The Planter, The Gardner & The Root

Scriptures: Mark 4:26-29

And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Commentary:
III. The good seed of the gospel sown in the world, and sown in the heart, doth by degrees produce wonderful effects, but without noise (v. 26, etc.); So is the kingdom of God; so is the gospel, when it is sown, and received, as seed in good ground.


1. It will come up; though it seem lost and buried under the clods, it will find or make its way through them. The seed cast into the ground will spring. Let but the word of Christ have the place it ought to have in a soul, and it will show itself, as the wisdom from above doth in a good conversation. After a field is sown with corn, how soon is the surface of it altered! How gay and pleasant doth it look, when it is covered with green!

2. The husbandman cannot describe how it comes up; it is one of the mysteries of nature; It springs and grows up, he knows not how, v. 27. He sees it has grown, but he cannot tell in what manner it grew, or what was the cause and method of its growth. Thus we know not how the Spirit by the word makes a change in the heart, any more than we can account for the blowing of the wind, which we hear the sound of, but cannot tell whence it comes, or whither it goes. Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness; how God manifested in the flesh came to be believed on in the world, 1 Tim. 3:16.

3. The husbandman, when he hath sown the seed, doth nothing toward the springing of it up; He sleeps, and rises, night and day; goes to sleep at night, gets up in the morning, and perhaps never so much as thinks of the corn he hath sown, or ever looks upon it, but follows his pleasures or other business, and yet the earth brings forth fruit of itself, according to the ordinary course of nature, and by the concurring power of the God of nature. Thus the word of grace, when it is received in faith, is in the heart a work of grace, and the preachers contribute nothing to it. The Spirit of God is carrying it on when they sleep, and can do no business (Job 33:15, 16), or when they rise to go about other business. The prophets do not live for ever; but the word which they preached, is doing its work, when they are in their graves, Zec. 1:5, 6. The dew by which the seed is brought up tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men, Mic. 5:7.

Reflection:
The body of Christ has a responsibility to plant the seed of the word of God in the lives of people. Once the word of God is sown in the hearts of individuals that have heard the word of God, the word begins to work on the inside of a person, and the person becomes more mature in the things of God. As the scripture says, one plants, another waters, and God gives the increase. Therefore, the growth of the body of Christ is caused by God himself, not man. The ground yields fruit of itself, because the seed of the life of Christ was planted in the belly of the earth. The church does not grow based on man's efforts, it grows based on the seed of Christ. We are instruments that God uses to plant the seed of His word. We cannot take credit for it's growth. Nor should we spend countless hours, and restless nights stressing about how many members are in our churches. We should just do our part as He instructs us, and He will do the rest.

Prayer:
Father God, I thank you for the opportunity to plant the seed of your word, where you say to plant it. I thank you for blessing me with your word in my heart, so that not only I can become mature in the things that you desire, but so that others can also become mature; towards building your kingdom. 
Strong's Concordance Definitions:

Kingdom: 932
1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule

a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom
b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah
c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom
2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king
3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah

of God: 2316
1) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
2) the Godhead, trinity
a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity
b) Christ, the second person of the trinity
c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
3) spoken of the only and true God
a) refers to the things of God
b) his counsels, interests, things due to him
4) whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
a) God's representative or viceregent
1) of magistrates and judges

who casts: 906
1) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
2) the Godhead, trinity
a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity
b) Christ, the second person of the trinity
c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
3)spoken of the only and true God
a) refers to the things of God
b) his counsels, interests, things due to him
4) whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way
a) God's representative or viceregent
1) of magistrates and judges

seed: 4703
1) a sowing

2) seed (used in sowing)

the soil: 1093
1) arable land

2) the ground, the earth as a standing place
3) the main land as opposed to the sea or water
4) the earth as a whole
a) the earth as opposed to the heavens
b) the inhabited earth, the abode of men and animals
5) a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region

and he goes to bed: 2518
1) to fall asleep, drop off to sleep

2) to sleep
a) to sleep normally
b) euphemistically, to be dead
c) metaph.
1) to yield to sloth and sin
2) to be indifferent to one's salvation

at night: 3571
1) night

2) metaph. the time when work ceases
a) the time of death
b) the time for deeds of sin and shame
c) the time of moral stupidity and darkness
d) the time when the weary and also the drunken give themselves up to slumber

and gets: 1453
1) to arouse, cause to rise

a) to arouse from sleep, to awake
b) to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life
c) to cause to rise from a seat or bed etc.
d) to raise up, produce, cause to appear
1) to cause to appear, bring before the public
2) to raise up, stir up, against one
3) to raise up i.e. cause to be born
4) of buildings, to raise up, construct, erect

