Year B
Mark 4:26-34
The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn
Seeds of the Heart
Maybe you remember this story about Barbara Streisand. At one time, she briefly considered having plastic surgery on her face. There were many who felt her nose was too long for her to become a successful singer and actress, and she almost caved in. But she realized something that Samuel, Jesus, and Paul came to realize in their lifetimes: appearance isn’t everything. Over the years she has made it plain that she is proud of her heritage as a Jew. It would not have been acceptable for her to artificially alter her God-given Jewish face and she was embraced by her fans—just as she is. As we look out into our world, we often find ourselves falling into the “appearance” trap making assumptions about people and situations based solely on their outward or first appearance.
The truth found in our texts today is that God does not judge by appearances, God judges by the heart, and God’s kingdom does not look like human ideas of beauty, strength, success, or size. The readings today warn us about judging on the basis of appearance or size. God often works in ways that appear to be small and insignificant. Samuel, Paul, and Jesus all seemed unlikely candidates for the mission God had in mind for them. This dilemma of discernment constantly confronts us. The scriptures declare that the people of God are given eyes that enable them to see in new and different ways. The church should look for people and ways that represent God’s will; to look again with fresh eyes for God’s work in our world.
We are spending a good bit of our summer skipping through the stories of Saul, David, Solomon and their reigns in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. Since we are skipping around in these books, you might want to read on your own the complete stories. Last Sunday, we heard how the people of Israel demanded a king, despite the costs and loss of freedom kingship would entail for the people. Between last Sunday’s reading and today’s, Saul has come to power as king, erred in his ways, been rejected by God and the prophet Samuel who anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. The text opens today with the words: “Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.”
God commands Samuel to go anoint another king, and today we hear the story of Samuel acting in faith according to God’s will by the anointing of Jesse’s youngest son. God chooses David, the least impressive of Jesse’s children, to lead Israel. This experience of Samuel indicates just how easily looks can be deceiving. David had not yet reached maturity but God perceived that there was in him a potential for leadership. The words of God sum up nicely the way in which God sees. God says to Samuel, “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” “And the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.”
For the next several weeks, we will hear the story of David’s dramatic reign. He became the most powerful king in Israel’s history, defeating Israel’s enemies, uniting the nation, establishing the capital in Jerusalem, and laying out the plans for the temple. He was a poet a musician writing many of the psalms, and the founder of the royal lineage from which Jesus, the Messiah would come. A young unimpressive shepherd boy is God’s choice to be the instrument through which God will work out the ultimate destiny not only of Israel but of Christianity. Paul’s words to the Corinthians today, affirms God’s presence and new ways of seeing. The text is a continuation of last week’s theme: namely, that Paul finds it difficult at times to endure the stresses and strains of apostleship.
Paul wrote during difficult times, times of Roman oppression, times of congregational challenges and conflicts. Of course, nothing is new under the sun…so to speak, as the times may not be so very different today. Paul reminds the church in Corinth to live in faith, to follow Jesus, just as we are also called to do in these days. Paul speaks from the perspective of hope in the life to come, as well as a new way of living in this world, as we “walk by faith, not by sight.” Even though the times may not be so different, living in Christ then and now makes us new creations. “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”
We are made new, renewed through our faith because Jesus died for all we have been changed forever by Christ’s presence among us. Old ways of thinking and acting have been replaced as we strive to follow Christ’s example. Whatever our circumstances our goal is to be acceptable to God; for we know that everything we do in this life matters in some way for eternity because God has different standards than we humans. Young and sickly David, unappealing Paul did not look like leaders in the faith any more than a mustard plant looks like a stately cedar of Lebanon. Yet, the seed parables told by Jesus today are how he describes this new creation in the kingdom of God.
The parables of the Growing Seed and the Parable of the Mustard Seed while different, they are also similar. In using these short stories, Jesus is seeking a shift in the way we see ourselves, see God, and see others. The first parable stresses the mysterious nature of God’s kingdom. The seed grows mysteriously during the night. The one who plants the seed actually does nothing about its growth. In the morning the harvest has come and the planter takes their sickle to harvest the crop. In a like manner, the seeds of the kingdom that have been planted through the ministry of Jesus long ago will bring a harvest even today but it will be up to disciples to reap. This mysterious, wonderful kingdom of God is available to us right now if we accept and apply it in our lives.
The second parable of the mustard seed illustrates how great things come from small and seemingly unpromising beginnings. Again we cannot explain how the kingdom, like the mustard seed, is able to grow to so many times it original size. The point of the parable is that God is at work, often unnoticed. We can stand by the edge of a field of grain or beside a tree and never hear its growth. Yet, God is at work and when there is receptive soil “genuine faith” no matter how much, there will be growth. God will see to it. There will be an unexpected abundance through the gift of God’s presence in our lives and in the world.
So we sow seeds. And ours are love, peace, kindness, joy, hope and gratitude. How they grow is a mystery to us. They may even seem small or unattractive yet, by God’s standards they all have potential-potential to sprout, to grow, to spread out and become huge trees of grace-huge life giving, lifesaving trees. Jesus invites everyone in every age and in every place to consider joining in this mysterious journey growth in the kingdom because the kingdom of God is within ordinary people like you and me, and we simply must let it grow.