1^st July 2012

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 17 June 2012

Lessons - Psalm 46; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34 'Be still and
know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be
exalted on earth.' (Psalm 46:10)

At first glance, this text does not seem to fit the message of the
parables where it seems obvious that Jesus is teaching the general truth
that 'from little things, big things grow'. Such accepted wisdom holds
true for life, nature and history.

What, if anything, is special about what Jesus says? As always, we must
pay close attention to the setting in which things are said. Drawing on
common knowledge of farming and horticulture, Jesus speaks specifically
about the Kingdom of God: a community like no other, where God's reign is
already present in the strife-torn world as a foretaste of the future
world that awaits the nations.

We must listen carefully for what we do not expect to hear about the
Kingdom of God.

* The first parable (vv26-29) makes the point that the crop grows without
any help from the farmer. He simply spreads the grain and harvests the
crop. Otherwise, he is inactive. There is no mention of what he must do to
cultivate and protect the crop. Such details would have been relevant if,
as Jesus' audience expected, he had wanted to stress what they must do to
'build the Kingdom of God'.

Instead, he highlights the 'laid-back' approach of the farmer who awaits
the harvest without fuss or anxiety. He is simply content to 'sleep and
wake' while the crop reaches maturity in its own time. There is a complete
absence of feverish activity and a calm, confident waiting for the
harvest. He is not anxious about the result but simply takes 'one day at a
time'.

* This point is accentuated in the second parable (vv30-32) which does not
even mention a gardener. We are simply told that the 'grain of mustard
seed is sown in the ground' and 'grows up and becomes the greatest of all
shrubs'. The Kingdom of God comes to maturity without human activity.

Why does Jesus emphasise inactivity? Surely he should be whipping up
enthusiasm and devising strategies to promote the Gospel.

He does so because there is a tendency in every age to think that the
success of the Kingdom of God depends on us! No doubt many Pharisees,
political activists and disciples thought that, without their goodness,
bravery or commitment, the Kingdom of God would not come. Some were proud
of their achievements in upholding and defending the faith. Others had
become discouraged by their lack of success. All were shocked to hear that
it did not depend on them - that the coming of the future kingdom, already
present in Jesus' ministry, is entirely a matter of God's grace and
timing!

* The parables demonstrate this by contrasting the situations at the
beginning, when tiny seeds are sown, and the end, when the crop and tree
is fully grown. What God is doing in the world may seem miniscule, but
the final result will be impressive - like a bountiful harvest or a
magnificent tree. It is God's will, says Jesus, that people from all
nations shall be gathered in and find rest in the branches of God's
expansive love.

It follows, from realising that God brings in the glorious kingdom in his
time, that the Church must not be impatient or despondent, but live a
carefree life, uncluttered by thoughts of self-importance. Living between
the planting and the full maturation of the crop and tree, we are to be
like the laid-back farmer. He represents true faith and hope - what it
means to know that we are justified by grace through faith, and this is
not our own doing - it is the work of God!

Jesus thus invites us to live with a freedom that enables us to do what is
necessary without being concerned about results. The seed of truth is sown
and we are to await the result in God's good time. Like the Psalmist, we
are to be still, not anxious, knowing that God is King who will be
glorified by all nations.

The parables destroy our illusions. The ultimate success of God's Kingdom
does not depend on us! In them Jesus challenges our impatience and
arrogance (when we think that the future depends on us) and encourages us
(when we despair at the apparent futility of faith). He assures us that
the Kingdom of God which is present in his ministry shall surely come in
all its fullness in God's good time.

This is a liberating word to us, living at a time of dramatic decline in
the Church's influence and of an increasing hostility to the Kingdom of
God. The mood is very different from the mood in the middle of the 20th
Century when there was much optimism that the harvest was ripening and the
tree was growing strong.

Missionaries from the West had reached most peoples on the face of the
earth. Churches and Sunday Schools were full. Sunday was observed as a day
of rest. Epilogue was the closing program on TV. Monday papers ran
summaries of sermons at city churches. No wonder that many Christians
thought they were contributing to the building-up of the Kingdom and the
eventual success of the Gospel.

Since then, the Church in the West - though not in parts of Africa and
Asia - has been collapsing under the weight of unbelief, lack of nerve and
loss of hope. Seeds planted by preachers and congregations seldom appear
to sprout, let alone bear mature fruit.

Where then do we find signs of hope for the success of the Kingdom of God?

They are found in historical events that seem very small: among a people
who acknowledge the 'God of Jacob' (Psalm 46) and 'the person of Jesus'.
Think about how small and unpromising it all is! God's goodness and mercy
is revealed to a few oppressed slaves who escape from Egypt, wander in a
god-forsaken wilderness and are exiled and persecuted. Often only a tiny
remnant survives. Later, Messianic hope is found in the seemingly
insignificant events surrounding a crucified man in a tiny corner of the
Roman Empire at a brief moment in history.

Yet in this story we learn that, despite evil on earth, hope for the
nations comes from the God who has experienced suffering and rejection yet
forgives sin and renews the world.

We live in the time between planting and maturation. The Kingdom of God
often seems so small and insignificant in the great scheme of things. Yet
just as a bountiful harvest is eventually produced and a large tree
finally reaches its full height, so we are assured that the Kingdom shall
become a glorious reality.

Clearly then Jesus is not teaching the general truth that 'from little
things big things grow'. He is inviting us to live by hope even when the
success of the Gospel is barely visible! He is inviting us to 'be not
anxious' about the results of our preaching, teaching and pastoral care -
to 'be still and know that God is King' and not to try frenetically to
build the Kingdom or become despondent when our efforts seems so
ineffective.

This word is not well received. We measure our worth by our achievements
and busyness. We like to think that we make the future. We are impatient.
We want to see results for our efforts. But we should welcome this word!
For Jesus points us to the magnificence of God who exposes our arrogance,
impatience and despondency and invites us to 'be not anxious' about our
life in the world even when God seems hidden and the full maturation of
the Kingdom seems far off. Like the 'inactive' farmer, we are to await its
coming with quiet confidence, knowing that we are justified, not by our
works, but by the grace of God.

This is not to be mistaken for being lazy, careless or thoughtless. It is
an 'act' of heart, mind and will concentrated on the worship of God and
service of him and our neighbour without being distracted by anxiety about
our success or failure!

Living like this, as you and I know, is not easy, particularly when the
Kingdom of God is opposed and we are tempted to despair or resignation!
But it is the way of freedom in which all our activities are brought in
relation to God's grace, as revealed to the tiny band of Hebrews and
embodied in the seemingly insignificant events surrounding the crucified-
and-risen Jesus.

Being 'inactive' in this sense enables us to live fully in the world with
a 'care-free freedom' that delights 'actively' to worship God and serve
our neighbours. Such is the Church's calling: to point the nations to the
place where hope is found in a world where conflicts rage, faith is often
hard and the Kingdom of God seems so small and fragile.

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church,
Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of
Confessing Congregations within the UCA.