up by day: 2250
1) the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night

a) in the daytime
b) metaph., "the day" is regarded as the time for abstaining from indulgence, vice, crime, because acts of the sort are perpetrated at night and in darkness
2) of the civil day, or the space of twenty four hours (thus including the night)
a) Eastern usage of this term differs from our western usage. Any part of a day is counted as a whole day, hence the expression "three days and three nights" does not mean literally three whole days, but at least one whole day plus part of two other days.
3) of the last day of this present age, the day Christ will return from heaven, raise the dead, hold the final judgment, and perfect his kingdom
4) used of time in general, i.e. the days of his life.

sprouts: 985
1) to sprout, bud, put forth new leaves

2) to produce

and grows: 3373
1) to make long, to lengthen

2) in the Bible twice of plants, to cause to grow, increase

how . ..he himself does not know: 846
1) himself, herself, themselves, itself

2) he, she, it
3) the same

produces 2592
1) to bear fruit
2) to bear, bring forth, deeds
3) to bear fruit of one's self
 
by itself: 844
1) moved by one's own impulse, or acting without the instigation or intervention of another
2) often used of the earth producing plants of itself, and of the plants themselves and the fruits growing without culture

first: 4413
1) first in time or place
a) in any succession of things or persons
2) first in rank
a) influence, honour
b) chief
c) principal
3) first, at the first

the blade: 5528
1) first in time or place

a) in any succession of things or persons
2) first in rank
a) influence, honour
b) chief
c) principal
3) first, at the first

the head: 4719
1) an ear of corn or of growing grain

the mature: 4134
1) full, i.e. filled up (as opposed to empty)

a) of hollow vessels
b) of a surface, covered in every part
c) of the soul, thoroughly permeated with
2) full, i.e. complete
a) lacking nothing, perfect

grain: 4621
1) wheat, grain

in the head: 4719
1) an ear of corn or of growing grain


the crop: 2590
1) fruit

a) the fruit of the trees, vines, of the fields
b) the fruit of one's loins, i.e. his progeny, his posterity
2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result
a) work, act, deed
b) advantage, profit, utility
c) praises, which are presented to God as a thank offering
d) to gather fruit (i.e. a reaped harvest) into life eternal (as into a granary), is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life

permits: 3860
1) to give into the hands (of another)

2) to give over into (one's) power or use
a) to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage
b) to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death
c) to deliver up treacherously
1) by betrayal to cause one to be taken
2) to deliver one to be taught, moulded
3) to commit, to commend
4) to deliver verbally
a) commands, rites
b) to deliver by narrating, to report
5) to permit allow
a) when the fruit will allow that is when its ripeness permits
b) gives itself up, presents itself

he immediately: 2117
1) straight, level
2) straight forward, upright, true, sincere
3) straightway, immediately, forthwith

puts: 649
1) to order (one) to go to a place appointed

2) to send away, dismiss
a) to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty
b) to order one to depart, send off
c) to drive away

in the sickle: 1407
1) a sickle, a pruning-hook, a hooked vine knife, such as reapers and vinedressers use

the harvest: 2326
1) harvest, the act of reaping

a) fig. of the gathering of men into the kingdom of God
b) referring to time of reaping, the final judgment, when the righteous are gathered into the kingdom of God and the wicked are cast into hell for ever

has come: 3936
1) to place beside or near

a) to set at hand
1) to present
2) to proffer
3) to provide
4) to place a person or thing at one's disposal
5) to present a person for another to see and question
6) to present or show
7) to bring to, bring near
8) metaph. i.e to bring into one's fellowship or intimacy
b) to present (show) by argument, to prove
2) to stand beside, stand by or near, to be at hand, be present
a) to stand by
1) to stand beside one, a bystander
b) to appear
c) to be at hand, stand ready
d) to stand by to help, to succour
e) to be present
1) to have come
2) of time

References:
Blue Letter Bible. "Gospel of Mark 4 - (NASB - New American Standard Bible)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 23 Feb 2010.  http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mar&c=4&t=NASB


Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Mark 4." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 23 Feb 2010.  http:// www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm? AuthorID=4&contentID=1628&commInfo=5&topic=Mark&ar=Mar_4_26

Higgins, S. (2010). The Planter, The Gardner & The Root. Devotions For Thought. Higgins Publishing. http://www.devotionsforthought.blogspot, http://www.higginspublishing.com