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As the seasons begin to shift from summer to autumn, I’m reminded of the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29). Verse 28 says: All by itself the soil produces grain- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head (New International Version). When the seasons change, there are obvious signs. The leaves change colors and fall from the trees. The temperature cools in the day and evenings. We begin to prepare for wintry months ahead - a time of dormancy. No matter how much we want the summer months to continue or the winter months to give way to spring; there is an appointed time for each season.
At this point you may be asking what does seasonal changes have to do with the parable above? Everything. You see, the seed is sown at a particular time (spring), and it begins a transformation process. The process varies depending on the seed sown, but there is always a process. And then you begin to see a glimmer of growth- the stalk (late spring). You can’t pluck up the stalk because it’s not harvest time, that doesn’t occur until autumn. And no amount of hoping, praying, whining or crying will change the time for each season.
Summer begins and the stalk has grown a little taller. You begin planning what to do with the seed when it’s fully grown. And then the summer storms move in and you think there’s no way the stalk can survive until harvest; but a seed is resilient and what is in it will come forth in due time. You begin to focus on the storms, forgetting the stalk, and then one clear day you see the head on the stalk! The process didn’t end in the storm; all that rain just watered the seed and helped it to grow stronger.
You are excited again, you’ve seen progress. And autumn finally arrives. You’ve been busy with the things of life; getting the children ready for school, volunteering at your church, tending to "life”. One day you notice kernels on the head. You start shouting because the seed appears full grown. You gather the family saying;”harvest time is here!” But wait; is harvest at the beginning, middle or end of autumn? You’ve been waiting and weathering the storms, surely it’s when the kernel appears.
Verse 29 of Mark 4 says: As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come (New International Version). We had a plum tree in our back yard growing up. In the beginning of spring leaves would appear, we knew soon there would be plums. In late spring, early summer small green plums would appear. My brothers and I had many belly aches from eating those green plums! Early summer the plums turned a reddish purple color, I won’t even tell you what we got from eating them then. But late summer, those plums would be deep purple and shiny and my grandmother would send us out to shake the tree and get the plums! The reddish purple plums were just the "kernels in the head.” The plums weren’t ready to be eaten until they were ripe.
The Parable of the Growing Seed is an illustration of the Word of God sown into our hearts. Each stage of seed development lasts for a season. As spring, summer, autumn and winter each lasts for a season and we see the signs of change. Likewise the seed of the Word of God is sown and develops in us and we see the signs of change. Seasons are determined by God, not us. The stalk phase, head phase and kernel phase are all necessary before the ripening occurs. But once the Word has fully "ripened” you are ready to partake of the fruit of it.
Don’t try to rush the seasons, nor harvest the seed before it is fully developed. Employ faith and patience and see the fulfillment of the seed of God’s Word in your life. [1]
[1]Hebrews 6:12