Mark 4:30-34 God’s Kingdom

First Things: Devotions in Mark’s Gospel

Mark 4:30-34 God’s Kingdom

We may not understand very well how governments work. There seems to be a lot of things that go on behind the scenes, and a lot of the truth is not told. There may be lies, but it also may be that there are things that government is working on that is simply not ready for public consumption or public view.

That seems to be the case with the kingdom of God as well. God has a lot going on that we know very little about. It’s above our pay grade, our level of wisdom, and the capabilities of our minds. We are given hints about the kingdom of God, but we are not experts.

And so Jesus has been dropping these hints in these parables, and in this passage, the mustard seed, so small and seemingly insignificant, that turns into something rather remarkable in the end.

But let’s be clear about one thing: the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this earth are more un-like each other than they are alike. We will discern very little about God’s kingdom by studying human history and the history of civilizations and kingdoms. They are like child’s play compared to God’s kingdom, and not just in the sense of not-being-grown-up. They are relatively short-lived, with flashes of brilliance (in some cases) surrounded by seas of stupidity and cruelty, unintended consequences, and weak character. God’s kingdom, on the other hand, is eternal. Its decrees are wise and just; its purposes are eternal; and every action is perfectly consistent with the holy character of God. 

And so when Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed - a speck that might be mistaken for dust - he is not saying anything negative about the kingdom of God. He is saying something negative about man’s estimation of the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom is actually and truly an expression of His glory. It is the sinful mistake of man that us to regard it as insignificant, able to be overlooked or dispensed with, and judged as worthless.

The illustration might allow one to imagine one sweeping a house or yard, and mistaking a mustard seed along with specks of dust, gathering it up with the refuse and throwing it over the back fence. But no, man will not be rid of God’s kingdom. Quite the opposite, it is God who has the proper measure, contrary to man’s opinion:

Is. 40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, 

And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; 

Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are a child of the King, and a subject of God’s kingdom. All that we do is involved in kingdom work, and yet in what ways our acts of service and sacrifice contribute to this kingdom, we cannot tell. Our role is not to be kingdom masters, but rather to be obedient servants, realizing that God is able to work these things together for good.