“He sleeps and rises night and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain on the head.”
—Mark 4:27-28, CSB
Oak trees come from acorns. A few years ago, we decided to raise an oak tree. In the fall, we collected dozens of acorns, dropped them in water, removed all that floated, and stored them in the fridge for months. When the spring came, we planted them in pots prepared with choice soil. In the end, only two acorns sprouted—right next to each other. As the summer gave way to fall, we chose the stronger plant, dug a hole, and gave the tree a home. As of this summer, it is now taller than I am.
Seeing the acorn come to life is amazing. Still, I often think of all the other acorns. I can’t make the seed grow. I can learn about the best conditions for growth. I can collect, care for, stratify, plant, fertilize, regulate temperature, place it in the sun, ensure water, and check soil pH. I can sing, recite poetry, and stare at the pots. Yet, with all of that, I can’t make an acorn grow. God causes.
The sower in the parable sits with the same knowledge. The seed is sown. He’s going to do what he can. But God causes.
So the sower goes about ordinary life: sleeping, rising, watching, noticing, and keeping tools sharp and ready. He’s doing the things that sowers do. He’s likely celebrating each of those awesome moments in the field: the blade, the head, the full grain, and all the obvious moments of growth in between.
The parable helps us see that the sower is important—but not in charge. The sower works—but God causes. Something in that helps us see the kingdom of God more clearly. The kingdom is like the whole parable, and this part shows us something.
But imagine what happens if the sower thinks he causes the growth. He’s out in the field digging up the seed, scolding it for not changing, splitting the outer layer, trying to pull the first leaves out by their tips, stretching the roots. In other words, he’s finding all manner of ways to kill the seed.
Jesus did not tell this parable to give tips about gardening or farming. He told it to help us see His kingdom. Part of what we need to see is that God is at work around us. He causes growth. For us, the visible growth simply appears in His gracious timing.
Jesus doesn’t want us to think we make it happen. Sometimes our choices show that we think we can make it happen. We assume our part is to cause the growth, to force the conversion, to compel the good choice, or to cause others’ faithfulness. We take ownership of results. We act as though we can single-handedly advance the kingdom. And the burden becomes crushing.
Instead, we should see what He has given us to do in the course of ordinary life. Rise. Sleep. Notice. Work. Prepare. Be ready. There is much to do. The sower’s life in the season between scattering the seed and harvest is active, attentive waiting. It is part of faithful, kingdom living. We can be faithful to His call without taking over His job. In fact, we can only be faithful to His call when we refuse to take His job.
The sower is important—but not in charge. The sower works—but God causes.
What burden are you carrying that belongs to God rather than you?
Be Faithful in the Ordinary is our 2027 General Conference theme. It’s one expression of the more complete idea: As we answer the call to follow Jesus and see our lives transformed by Him, we step into His reality every day through active, attentive waiting grounded in our absolute confidence in Him.
To explore where we’ve been and are going, visit https://gsdb.xyz/faithful for links to verses, devotions, other resources, and an overview of the full year.
