Reading 5–Seeds and Storms
Read Mark 4:1-41
As a gardener, the thrill begins during the dark days of winter when the first seed catalogs arrive in the mail. In today’s reading from Mark, Jesus uses seeds, agricultural practices, light, and the humble mustard plant to teach about the reign and rule of God. Jesus used these common, everyday objects and stories which form the first and largest section of teaching found in Mark’s Gospel. These parables, which in Jesus’ day included proverbs, riddles, and stories allowed for multiple, open-ended interpretations.
At the heart of these parables is the mystery of the Kingdom of God. This mystery, referring back to Mark 1:14-15, proclaims that “the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe the good news.” The kingdom of God, Jesus teaches is mysterious, hidden, like a seed pregnant with possibility. In this kingdom, God can accomplish great things from even small, humble beginnings, like a mustard seed.
The reign of God has come near in the person of Jesus; the second portion of this reading showing Jesus’ power over all creation. The boat, which was a teaching platform, becomes a mode of transportation. A terrible windstorm swamps the boat so that the disciples are terrified. In Jesus’ day, the sea was the abode of demons and chaos, a place of fear. The disciples wake Jesus, who rebukes the wind and waves, and a dead calm comes over the water. The disciples are filled with awe—and wonder “who is this that even the winds and waves obey him?” Jesus, God’s Son, shows the mystery of the kingdom of God, as small as a mustard seed, and powerful as a word that calms the storm.
Where do you see the seeds of the rule of Christ being planted—in your life, in your community, in the world?
Where do you experience the power of God’s Word bringing calm to the storms that rage—in your life, in your community, in the world?
Jesus, who plants seeds and calms storms, help me trust the way you work in my life and in the world—in hidden and mysterious ways and by bringing peace to life’s turbulent seas. Amen.
Pastor Laura Wind has worked in various settings including Campus Ministry at both Wake Forest University and Duke University. A musician, she plays rhythm piano with the Salem Swing band, clarinet with the Salem Wind Ensemble, and various other instruments in venues across the eastern United States. She loves reading, gardening, making art and raising bees with her husband Heath, and keeping up with her teenage daughter Catherine, a rising senior and talented equestrian and horse trainer.
