( Mk 4:26-29 ) - [ Deutsch ]
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. This sentence taken from the reading resonates with me. Hearing and listening are not always so easy.
To do that, you need time. And then there are also different ways of listening. And sometimes you just don't want to listen to something because it's awkward or it doesn't fit your own ideas.
Sometimes it's useful to pause and think: how can I say something in a different way, so that the other person has a better chance of understanding me?
Jesus tried it in parables. He used images from everyday life to explain things to his listeners. We often encounter the example of sowing seeds, of growing and flourishing and of the harvest. Most people were familiar with working in the fields.
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
When does the kingdom of God start? This question preoccupies Jesus' listeners. They are unsure whether what Jesus preaches will ever materialise. They follow him and have centred their lives around him. And they continue to suffer under the foreign occupation of the Romans and realise how unjust things are in their everyday lives. This is what people experienced then and now. Despite all the popularity that Jesus enjoys, the opposing forces are also noticeable. More and more as time goes on.
Christ is approaching the time of his death. Is this supposed to be the coming of the kingdom of God? People ask themselves. And we also have experiences of suffering. We look on helplessly when injustice happens, someone falls ill or loses a loved one and disasters happen. Where is the kingdom of God? And there is a great longing for something to change.
If everyone could just, please pause for a moment and think about what their most fervent wish is. Where should God's kingdom become a reality for you today?
I am sure that Jesus wants to awaken the longing in us when he fills our life with hope and talks about the kingdom of God. I believe he has given us a glimpse of what it will be like during his days of ministry. And that's how it will be in the kingdom of God. However, I know we all know that it won't just happen here and now and immediately. Unfortunately. We are waiting for things to change. For God's kingdom to embrace us completely.
And while we wait, I listen to the parable. God's kingdom resembles a farmer. He scatters the grain on the land, of course he does more, although Jesus does not mention it here. But despite all the care, it must grow by itself. And it does. That is what is emphasised here. The farmer does not constantly think about what his reward will be when he does his work. But if he had no hope of growth, he certainly wouldn't do it either. He is confident of what he is doing. And then the seed will sprout and grow.
Slowly. Wheat grows from small grains. From the most meagre beginnings, God allows his Kingdom to grow.
The fulfilment of God's reign, his coming and his lordship in the world, is God's own work. It is growth, rather than an action. But this does not mean that we should be an inactive church. The fact that God alone is the one who brings salvation does not exclude us humans from doing what is necessary on our own level.
The church should be active. But the church develops its activity to be an instrument of the only active God. The church doesn't act in order THAT God's kingdom may come, but BECAUSE it will come. Therefore, we serve it. But in all humility and patience.
We cannot do everything, there are limits. If we had to develop programmes and action plans to transform the world into the Kingdom of God or open up people to make themselves available to God, we would have every reason to give up. But we don't have to. It is God who is ceaselessly at work. You can feel it. Dear congregation, we have been able to reach 5 members of the congregation who have been trained as lectors to be able to hold pre-formulated services and thus spread God's word. God has and gives time so that you, so that we can all continue to grow. God's work on earth will never cease.
We do not need to set deadlines for God. God's kingdom comes without our doing, yet we are still called to action. Day in, day out, and like the farmer in the parable, we can allow ourselves to rest at night. And we also need this to recharge our batteries.
When we talk about the harvest here, it is a festive day. Every harvest is a miracle of God and should inspire us to marvel. The coming of the kingdom of God is no exception. God will come out of hiding with his love and graciously reconnect his lost world with himself. Early Christians eagerly awaited this day, and whenever people were firmly united with Jesus, they looked forward to the great day of joyful harvest.
Waiting for the kingdom of God does not mean waiting idly. This year's watchword gives us an idea of what waiting can look like. Everything you do, do in love. And I can try to do this in the certainty that God's love includes me and his creation in all my small beginnings and in my failures now and then. Tomorrow is a new day where you can try doing everything in love. Take time to listen to God's word, let it work in you. Then spread the good word, sow the good seed, and don't look for success. Success is not your concern. And most importantly, what is success? In my eyes it can be something completely different than in God's eyes. What I consider futile can be or become something great in God's eyes. Therefore: sow the seeds of good and trust in God. God will surely bring it about. Slowly ... but surely.
Amen