Day Nineteen: A Mustard Seed (Mark Mark 4:30-34)
Devotional: In Today’s passage we have the third parable that Jesus gave about “seeds” from Mark 4. In the first one, Jesus talks about the kind of soil needed for the seed to bear fruit. He was talking about a healthy heart that receives the Word of God and applies it to life. In the second story about seeds, Jesus lets the disciples knows that the seed, which is the Word, has great power. So let the Word loose and watch it!
Here in the third seed story, Jesus reminds the disciples that the kingdom is going to spread all over the world. He compares it to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds in the world. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. Sometimes it really is the smallest things that can produce the biggest impact.
If you fast forward a few years to after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, He makes a promise to the disciples before ascending back to the Heavenly Father. In Acts 1:8 He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Those who had embraced the kingdom of God at that time was a very small amount of people, around 500, the size of a “mustard seed” in comparison to all the people in the world. But Jesus said it would eventually spread to the “end of the earth”. Within 50 years of Jesus’ promise, it had reached many thousands and had indeed reached into many parts of the world. And today, those who would identify themselves as Christians represents the largest religion in the world. Jesus’ words have come true, Christianity has become “larger than all the garden plants” (religions) of the world.
Maybe you don’t think you have a lot to offer the kingdom of God. It’s ok, because it’s not your power, it’s the power of the One you follow! Jesus talked about mustard seeds in another place in the gospels. In Matthew 17 Jesus said, “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you” (v. 20). Give God what you got and watch what God can do.
The little boy only had a few pieces of fish and bread and Jesus fed the multitudes. It’s not how big your faith is, it is having faith in a big God. Believe that and offer your times, talents and treasures and God will use it to impact lives for the kingdom of God. So how about it, what will you offer to Jesus?
Prayer: Make three columns with the followings headings: Time, Talent, Treasures. Under each, write what you have to offer. And take time praying over each one, asking God to use you.
Devotional: In Today’s passage we have the third parable that Jesus gave about “seeds” from Mark 4. In the first one, Jesus talks about the kind of soil needed for the seed to bear fruit. He was talking about a healthy heart that receives the Word of God and applies it to life. In the second story about seeds, Jesus lets the disciples knows that the seed, which is the Word, has great power. So let the Word loose and watch it!
Here in the third seed story, Jesus reminds the disciples that the kingdom is going to spread all over the world. He compares it to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds in the world. Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. Sometimes it really is the smallest things that can produce the biggest impact.
If you fast forward a few years to after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, He makes a promise to the disciples before ascending back to the Heavenly Father. In Acts 1:8 He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Those who had embraced the kingdom of God at that time was a very small amount of people, around 500, the size of a “mustard seed” in comparison to all the people in the world. But Jesus said it would eventually spread to the “end of the earth”. Within 50 years of Jesus’ promise, it had reached many thousands and had indeed reached into many parts of the world. And today, those who would identify themselves as Christians represents the largest religion in the world. Jesus’ words have come true, Christianity has become “larger than all the garden plants” (religions) of the world.
Maybe you don’t think you have a lot to offer the kingdom of God. It’s ok, because it’s not your power, it’s the power of the One you follow! Jesus talked about mustard seeds in another place in the gospels. In Matthew 17 Jesus said, “if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed… nothing will be impossible for you” (v. 20). Give God what you got and watch what God can do.
The little boy only had a few pieces of fish and bread and Jesus fed the multitudes. It’s not how big your faith is, it is having faith in a big God. Believe that and offer your times, talents and treasures and God will use it to impact lives for the kingdom of God. So how about it, what will you offer to Jesus?
Prayer: Make three columns with the followings headings: Time, Talent, Treasures. Under each, write what you have to offer. And take time praying over each one, asking God to use you.
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