The Parables of the Kingdom | Mark 1:21-34

In the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God through parables. These earthly stories with spiritual meanings were used to connect deeper truths of the kingdom to everyday aspects of life. Today, we'll explore three short parables that help us understand this foundational concept of God's kingdom.

The Kingdom Must Be Received and Reflected

Jesus begins with the parable of the lamp. He asks, "Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick?" The answer is obvious – you don't light a lamp just to hide it. You set it somewhere prominent so it illuminates the room.

Christ came as the light of the world into a dark world. He's here to save His people, but at this time, the message was obscured. Jesus is saying that this invisible spiritual kingdom and suffering servant king won't be hidden forever. One day, what's hidden will be made evident.

We must receive that light and allow it to shine in our hearts and lives. It's the light of Christ that illuminates the darkness in our own hearts, revealing our sin and need for a savior. But it also illuminates the truth that Jesus is the savior, and we can experience forgiveness because of Him.

The question is, have you received the light? Have you received the gospel? Are you part of the kingdom? Jesus asks, "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." Are you listening? Are you getting it?

But it's not just enough to hear the word; we must obey. We must listen with an intention to heed and obey the Word of God. As Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

We're not only called to receive and respond to the truth but also to reflect the light of the kingdom. Christ is the light of the world, but in Matthew 5:14, Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." We are to be a reflection of His light in this dark world. The kingdom is meant to be shared. The gospel is meant to be shared.

The Kingdom Must Be Patiently Trusted

In the parable of the growing seed, we see a farmer who casts seed into the ground, then goes to sleep. He wakes up, goes to sleep, wakes up – and the seed starts to grow. The key phrase here is that "he knows not how." He's not doing anything to manufacture the growth; he's just planting and resting.

God's kingdom is like that seed. One day, Jesus will come again. One day, there will be a harvest. But right now, our responsibility as children of the light is just to share the message. Sow the seed and trust that God is going to advance and grow His kingdom.

Don't fret, worry, stress, or try to work God's kingdom. You can't bring it forth. You can't cause it to grow. The Bible tells us that some plant and some water, but it's God that gives the increase. It's only the King who can bring people into the kingdom by saving and redeeming them.

So just shine as a light, share the message, and trust that Jesus has the power to transform people's lives. As Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please."

The Kingdom Must Be Expected to Expand

In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus compares the kingdom to this tiny, seemingly insignificant seed that grows into a large, evident tree. The point is that something very small will grow into something large and visible.

Jesus is telling His disciples, "I know this seems small right now. I know maybe nobody else sees it or gets it or understands it, but I promise you what's starting small here is going to get bigger. My kingdom is going to grow. What's invisible will be made visible."

We have the privilege of looking back and seeing that Jesus was absolutely right. We're gathered here today, thousands of years after Jesus lived, on the other side of the world, to praise the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We're learning about the same kingdom He taught to that small group of disciples.

Even in a city like Vancouver that is largely cold and hard towards the gospel, there are dozens of churches and thousands of believers gathered today to worship. The kingdom has expanded.

The Kingdom and You

As we close, let's consider three questions:

Are you part of the kingdom? Is Jesus your king? The only entrance into the kingdom is by salvation, receiving by faith the redemption that Jesus paid for on the cross.

Are you responding to the light? We are accountable for what we do with what we hear. Some of you are stuck at the last place you said no to God. It's time to be doers and not just hearers.

Are you sharing the kingdom? Don't hide the gospel from the lost. We're to shine and reflect the light of Jesus in this world. We live in a dark place, but that just means the darker the night, the brighter the light.

So shine the gospel. Sow the seed. Go to sleep. Trust God to do the work in people's hearts. Trust that He will do an incredible, powerful, transforming work through the power of His Word.