Mark 4:30-5:20
Jesus begins this section by asking the question, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God?" We then have the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus calming the storm, and Jesus casting out demons into a bunch of pigs. All these stories scream out, "God's Kingdom is coming!" or for you Narnia buffs, "Asland is on the move."
Jesus uses the parable of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom. A seed that starts very small yet grows into a tree in which many find their home. God's Kingdom doesn't come as we would expect in a large glorious manner with trumpet and fanfare (although it will someday), God Kingdom comes to earth in a manger and in a man of sorrows as Isaiah 53:2,3 says, "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed Him not." Most importantly and most clearly though God's Kingdom comes by way of the cross. God's kingdom is like the mustard seed in that it has very small beginnings but "is the largest of all garden plants."
We as people naturally resist and are even offended that such a glorious kingdom could have such humble beginnings. Yet we see in these next verses the extreme power and glory of this kingdom, which is hidden in a man of sorrows, Jesus Christ. These experienced fishermen are on a boat and are scared to death because of the storm – that says something about the intensity of the storm doesn't it? Jesus is sleeping through the whole thing (my favorite part). They wake Him up and with a few words demonstrates His extreme and total power over nature, remember with a few words He created nature. The disciples marveled saying, 'Who is this man? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"
Finally in our reading today we see God's Kingdom come up against the Kingdom of Satan. There is a man possessed by a legion of demons. Again with a few words Jesus commands the demons to leave the man and they do. God's Kingdom that comes in such a humble way has total and absolute power even over the Kingdom of Satan. The kingdom of God sure seems to be a safe kingdom to live in if you ask me.
God wants to give us a place to live in His Kingdom. God wants His Kingdom to come to us so that in our own life His Kingdom continues to win against the Kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of the world. He wants to give us victory over these temptations to sin against Him. He has already won the victory for us and has given it to us! Now through faith in Jesus we get to walk in His ways and live in His Kingdom every day.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Adam
adam berge
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