October 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Mark 4:21-34:

²¹And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
²²For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
²³If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
²⁴And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
²⁵For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
²⁶And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
²⁷And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
²⁸For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
²⁹But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
³⁰And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
³¹It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
³²But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
³³And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
³⁴But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

Devotional

The mustard seed, the "least of all seeds: when it is grown, is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

The usual explanation of this parable is that of the growth of the Christian Church. Of course, it is true that the Christian Church started with a few believers. On the first Pentecost there were three thousand. Shortly afterward there were five thousand. Later we read how the word of God grew and multiplied. But in the parable of the tares we have seen how the tares grew right among the wheat. And was there not always apostasy in the church? The children of Israel served idols. In the early Chris­tian Church there were already many antichrists. At the time of the Reformation the Church had almost entirely lost the true doctrine. And today the International Council of Churches is a mighty organization, but where is the true doctrine of salva­tion by grace, through the blood of Christ? The true Church has always consisted of an afflicted and poor people. As soon as the Church becomes great in the eyes of the world, it ceases to be the true Church. Is not this what Christ wanted to teach in this parable? The birds came after the plant had grown big! The birds in the parable of the sower devoured the good seed. Babylon, the fallen church, "is become the habitation of devils . . . and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Let us beware of false doctrine.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee that Thou hast formed Thy Church here on earth; that Thou hast given her Thy Word, and that by Thy Holy Spirit Thou dost lead Thy children into all truth. O, may we love Thy truth. May we never incline our ears unto false doctrine. Increase Thy Church, O God, and destroy the works of the devil. May we be faithful in confessing Thy truth. Pardon our sins. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Acts 12:24; 19:20; 1 John 2:18; Zeph. 3:12.

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