In Mark 4, Jesus tells a series of parables back-to-back, and they all have to do with seeds. In one, the Kingdom is compared to a seed that’s planted and prepares the ground for a harvest. In the second, the Kingdom is compared to a tiny mustard seed that grows into an enormous tree. Both of these reveal important aspects of the Kingdom: the Kingdom will prepare the world for both justice and flourishing. Jesus tells these parables as reminders to his disciples and to us that the Kingdom is coming, and it will fulfill the longings for justice and renewal we all carry, but it won’t come the way we’re expecting it to. It will start small, look unimpressive to the world, and will be ignored by those around us. And yet, participating in this subversive Kingdom is how we join God in bringing justice and flourishing to the lost world around us.
