Mark 4:26-29
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God is like...It is like a seed that a man has planted...The seed when planted will by its very nature, is going to grow...That is what a seed does...It starts with a small green shoot...Then a green leaf appears...Then a stalk...Then a small ear of corn...Then the full ear of corn...The growing of the seed has an organized pattern of growth...The farmer has sown the seed, but God has made it grow...
The Kingdom of God like the seed will grow...It starts out slow and small...Then continues to grow in the soul...The soul is then perfected by God in heaven...
The seed appears lifeless...The soil, which is here on earth, the rain which comes from heaven, and the seed combine into a miracle...Jesus tells us that the how the lifeless seed grows and transforms the field into large crop, is unknown by the laborer who planted it...But just because the farmer did not know how or why it grows, he still plants the seed...
The disciples (and the crowd) who heard these parable would understand, if not now then after His resurrection...The Kingdom of God, though the farmer or the believer does not understand, he must have faith that the seed of truth will grow...The seed needs nourishment...Without work, water, and good soil the plant is not strong...Man like the seed needs encouragement, and persistence to grow his faith...The soul needs nourishment...It needs the scripture, fellowship of others, prayer and a graceful nudge from heaven...
The disciples would learn that to grow the number followers of Christ would also be slow like the seed...But over many, many years the plant would mature...The Christian faith would have many followers...
Like the plant, God's Kingdom will have a time for harvest...Jesus has sown the seed...When we are at the end of times, our souls must be ready, like the fully matured seed and the final ripened corn that is ready to harvest...