which was recorded by the Evangelist Mark in his
Gospel:
"So is the kingdom
of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should
sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he
knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the
blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is
brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is
come" (Mk. 4:26-29).
A plant, coming out of a seed, undergoes various
stages of growth and development; in the same manner, a man who accepts
Christ's teaching and receives baptism undergoes an internal transformation,
and grows step by step, through the work of God's grace. At the beginning of
his spiritual journey, a man is full of good impulses which seem fruitful, but
turn out to be as immature as the offsets of growing plants. The Lord does not
enslave human will by His All-Mighty power but allows a certain time for a man
to become rich in this grace-filled power and gain in goodness. Only a man
spiritually mature is able to give God the perfect fruit of good works. Yet
when God sees a spiritually grown and mature man, He takes him from this life
to Himself. This is the "harvest" of the parable.
Following the instructor of the parable about the
seed growing in the ground, we must learn to have patience and
indulgence for the people around us, for we are all in the process of spiritual
growth. Some reach spiritual maturity earlier, others later. The following
parable about the mustard seed adds to the previous one; and tells about the
external manifestations of the power of grace in people.
Return to the first page
