Mark’s gospel begins quickly and doesn’t slow down until passion week. He moves from Jesus’ baptism right into His ministry, showing His power to heal, cast out demons, control the weather, and teach with authority.

Jesus’ teaching is both straightforward and in parables. In one parable, the parable of the seed growing, He says,

“And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”” (Mk 4:26–29)

What is the point of this short story? It is to show us that we cannot manufacture disciples. In fact, it is not our purpose to manufacture disciples. God is the One who produces the harvest just like the earth produces a harvest of food for us.

Our job, like the farmer, is to collect the harvest. How do we collect the harvest? We must talk about and ask others if they believe the good news about Jesus. As we have conversations with others, we will see a harvest being brought into our churches. Jesus’ parable implies then that we must be about the business of evangelizing others.

We can be confident in our evangelism because God is the One producing the harvest.