Mark 4:30-32: Environments Where Others Can Thrive

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.” - Mark 4:30-32

When you walk into most churches on Sunday morning, you don't realize it, but the air is being processed by machinery under the control of computer software. Likewise, the light is often controlled by a sophisticated controller that allows pre-programmed settings to set the mood and highlight specific points of interest within the sanctuary. A mixer board manages and massages the sound produced by the instruments to blend together for a pleasing effect. Working together, these create an environment meant to complement the message and help the people be prepared to receive it. We've probably all noticed when it wasn't working: ice-box air, silenced instruments or voices, empty spotlights.

What does it look like when the kingdom of God is present at work? At home? In a church? Jesus points to it when he mentions that the mustard seed grows to a full-sized tree "with such big branches that birds can perch in its shade." The tree creates a new environment which allows the birds can now escape the heat of the day and rest. They can build nests, escape predators and raise their young. In Biblical terms, where the kingdom of God is made manifest, there is peace, or shalom or (to my thinking) an environment where others can thrive.

To extend the parable a bit further, some plants do not create this kind of environment. Some plants poison the ground underneath their canopy so that no other plants can grow there-a trait known as allelopathy. Some plants produce spines that limit which kinds of animals can climb or land on the branches.

What does it look like when other kingdoms reign instead of the kingdom of God? Elimination of the competition, suppression of those within the reach of our influence, withdrawal of help and support, to name a few, and sucking up resources for self.

The kingdom of God extends to wherever its citizens are active. What would it look like if the kingdom of God showed up in your office? In your home? In your church? In your neighborhood? In your country? You and I are there, so there is some provision-however small-has been made by God for the kingdom to establish a foothold in all of those places. We all may have ideas about what the kingdom of God should look like, but Jesus' point in this parable is that, as his representatives, we create an environment where others can thrive, the kingdom of God is gaining a foothold.

It will always imperfect in this age, because the world is not perfect and neither are we. Entropy reigns and selfishness corrupts. Only in Christ and his kingdom is there hope for anything else.

We are all called in ordinary ways to use the grace given us to provide that canopy under which others can thrive. This is me as a manager, a parent, a spouse, a neighbor and a part of my church. Check yourself-before looking for excuses: Are the people around you trending towards wholeness? Are you being honest with yourself about the influence you are actually having on them? You been given the grace to make a difference? 

Daniel 1: Deep and Wide, There's a Fountain Flowing

Hiring the best did not pull the team together. Each person came aggressive and passionate for his or her own ministry without commitment to the whole. People were not recruited and hired to join a coherent and unified movement. - Simple Church, T. Rainer and E. Geiger

What makes a good staff member. As Simple Church points out, just "hiring thoroughbreds" and "letting them run" doesn't lead to healthy organizations. This is one of the key tensions described in Leading from the Second Chair: Deep vs. wide.

"Deep" is reflected in how well you carry out the responsibilities of your role. Do you do your job well? The software engineer in me liked solving problems well, devising elegant and functional solutions, learning from really smart people and passing on what I knew to others. Later, as a team lead, architect and CTO, there was an interpersonal aspect; working with teams, persuading others, and communicating clearly. People talk with me expecting clear answers and doable solutions. For other jobs, there may be less technical expertise and more people expertise involved. I have come to respect, for example, project managers, who are responsible for schedules and yet don't have the power to make those schedules happen except through people skills. The best show a level of creative thinking, perseverance and willingness to take heat for the team that I truly admire.

"Wide" is reflected in how your awareness of the situation in the rest of the organization. Good workers see the big picture, identify the greater opportunities or pressing problems and take initiative. Organizational silos naturally build up in an organization in order to optimize what that silo does. I like silos. I like the general surgeon model that allows me to hyper-focus on my problems and my solutions and what I need to solve them. But we need to think wider than that.

Why? Because when each business unit or ministry becomes a kingdom, it fosters unhealthy competition rather than collaboration. I've seen reputation-depending, locked-down, no discussion, envious, passive-aggressive, finger pointing, only-vertical communication styles that cripple managers and companies. Division of labor is a useful thing, but the stress brought about by the change inherent in every organization's life cycle inevitably challenges the kingdom boundaries we set up.

This is a tension to be managed, not a problem to be solved. We need competent people, teams, groups and divisions. We also need collaborative people, teams, groups and divisions. And these both need time, attention and resources taken from a finite pool. So we manage the tension.

We see some of these in the life of Daniel:

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds...In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.- Daniel 1:17

This was an unpleasant work environment. Daniel and his friends were new, recently displaced and from a completely different culture. There was huge pressure to conform (1:10, 311-12). God gave them insight and talent, they were diligent in their studies and their excellence was, in due time, rewarded with recognitions. Like Joseph, they put in extended periods of time without tangible rewards (cf. Daniel 1:5, "three years")

This was a high pressure environment. The boss (King Nebuchadnezzar) was not always reasonable and had a penchant for axing (literally, 2:8), burning (3:21) or "throwing to the lions" (literally) those who disappointed him. Even more discouraging, their job success depended on making the government headed by this self-centered maniac succeed and prosper (cf. Jer. 29) Let that sink in for a moment.

This was a back-biting environment. Success was rewarded but also brought envy. Others mini-kingdoms were being threatened by the rising prominence of the outside recruits.God deliberately stirred up the government and religious leaders of Babylon to accomplish his goals. He brought in young men, tested their character and gave them insight and talent to disrupt the status quo for his glory. But the status quo disrupted right back with gossip, traps and sanctioned violence.

In this environment, just remember: God knows it all first. No matter what your field of expertise, God has already discovered what can be discovered and thought what can be thought. God never watches you and goes, "I wish I'd thought of that." Instead, we are following after him. He delights in showing us more. Daniel said, "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." (Dan. 2:28a) It wasn't only spiritual stuff that God revealed, but he also taught them "all kinds of literature and learning." One of the sharp contrasts in Daniel's life is between those who give credit to God for their success (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and those who do not (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar)/

It is satisfying to be the master of your area of expertise or manage your group productively. But you can gain still meet every group goal and objective and your organization can still fall apart. That's were the wide perspective comes in, which we will look at more in depth next time.
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