Mark 4:26-29
26 He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land 27 and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. 28 Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come.”
This little parable is found only in Mark’s Gospel and is undoubtedly less well-known than the other “seed” parables Jesus tells. The seed irresistibly draws what it needs from the land and grows from blade to ear to full grain in the ear, ripening to harvest. Certainly the farmer (we his disciples) must “scatter the seed” but the increase and bringing to fruition? That is out of our hands. That is the quiet, patient, life-transforming work of God. We scatter seed–to our children, our neighbors, our spouse, our co-workers, etc., and then we must step back and allow harvest time to be when it will be thanks to God’s work within these people.
Paul understands this parable–see 1 Corinthians 3:6-7.
Someone asked Mother Teresa what needed to be changed about the church with its declining presence and influence in society….she replied “you and I”. Perhaps if we all truly walked the walk instead of only talking the talk, the pews would be overflowing.