Mark 4:26–29
Jesus tells a small parable with massive implications.
In Mark 4:26–29, He describes the kingdom of God like this: a man scatters seed on the ground. Then he goes to bed. Day after day, the seed sprouts and grows — though “he knows not how.” The earth produces by itself: first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain. And when the time is right, the harvest comes.
It’s subtle. Almost unspectacular. But this is how God’s kingdom works — quietly, steadily, and always under grace. Even while we sleep.
And that’s the part we often overlook: the farmer’s sleep.
In Jesus’ story, rest is not failure — it’s faith. The sower isn’t anxious or hyperactive. He’s not pacing the fields all night or forcing growth through sheer effort. He sleeps — because he knows the seed will do what it was made to do. Sleep, in this parable, becomes a symbol of trust in the sovereignty of God.
That’s good news in 2025.
We live in a digital age where rest feels irresponsible and everything competes for our attention. We’re flooded with headlines, opinions, needs, and metrics. We’re told to always be on, always be responding, always be moving. And somewhere in that noise, it becomes easy to think the kingdom depends on our hustle.
But Jesus says otherwise.
The seed grows not because the sower is brilliant or busy, but because God is faithful. And if the kingdom of God really moves forward while we’re asleep — then maybe the most radical thing we can do in our day is rest in God’s sovereignty, while remaining faithful in His field.
This parable is a companion to the one just before it — the Parable of the Soils. There, Jesus tells us to pay attention to our hearts: are we soft soil, open to the Word? Here, He shifts focus: how does the seed grow once it’s planted?
Answer: by grace alone.
We are both soil and sower. The grace that made our hearts come alive is the same grace that causes the kingdom to grow in others. And now, Jesus invites us to partner with Him in planting.
But here’s where it gets practical — because sowing in the digital age can feel overwhelming. We’re spread thin. Boundaries are blurred. Attention is fractured.
And yet, gardens grow best within boundaries.
That’s why Jesus used a field — not a cloud — as the image of the kingdom. God works through place. The mission of God is always incarnational — rooted in proximity, real people, real rhythms.
Here at Cross Point, we could talk about it like this:
1. Identify a Field
Where has God placed you? Your street, school, job — these aren’t accidents. They’re assignments. Start there.
2. Till the Soil
Pray. Ask God to soften hearts, open doors, and prepare the way.
3. Sow the Seed
Speak the gospel. Live it. Ask for God’s power to confirm it. Word, works, and wonders — all together.
4. Tend the Growth
Discipleship is slow. Show up. Walk with people. Help them know God and make Him known.
5. Harvest the Fruit
Celebrate what God is doing. Gather weekly. Worship deeply. Join groups. Pray hard. Strategize together.
6. Set Aside Seeds
Train and release others to plant new fields. Groups, campuses, churches, across town and across the world. This is how the mission multiplies — until every nation is reached.
Sow and sleep. Rest. Trust. The seed grows because God is working all things according to His divine purposes. Not one moment of faithfulness is wasted. Not one seed is forgotten.
The Kingdom is coming. The fields are ready. And the Sower is still at work — even, especially, while you sleep.