"A Little Goes A Long Way"

By Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn

(Mark 4:26-34)

[26] He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, [27] and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. [28] The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. [29] But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."

[30] He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? [31] It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; [32] yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth 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 except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

(NRSV)

INTRODUCTION:

When Mary and I farmed, we used to plant a huge garden. We planted all kinds of vegetables. Potatoes, tomatoes, peas, carrots, green beans, corn, broccoli, all the normal stuff. One year we bought about a dozen bell pepper starter plants. Some to eat and some to freeze for cooking. The flats were clearly marked "bell peppers". We planted them, weeded watered and did all those things you're supposed to do. And you know what we got? Jalapeņos.

Obviously, the flat was marked incorrectly. Because I know you can't plant bell peppers and expect to get Jalapeņos. What Paul writes in Galatians 6:7 is true: "you reap whatever you sow." That's the thing about seeds. If you plant tomatoes, you don't get potatoes. If you plant plums you don't get apples. If you plant flowers you don't get grapes. Whatever you sow, you reap.

In this two parables, Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of God. He says it comes even when, like the farmer, we don't understand all the mechanics or miracle of how it actually works. And he compares it to the mustard seed, a tiny thing that grows to a huge plant. I read this week that it takes 21,000 seeds to have one ounce of black mustard seed. Those seeds can each grow to be 8 to 10 feet tall. Birds often nest in them, especially in the wild. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is like that.

It starts off small and grows and grows. History will attest to that. The Church as we know it today grew from a handful of followers in Israel to a worldwide religion. But then lots of things start off small. Look at human life. It starts microscopic in size and continues to grow. Look at music and literature. All music begins with just eight notes. All of American and English literature, the great plays, great lyrics, great books all began with only 26 letters.

There is an old song I heard the other day. I don't even remember who it was by, but it was entitled "Little Things." It says, "Little things that you do make me glad I'm in love with you. Little things that you say make glad that I feel this way" , and then it starts listing all those little things. The point is that sometimes it is the little things that make the difference. Sometimes those little acts of kindness and courtesy, those little acts of love are more important that anything else we might do.

The little things of life and faith matter. They are seeds we sow. We are like the man in the parable, we are all scattering seeds as we go through life, some good, some bad, some indifferent. But we are all scattering seeds. Being Father's Day, this is a good day to talk about the little things of life. Little things like the kinds of seeds that we sow in our lives and in the lives of our families. What we plant is what we will reap. We need to ask ourselves, is this what we want to reap as fathers and as parents? Is this the kind of fruit we want our children lives to bear? What kinds of seeds are you planting? I think there are four that we must plant.

I. SEEDS OF LOVE:

A. The first are SEEDS OF LOVE. Having grown up in a home as the unwanted stepson, needing and wanting a simple expression of love from my stepfather, it breaks my heart to see kids growing up without love. I have made it a point to let my boys know how much I love them. I tell them that all the time. Sometimes it embarrasses them but they know how I feel. And I think that's very important. We all need to know that we are loved.

B. In his autobiography, The Son Of The Ragman, actor Kirk Douglas talks about growing-up with parents who had recently immigrated from Russia. He recalls that his mother was warm and supportive as she did her best to adjust to a new country, but he remembers his father as stern, untrusting, strict, and cold. He was unaccustomed to giving words of encouragement, a pat on the back, or a hug and remained a distant and very private man. But then Douglas tells this story about his father:

One evening at school, the young Kirk Douglas had a major role speaking, dancing, and singing in a play. He knew his mother would be there, but seriously doubted that his father would be. To his surprise and amazement, about halfway through the program, he looked up and saw his father standing in the back of the auditorium.

After completing the evening's program, he wanted his father to come up and congratulate him for a job well done, but true to fashion, his father wasn't able to say much. Instead, he asked his young son if he'd like to stop and get a five-cent ice cream cone. As Kirk Douglas reflects back over all his awards in life, he said he prizes that five-cent ice cream cone even more than his Oscar. (1)

It wasn't the cone that counted. Instead it was the love expressed and the attention given that mattered the most. Can you imagine any actor saying that a nickel ice cream cone meant more than the Oscar.

We all need to know that we are loved, unconditionally. That no matter what we do we will still be loved. Of course the greatest model for that is Jesus. As we grow in our faith and become more and more like Jesus, we are better able to live and express that unconditional love. One of the greatest gifts we can give is to plant the seeds of love. It really is the little things. Plant those seeds of love with care. They will grow and become more precious than all the world's riches and fame.

II. SEEDS OF FAITH:

A.Second, we should be plant SEEDS OF FAITH. It's easy to believe. All you really have to do is nod your head. It's more difficult to have faith because that moves beyond the head to the heart. But it's even more difficult to live that faith. For that takes the head the heart and the soul. It takes all that we are. But when we give ourselves to God and model a life of faith for our children, think of the seeds we are planting. Proverbs 22:6 says: "Train children in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it."

