PENTECOST III
June 13, 2021
“Mighty Trees From Tiny Seeds”
Planting, potting, gardening and growing are once again occupying many people, whether they have potted plants on a porch or patio, floral borders, or elaborately landscaped flower beds. Community garden spaces are carefully planted with vegetables in hopes of a good yield of healthy, fresh produce. This year has included the beginning of the replanting effort in our communities, as new little trees are putting down roots of hope in yards, boulevards, parks, and public areas. If positive thoughts and tender loving care help plants thrive, these little newcomers should set records for growth! The hot spell we’re experiencing has us hauling around watering cans, hoses and sprinklers to make sure our seedlings survive — after the work of digging, planting, fertilizing, and care, we’re not about to let our new “babies” wilt in the heat!
As a youngster, I loved my mother’s flower garden, laid out quite artistically, providing beauty and color from spring until fall. She also went after the weeds with her little triangular hoe, determined to keep them at bay. On my grandparents’ farm, the big garden provided an array of vegetables, which my grandma diligently weeded and tilled. So the lesson was learned — lovely flowers, delicious early lettuce, or fresh carrots with that “earthy” taste don’t just grow randomly — they take consistent attention and cultivation.
The images of planting, growth and harvest appear throughout the Bible, beginning with the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2. God planted a garden in Eden, and the people he had created were placed in the garden to till it and keep (protect) it. Through these earliest of teachings we learn that this beautiful creation is a gift from God, and humans are to care for it.
As Jesus told his parables, he used descriptions to which those listening could relate. He told them, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” illustrating their connectedness to him and to one another. The parable of the mustard seed is strongly connected to our Lutheran foundational belief that God uses the humble and unlikely to do great things. “With what can we compare the kingdom of God . . .?” It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 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.” (Mark 4:30-32)
The tiniest seed has that remarkable DNA in it that makes a large, healthy plant possible, and faith that might start with an unlikely, modest beginning has the potential to grow into whatever God wants it to be.
And so we are called to continue planting God’s Word, caring for the tender little seedlings, helping them grow and thrive. Many times we won’t know whether a seed has grown at all, much less reached fruition. But that isn’t the important thing, because whether or not we know the outcome, we’ll just keep on planting!
Just hoping the geraniums survive,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers