Seeds & Storms
READ
At first glance, today’s stories might seem oddly paired—a tiny seed growing into a massive plant, and Jesus calming a raging storm. Yet both reveal something profound about how God's kingdom operates and who Jesus really is.
Let’s take a moment to read Mark 4:30-41:
Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
REFLECT
The mustard seed parable addresses a critical question that must have nagged at Jesus' followers: How could this small movement, led by a carpenter from Nazareth, possibly transform the world? The answer comes in the form of a tiny seed. Starting as something so small you could lose it in a fold of your clothing, it grows into a plant large enough for birds to nest in its branches.
This isn't just about size—it's about the surprising way God's kingdom expands. Not through dramatic ways or overwhelming force, but through small beginnings that contain extraordinary potential. The growth happens not by human force but by God's design.
Then Mark shifts to the storm story, and it's a masterpiece of storytelling. The disciples—many of them experienced fishermen—are terrified by a storm so severe they believe they're about to die. Meanwhile, Jesus is asleep on a cushion, apparently unconcerned. His response to their panic is first to address the storm ("Quiet! Be still!"), then to address their faith.
The juxtaposition of these stories is powerful. The same Jesus who understands how kingdoms grow from tiny seeds also commands the wind and waves. He works both through gradual, organic processes and through immediate, dramatic intervention. Sometimes He lets the storm rage while the seed grows; other times He calms the storm with a word.
This passage challenges our assumptions about how God works. We often want the dramatic miracle—the instantly calmed storm—when God might be working through the slow, steady growth of a seed. Or we might be waiting for gradual change when God actually wants to demonstrate His immediate power.
The disciples' question—"Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey him?"—remains the central question for us today. How we answer it shapes everything about how we understand God's work in our lives and in the world.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
Where in your life are you looking for a dramatic miracle when God might be working through gradual growth?
What "small beginnings" in your life might contain potential for extraordinary growth?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Lord Jesus, give me faith to trust Your timing and Your methods. Help me recognize Your work in both the dramatic moments and the quiet growth. Remind me of Your power when I face storms, and Your faithfulness in the small beginnings. Shape my understanding of Your kingdom by Your wisdom, not my expectations. Amen.