Called to Faithfulness not Success

We live in a world that expects and affirms and praises big things. Bigger is better. We might praise small stores but our economic structures primarily benefit larger businesses. We talk about how wonderful small towns are but most of us live in cities. Funders and supporters of non profits always want to know numbers- how many, how much. People judge a church’s “success” by its size. Society values leaders who can “create growth”.

Jesus tells some parables about growth. Parables are meant to provoke discussion, to be perplexing and to stir up questions and ideas. Parables can, and often do, have multiple meanings. In Mark’s gospel Jesus tells two parables these two parables back to back.

He [Jesus] also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 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.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.” Mark 4:26-34 NRSV

What is the kingdom of God like? A field? A shrub? These parables are probably not descriptions of “heaven” as a place. They may be images of how we participate in the kingdom of God. They may be hints about how things “work” in the kingdom of heaven.

In the first parable, we are reminded that while we might plant seeds, we do not cause them to grow. We benefit from our efforts and also actions that we don’t entirely understand. In the second parable, a small seed, a seed that isn’t impressive and doesn’t seem especially noteworthy, paradoxically becomes the “greatest of all shrubs” and becomes a home for birds.

In the gospels, Jesus isn’t presented as the founder of a large enterprise. In fact he doesn’t appear to be very successful at all. The Roman Empire continues to be in charge. In the gospels the disciples don’t get off to an impressive start either. They seen to have gone around and talked with people and started small communities in various places. Scattered seeds, so to speak.

As the parable just before these, says. “A sower went out to sow. And as he showed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had not depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no graim. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:3-8 NRSV

These parables suggest that effort rather than results are what matters. The disciples are sent into the world to share the good news, telling people that despite all appearances to the contrary, the kingdom of God is near. They invite people to follow the odd way of Jesus, living lives that don’t make a lot of sense by Roman standards. They are not given a quota or a target number of converts or church starts.

In the parables, there is not an expected number of bushels. The seeds may or may not produce grain. Evidently Mustard trees are slow growing. The end result – whatever that is, and when it is achieved is not up to the disciples or to us.

Their task and ours is to faithfully be about the work we are asked to do. To expand the parables a bit. It takes a variety of seeds producing a variety of plants to sustain an ecosystem, and a planet. Not everyone sows the same seeds. For each of us, the “seeds” we are to sow are unique to each of us. They are unique to our abilities and our talents and our opportunities. Some of us have more opportunities than others. But each of us can sow some seeds.

It is hard to step away from the productivity mindset of our culture. Did we do enough? Did we make enough? Did we talk to enough people? Make enough sales? Were we productive enough? Are our efforts producing more this year than last year? Are we growing? Are we expanding? Jesus warns us against gaining the world at the expense of our souls.

Some things, businesses, churches, communities stay small. Not because they are not well run. Not because they aren’t great places. They are not failures because they are small. They are what they are. Smaller businesses, churches, communities have value and can contribute much. Size isn’t the criteria. Faithfulness is. Being faithful may mean staying small.

Can we reframe our expectations? Can we move away from prioritizing, even idolizing “success” and “growth” and focus on faithfulness? What might happen if we did?