B. Garrett Banister gave new meaning to the song "Jesus Loves Me" the other night. His version of went like this:

Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to him belong, They are weak but He is fun.

Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me.

Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

Isn't that great? And there is so much truth in it. Jesus IS fun. Jesus brings joy to our lives and lightens our load. Jesus helps us see life and faith and love with new eyes. Jesus gives us new life. Jesus IS fun. And you know where Garrett learned that? from Mom and Dad. The seeds of their faith are already starting to grow. They haven't reached their full maturity yet. And they won't bloom for a number of years but they are starting to bud out right now. Plant the seeds of faith in your family. Let that faith begin growing now.

III. SEEDS OF SELF ESTEEM:

A. Third there are the SEEDS OF SELF ESTEEM. These may be the hardest seeds to plant. Not because we don't want our kids and our family to have positive self-esteem. But because some of US don't have very good self-esteem. And as hard as we try, sometimes when we're tired, stressed or angry we punch the replay button and our parent's words and phrases come spewing out of OUR mouths.

We need to know and our children need to know that we are children of God. Through the love of God as expressed in Jesus, there is nothing and no one who can ever separate us from that love. We are loved by God and in a special relationship with God. In Romans 8:16 Paul says, "The Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God." Remembering that we are children of God and reminding our children that they are children of God helps build self-esteem.

B. There other things we can do, too. I don't remember where I got this, it may have been a poster or it may have been in a sermon, I don't know but it's entitled "If A Child Lives With:"

"If A Child Lives With: ... criticism, she learns to condemn.

... hostility, he learns to fight.

... fear, she learns to be apprehensive.

... pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.

... jealousy, she learns to feel guilty.

... encouragement, he learns to be confident.

... tolerance, she learns to be patient.

... praise, he learns to be appreciative.

... acceptance, she learns to love.

... approval, he learns to like himself.

... recognition, she learns to have a goal.

... fairness, he learns what is justice.

... honesty, she learns what is truth.

... security, he learns to have faith in himself and in those around him.

... friendliness, she learns that the world is a good place in which to live."

All of those things are important to our self-esteem but the most important is to remember that we are children of God. Plant those seeds in yourself and in your family.

IV. SEEDS OF GRACE:

A. Finally, there are the SEEDS OF GRACE. I'm not talking about the physical grace of a ballerina or performer. Rather this is God's Grace. And we don't so much plant the seeds as we do prepare the soil. For the seeds of grace grow and mature and bear fruit in God's time. And we never really know when that will be. The seeds of grace bloom sometimes in the least likely places. But they point to the fact that little things make a difference.

B. About three weeks ago I got a strange little piece of Email. I didn't know the person who sent it and almost didn't respond. This person Emailed me (apparently they had found my address on our Church's Web site) and asked "Is there really a God?" They signed it, Nobody.

I almost blew it off but instead answered, simply, "YES, there IS a God." I really didn't expect to hear anything back.

But Tuesday I got this message. "I had just lost my job and frankly, I was scared. A few nights ago my family and I sat together, held hands and prayed. The next morning I received the following letter. "YES, there IS a God!" And I am SO grateful!!!"

In the little things of life, the little things that matter, a little goes a long way.

CONCLUSION:

And when we entrust that little to God it grows and blooms and bears fruit in our lives and in the lives of our families. But you have to entrust it to God. That's one of the points of the first parable. So, make sure you and you're kids are plugged into the right source of power.

Shortly before Christmas one year, a woman made a healthy investment in a new vacuum cleaner. She couldn't wait to try it out, so she plugged the electric marvel in and turned it on. Without warning, the motor shut off. The the motor started - and went off again within a few seconds. Then it started again. She proceeded to vacuum and off it went again, then back on.

Faster and faster she tried to vacuum between the on and off cycles, until she finally gave up. Mumbling under her breath and preparing to give the salesperson a call, she went to unplug the vacuum cleaner. And she discovered she had plugged the vacuum into the blinker switch of her Christmas tree light. (2)

God's power, strength, energy and forgiveness are available to all of us. God's presence is nearer than breathing when we're connected and plugged into the right source. And when we're connected the little things of our faith, the seeds that we plant the SEEDS OF LOVE, FAITH, SELF-ESTEEM AND GRACE will grow, blossom and bear fruit. The right kind of fruit, God's kind of fruit and not Jalapeņos.

1. (New York: The Free Press, 1994), pp. 88-89.

2. p. 38--Country Dec/Jan/97 Reiman Publications, LP, 1996 (Vol 10. No. 6)