Mark 4:30-32 Jesus Grows His Kingdom

The Text

Mark 4:30–32 (CSB)
³⁰ And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?

³¹ It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground.

³² And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”

The Devotion

God does not need buildings, or organizations or even churches to build out his kingdom. He will use people, you and me, in order to build out his kingdom. For it is not buildings, organizations or churches that make up the Church but rather people—_his people—_that make up His Church and His Bride. Not that we are workers to build something grand but the fact that we are the kingdom and God builds his kingdom in us and through us. His work is perfect and will be completed in us and through us.

Matthew 16:13–20 (CSB)
¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”

²⁰ Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah.