Mark 4:21-34
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Reflection
Initially, the growth of the kingdom appears outwardly unimpressive, but its influence increasingly displays the glory of God (Mark 4:26–32).
Followers of Christ can easily grow discouraged by the fact that many of the powers and established structures in this world seem to overshadow the kingdom of God. Jesus encourages his followers to trust that God’s purposes, which grow slowly, will be accomplished in the end, despite all setbacks (cf. Dan. 2:44–45). In God’s kingdom, things are often not as they seem: though sinful, we are forgiven; though broken, we are restored; though crucified, Christ conquered!
2 Corinthians 1:1-11
1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
Reflection
Paul is a leader who has suffered (2 Cor. 1:8–9; 11:23–33), and here he is writing to a congregation that is suffering. In response to their trials, he points them to the “God of all comfort” (1:3). Jesus has experienced ultimate pain and sorrow on the cross, and as the resurrected King, he now provides abundant comfort to his people. If we experience hardship as Christ did, we can expect to be comforted as Christ was (v. 5). Even if we experience life-threatening danger, we can set our hope on a God who delivers us from death (v. 10).
The reason for our trials is “to make us rely not on ourselves but on God” (v. 9). Those who trust in God will grow to be more patient (v. 6) and prayerful (v. 11). As we experience the deep comforts of God’s grace, we will learn to comfort those who suffer (v. 4; 2:7). Those who receive the comforts of the gospel will share the comforts of the gospel with those in need.
Psalm 119:50
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Remember that God himself provides the ultimate comfort for his people. His promises can ease the pain of the sorrow that plagues our broken world.