Parable of the Seed

>>> Read Mark 4:26-29. <<<

Jesus said that the kingdom of God was like a farmer who planted a seed. That night he went to bed. The next morning he got up and tended to other responsibilities. Meanwhile, the seed germinated, began to grow and finally bore fruit. Jesus was teaching several things by this story. First, the one who plants the seed is not responsible for its growth; that is, the one who teaches the gospel doesn't control the growth of the word in the heart of the one who heard. Second, the growth of the word in a person's life is gradual. One does not hear the Bible today and become a mature Christian tomorrow. But if the hearer's heart is right he will allow the word to shape and mold his life step-by-step so that he can become the kind of person God wants him to be.