Working Through the BibleSýnishorn

Many of us aspire to make a positive impact in the world. We want our work to have meaning. We desire our efforts to be significant. We aim to please God and to see our contributions benefit the common good. But how can we achieve that? In Mark 4, Jesus shares a straightforward parable that conveys a fundamental yet profound message.

In the parable, a man sows seed and goes to bed. While he sleeps, the seed grows, but we are told, “he does not know how.” When the grain is ready, he harvests it, and the process is complete. Nothing in this parable is surprising. There is no twist. Everyone in Jesus’ time would be very familiar with this agricultural process. There seems to be almost nothing to learn

The power of this story lies in its simplicity. Jesus presents us with a fundamental equation about how our efforts contribute to something valuable. The farmer in this story works diligently. While we may only see that he sows some seeds, any person from the first century would understand the time and effort required for this task. He must prepare the soil, choose the seeds, arrange the crops, manage irrigation, and protect the plants from harm. All of this is hard work. However, this effort alone is insufficient to produce fruit. At the end of the day—literally—the farmer goes to sleep. Only then does the real process begin.

The story states that the soil produces grain “all by itself,” yet the reader recognizes the clear omission of God, who oversees the process. This literary device draws attention to God’s role through the silence. It is only when this growth occurs that the harvest takes place. The equation is simple: human effort plus God's work results in an abundant harvest. In God’s economy, neither is sufficient on its own.

In our own work, we recognize the unseen hand of God behind every good thing that grows. God’s involvement does not diminish the necessity for human effort. We work hard, but every good thing comes from God. It happens, even though “we do not know how." It results in work with the potential to serve the world and glorify God.

Jesus' parables guide us into our hearts through themes of work this week.