Rev elations

The reign of God is like........................   The kingdom of God might be better described as ‘The reign of God’- reign relates to the idea of the rule of God, rather than just the area of his dominion.  The reign of God is something we can relate to, but also something a little bit surprising, there is an element of the unexpected. That’s why Jesus uses so many parables to describe the reign of God. Parables are stories that use similes; something that is like the thing that is being described, but is also different from it.  The parables that Jesus uses to explain the reign of God in Mark’s passage today (Sunday 17th June 2012, Mark 4.26-34)  relate to the agricultural world of Jesus’ listeners. In the first we are told the story of the seed that is scattered and neglected but brings forth a great harvest. In the second we are told the story of the tiny seed of the mustard tree that grows into a large shrub where birds nest (see end of text for Bible