to gather in because it's fruit is secure sinners, not repentant sinners. But when Christ's Word preaches true repentance, it makes us uncomfortable, because who wants to be wrong?

And the Sower is also the One in charge of the harvest. And when does Jesus gather in his harvest in complete fulfillment? Judgment Day. Yet when the harvest comes, you can be confident in Christ and his Word, that he will gather you in. That's what Jesus does with his rule and reign: the forgiveness of sins leads to life everlasting. Judgment day is a comfort. He gathers in the ripe grains. Jesus doesn't mention any troubles with the harvest, for he promises to keep his kingdom secure even in the midst of trouble. For,

And all of this is without human might. We rely on and trust in God's action. Just the same way no farmer would say, “Ok, when is the wheat coming?” only to hear “You didn't plant any”, in the same way no congregation can say, “Okay, let's be God's people.” only to hear from the Lord “Not without God's Word preached to your ears.” There are no hearers of the Word, which is how the Small Catechism names church members, there are no hearers of the Word without the Word. And there is no word unless God sends the Word. And the same way a farmer spreads seed, the Lord spreads his Kingdom – and his Kingdom is taught and preached.

Transition: Now the second parable has a few differences, even though we're still talking about seeds. Here the mustard seed is the kingdom of God – it is seen as small and therefore not of much importance. But it's a haven for the nations.

Jesus 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.” The reign and rule of God is as reliable a place to dwell as branches for birds.

But you can have confidence that Jesus says, “when it is sown, it grows up”. This happens. It grows. Now, it doesn't grow in a way that the sinful world can measure rightly, that we can see its glory with our eyes, and it's not so great as to ignore the small, and as we kneel at the altar we say, “yes, that's me. Lord, have mercy.” But, as a mustard plant grows and its branches provide a dwelling place for the birds, the reign and rule of God grows and provides a haven for the nations, that we dwell where Christ forgives sins, where the Word does its work. What Christ has said is reliable.

We can have confidence in the reign and rule of God, though the Church looks small and poor. For where did Jesus grow up? Nazareth. Who were his apostles? Fishermen and such. It's never been any different for those who believe in Christ.

And today? Still the same (Christ's Church is actively looked at as very insignificant. His Word is looked at as very insignificant. The general opinion is basically 'what the Bible says is so much less important than what the culture says is important'.) (Sadly, look inside the church too: nice thoughts and little ways to improve my life are preferred and offered over and instead of Christ bringing you from death to life by the preaching of his cross, and Baptism in his name, and eating the risen body of our Lord who has won the victory over death).

It's a very good thing that the Church is in fact a refuge for poor sinners, because if it were left to our fallen hearts we would take refuge under the branches of that which is not the Kingdom of God and would call God's Kingdom a small and unimportant thing.

But the truth remains – mustard seeds do grow into large plants, and God's reign and rule is the place where we dwell, but we dwell here according to sins forgiven. We dwell here ready for Judgment Day. We dwell here listening to God's Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. We dwell here speaking and living according to God's Word by the wisdom which the Holy Spirit gives.

The kingdom is a harbor and haven because we are able to hear God's Word, as the people also heard Jesus' parables, because of God's work – only because he gives hearts to hear it. For the Holy Spirit brings wisdom to understand the Word and to delight in God's means of grace. So, confident that the Lord has planted and continues to plant his Word, we can look for the harvest of faith and hope and love. Confident that the reign and rule of God is a refuge for us , a refuge in the shape of Christ's cross, we rejoice that the kingdom of God is where his Word is preached and taught, and believed.

Conclusion: Even this cold winter, Christ's words are reliable. These two parables are a wonderful gift. Christ our Lord loves to strengthen you to believe that his Word does its work just as sowing leads to harvesting. He loves to strengthen you that a strong refuge for all sinners is to be found where his Word and forgiveness are given out, found where his cross is your glory. Amen.