October 8, 2023 "Seeds, Weeds, and Radical Hospitality"

ReNew Ames Messages

Seeds, Weeds, and Little Birdies, baby! I'll start with a TikTok about parenting - Jim Gaffigan is the best, man! Parenting really is hard. And here's the reason: we want to be in control. If we could force our teenagers to make the right decisions we would do it. Because we love the ideal of control. And it's not just a parent thing - it's a human thing. But God's ideal for us isn't control. Jesus tells three parables to show us what the KoG (the Kingdom of God) is like. And these stories are absurd. They don't make sense. They're jokes. The gardener. He scatters seed willy nilly and goes inside and takes a nap. The seeds sprout all on their own. That's not how gardening works. Good gardeners do all sorts of things to make the thing grow. But not Jesus' gardener. What does this have to teach us? The mustard seeds. Yeah, they're weeds. That's the joke. No one plants mustard seeds. They're weeds and they spread like weeds and look like weeds. What does it mean that Jesus equates the KoG with a little seed? Who and what counts in God's kingdom? What is beautiful? Where do we see, perceive the divine? Little birdies. The plant grows and the birds perch on its branches and enjoy the shade. They get grace! Isn't that so sweet? Yeah, on the surface. But let's go deeper. Do we want birds in the garden? Nope, they eat the seeds and fruit. Birds are bad for gardens. Crows screw up cornfields. That's why we have scarecrows - to keep those little bastards out. But Jesus is like, "nope, I like birds in my garden." Why does Jesus say this? What might it mean? Here's what I think - radical inclusion and hospitality - that's the KoG. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Mark 4:26-34 https://www.bible.com/events/49151043