The Power of a Seed
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Mark 4: 26-34
June 14, 2015
Some of the miracles of this world are so commonplace that they become invisible.
For example, consider the miracle of growing seeds.
A farmer plants a hard, dead seed in the ground,
and a few months later returns to harvest a crop.
In Iowa we are surrounded by such miracles, yet we often fail to see them as miracles.
Our Scripture today tells about the miracle of growing seed,
and how this miracle is like the kingdom of God.
I invite you to follow along on the screen as we hear two parables from Mark 4:26-34
Scripture-Mark 4:26-34
He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night
and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know
how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the
head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Again
he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe
it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it
grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can
perch in its shade.” With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they
could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was
alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Prayer
Creating and sustaining God, this world is filled with miracles we often miss.
We take for granted the incredible gift of a sprouting seed and a fruitful plant.
Remind us this day that each one of us is like that seed,
and everyone we know can be like a fruitful plant.
Help us to trust in you for the growth and fruitfulness we need. Amen.
Message
This morning I want to share with you the story from a little known film, “Faith Like Potatoes.”
The film is based on the true story of the life of Angus Buchan.
Angus was a white farmer of Scottish descent in Zambia, South Africa
during a time of land reform and violence due to political and racial unrest.
The farm was not doing well, and Angus’ fiery temper got him into more than one fistfight
before decided to move his family to a new land farther south.
With three children and a pregnant wife Jill, Angus took what little he had
and bought a plot of land on which to start up a new farm.
Jill, a woman of gentle spirit and faith, named their new home, “Shalom.”
In spite of Jill’s faith and hope, their farm did not develop into that place of peace.
Relying only on himself, some hired workers he did not respect,
and a Zulu foreman he did not trust,
Angus ended up exhausted, over-worked, anxious and despairing.
Faced with ever mounting challenges, hardships and personal turmoil,
Angus was consumed by anger, fear and destruction.
He lashed out at his workers and his family.
For a long time Angus was not open to the things of God, in spite of Jill’s gentle nudging.
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The Power of a Seed
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Mark 4: 26-34
June 14, 2015
Just when all seemed lost, Jill was finally able to get Angus to attend a church meeting,
where he heard the testimonies of men whose lives had changed through Jesus Christ.
In that moment, Angus recalled hearing about this same Jesus as a child,
and he was moved by the Spirit to accept the word of truth!
After Angus came to faith in Christ, the weight of his worry and despair was lifted.
All of Angus’ troubles were still there,
the racial turmoil still existed and the new farm took up just as much time and energy,
but now Angus was not facing these trials alone.
He was still a passionately wild Scotsman, but now he was a wild Scotsman for God.
He seemed to devour the Bible like a starving man,
using the Bible and prayer to find God’s will.
Angus's pastor challenged him to tell three people what happened to him,
and in doing so Angus discovered in himself a boldness and passion for evangelism.
His family relationships were strengthened,
and he soon came to trust and rely on his Zulu foreman, Simeon.
He wanted other men like himself, hardworking, exhausted men,
to know that work alone would not save them.
When a chance fire threatened to spread to a nearby farm,
Angus challenged Simeon, his foreman, to pray with him for rain.
Simeon scoffed, because it was not yet the rainy season,
until the clouds gathered, and the raindrops fell, and the fire was utterly extinguished.
Out of the ashes Angus hatched a plan to launch a revival for farmers,
black and white, to take place in South Africa's biggest stadium.
Traditionally a maize and cattle farmer, Angus decided to plant potatoes.
Scientists had warned the farmers not to plant that season unless they had irrigation.
Because of the unprecedented drought, planting potatoes would be a massive risk.
Believing he was led by God, Angus planted potatoes in the dry dust.
Here's the thing about potatoes.
You plant them, and cover them with dirt, then pray like mad for rain.
With most crops, you can see what you're going to eat,.
but potatoes develop in the ground, silent and mostly unseen, while you hope for harvest.
It takes at least 10 weeks before you can harvest new potatoes,
and 4 to 6 weeks longer if you want larger potatoes.
Only a farmer-turned-evangelist would know how apt a metaphor potatoes are
for a life of faith in Christ Jesus.
So, Angus planted potatoes without irrigation in the midst of a drought.
His friends and neighbors taunted him that he had wasted his effort
pulling the plow by hand to get the last of the seed potatoes in the ground.
He waited and watched for tiny plants to emerge from the ground.
He endured sweltering heat, devastating wind storms, and rain at all the wrong times.
As the time for the harvest approached,
the weather again threatened to destroy whatever was hidden under the surface.
The neighbors scoffed at Angus and mocked him for his foolishness.
Who would plant potatoes in a drought?
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The Power of a Seed
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Mark 4: 26-34
June 14, 2015
Finally, the day came when Angus was to dig up what, if anything, his plants had produced.
Slowly he began to scrape away the crusty soil from around the withered plants.
Deeper and deeper he clawed away at the soil, until at last he found something.
He pulled out first one potato and then another and another,
until he was surrounded by a crop of giant potatoes!
Imagine for a moment our ancestors pondering the power of the zucchini or the tomato.
The seeds are small, and a person can carry a hundred of them in one hand.
Yet those small seeds can produce enough fruit to feed a family,
and in the case of zucchini, an entire town.
Certainly, the seed contains some power within it, a power that still baffles agricultual experts.
They can describe the complex process, but they can’t explain the forces
that drives a seed to become a plant that bears fruit.
The farmer cannot make the plant grow, but he or she can stop it from growing.
A good farmer would do all he can to protect his harvest and help it grow.
Yet, there are many different toxins and pests and weather conditions that could kill the plants,
or prevent them from reaching their full potential.
It takes a lot of faith to be a farmer, faith in your own decisions as well as faith in God.
Angus and his family learned a lot about faith from that crop of potatoes.
Just like the planted seed, God’s Word has great power when it is planted in our lives.
It grows within us, changing us into God’s image, and producing within us
the fruit of the Spirit, the very characteristics of God.
Our spiritual growth comes in God’s time and in God’s way, not through our own effort.
We can choose the right conditions for spiritual growth such as setting aside sufficient time
for worship, for prayer and for Bible study.
However, our progress cannot be rushed, and it can’t always be directly observed.
In spite of what we see or do not see, we must understand that God is always at work
and conversion and growth is always possible.
Finally, Angus also learned that our faith must nor remain private.
Unless each one of us gives away what we have received,
tells the story of the difference Jesus has made in our lives,
propagation of the Christian faith will end.
Our Scripture today reminds us that God does not give faith as a private possession.
You see, the kingdom of God is like a seed that at first appears to be small and insignificant.
Yet when planted it grows and bears much fruit.
The Jews expected that the kingdom of God would come suddenly and gloriously
to overthrow the Roman Empire and establish the Jewish Empire,
but Jesus said that it would grow slowly and eventually would become
a place of comfort and shelter under the protective shade of the Almighty God.
The kingdom of God started small but ended large,
And now provides a resting place for the weary and burdened people.
That is indeed good news!
May your faith be like potatoes, continuing to grow while hidden in the darkness,
until the time come for you to reveal light for others,
just as the tiny mustard seed comes to provide shelter for the birds of the field.
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The Power of a Seed
by Beverly Marshall-Goodell
Mark 4: 26-34
June 14, 2015
Prayer
Guiding and assuring God, help us come to understand the power of the seed.
As we observe the world around us coming to life with new growth,
may we know that your Word is producing spiritual growth within us.
Teach us to have faith in your invisible and miraculous work,
and embolden us to share our testimonies of your great work within us. Amen.
Benediction
The Kingdom of God is not a place we go when we die,
it is our place of comfort and shelter in this life and the next.
May we go forth from this place with a clear understanding that our faith is growing,
even when we cannot see the progress until we share that faith with others. Amen.
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