noomacity

And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.  He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.   Mark 4:30-33

Do you ever struggle with feelings of insignificance?  To be honest, we all do.

There’s something inside of us that yearns to make a lasting impact upon the world.  This is why people who donate money to churches, universities, and other public places like to have their names on display.  It’s a way for them to have some kind of lasting legacy that outlives them and goes on.  I often wonder how many people would give these kinds of larger donations if their names were NOT made known.

Ray Bradbury in his epic novel, Fahrenheit 451, writes:  “Everyone must leave something behind when he dies . . . Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die . . . It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away.”

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus speaks to our desire for significance.  He recognizes that each of us has this inner desire to ‘make our mark’ on the world around us.  And surprising us all, he speaks to this hard-wiring in each of us from an upside-down perspective.

Jesus reminds us of God’s all-pervasive kingdom which touches upon every area of life.  But it’s an upside-down kingdom.  It starts off as something small–something apparently insignificant.  It’s tiny–like a mustard seed (the smallest of known seeds in Bible times).

But this little seed packs a powerful punch.  It grows and grows and grows, until finally it provides a huge presence and provision for other things as well.  In other words, it becomes exponentially useful compared to its original size and appearance.

This is exactly what God wants to do with your life.

As you surrender your life to Christ, God wants to use you in exponential ways.  He desires to multiply His kingdom life through you to others.  No one is meant to live an insignificant life in God’s eyes.  For the true follower of Christ, this is simply not possible.

How is a plant healthy?  First, it has a good root system.  Then it draws nourishment from the soil.  The sunlight gives it daily strength and energy to continue its growth.  It produces flowers and finally fruit.

An unhealthy plant is disconnected and in the dark.  It withers and dies.  It never reaches its potential.

In God’s garden of life, which are you?

Are you someone whose roots go deep in Christ and his Word, the Scriptures?  Does prayer, Bible study, and worship play key roles in your spiritual life?  Or are you disconnected from God, with no roots in His Word, and no sunshine of worship shining in and through you?

Application Questions:

1.  A healthy plant grows.  Are you growing in your relationship with God?  How do you know for sure?

2.  A healthy plant bears fruit.  What kind of fruit are you bearing from your relationship with Christ?  Are you leading others to him?

3.  Where do the roots of true significance grow?  In the world around us which is based upon power politics, military muscle, and outward beauty?  Or in God’s economy where random acts of kindness are opportunities to glorify God and in which true sacrifice is the divine currency?

“And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?  For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”   And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”   Mark 4:21-25

It’s been said that when sharing a meal with friends, there are two subjects that are taboo and should be avoided at all costs:  Politics and Religion.  And so we end up confining most of the dinner table conversations to shallow chit-chat that misses what’s at the heart of people’s lives:  a thirst for how things should be (Politics) and a hunger to know how we should be (Religion).  And so we somehow share a meal without ever really sharing the questions and inner workings of what’s in our hearts–the sharing of our lives.

But Jesus wants to change all that.  He wants to free us from the confines of our own bashfulness by providing us with the inner light of His love and presence that cannot be hidden.  To hide the light–to hide his glorious presence in our lives–is to forget who we truly are.  It’s like a Republican wearing an Obama pin or a Democrat speaking at a Tea Party rally.

In this passage, Jesus remind his followers that being true to him is being true to themselves.  He is the Light that should shine through our lives.  Anything else is to be less than who we were made to be–and dare I say, less human?  Yes, it may be more ‘politically correct’ to police our own conversations, but Jesus didn’t try to win polls–and neither should we.

Think of your life:  are you letting the light of Christ shine?  In your daily friendships and interactions would people see a glimmer of your faith in Christ?  In our text above, Jesus is reminding us that as we pursue a life after him (and a life with him at the same time), to hold back is like holding your breath in order to lose weight–it just doesn’t make sense AND it has disastrous results.  Beloved, let your Savior shine through you and become more of the man or woman God made you to be!

Application Questions:

1.  Think of the last 72 hours.  In all of the many social interactions you’ve had, how did Christ shine through you?

2.  If a light is meant to shine–then it is also meant to be seen.  How do people see Christ alive in you and through you?

3.  The last few verses in this passage seem to indicate negative consequences of hiding the light of Christ in your life.  How do these play out in our modern world today?