我和妻子种过各式各样的蔬菜：一排一排的豆角和水萝卜，一堆一堆的西葫芦和南瓜。种植的方法虽多，却没有一样能解释种子发芽生长这个微妙的奥秘。当然，如今对于种子发芽和嫩苗生长都有一些科学的解释，但每一个解释，都在我心里增添一份对神的敬畏。
我们孩子还小的时候，很喜欢读艾诺·洛贝尔的《青蛙与蟾蜍》系列丛书。其中最喜欢的一个是蟾蜍种植花园的故事。一两天之后，它就开始发愁种子是否还能发芽长大。所以它就唱歌给种子听，整晚陪着它们 (恐怕它们怕黑) ，甚至对着它们尖叫和哭泣。最后蟾蜍精疲力尽地睡着了。当它醒来的时候，看到种子已经发芽了，才大大地松了一口气。
有很多次，在神的教会及国度中作工时，我也像这个蟾蜍一样，行动和感受仿佛就只能靠我自己。然而，正如耶稣在祂的比喻中告诉我们的，神的园子从发芽到收割都是“出于自然的”。这其中有太多奥秘的成分。诚然我们需要尽我们的责任——播种、浇水、护理、收割——但我们不能使种子生长。那是神恩典的工作。我们可以尽情为自己在神的国度里所贡献的一小部分，欢喜快乐！
亲爱的神，感谢祢赐下种子这个礼物和奥秘。求祢帮助我，谦卑地尽自己工作和祈祷的本分，并为自己里面及周围的成长来倚靠祢。奉耶稣的名祷告。阿们。
马可福音 4:26-29
26又说：“神的国如同人把种撒在地上。
27黑夜睡觉，白日起来，这种就发芽渐长，那人却不晓得如何这样。
28地生五谷是出于自然的：先发苗，后长穗，再后穗上结成饱满的子粒；
29谷既熟了，就用镰刀去割，因为收成的时候到了。”
"Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how." — Mark 4:27
My wife and I plant a variety of seeds—beans and radishes in rows, zucchini and squash in mounds. These methods make the sprouting and growing of seeds no less of a mystery. Surely there is a scientific explanation today for the sprouting of seeds and the growth of tender shoots, and that will only increase my awe.
When our children were young, we enjoyed reading the stories of Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel. One favorite was the tale of Toad planting a garden. After a day or two he began to fret about whether his seeds would ever sprout and grow. So he sang to them, stayed up with them all night (in case they were afraid of the dark), and even screamed at them and wept over them. Exhausted, Toad finally fell asleep. When he awoke, he saw to his great relief that the seeds had sprouted.
Too often, I am like Toad when working in Jesus' church and God's kingdom. I act and feel as if it all depends on me. As Jesus tells us in his parable, however, God's garden grows from seed to harvest "all by itself." So much of this is a mystery. We need to do our part—sow the seed, water, tend the garden, and reap the harvest—but we do not make the seed grow. That happens by God's gracious work. We can simply delight in doing our small part in growing the kingdom.
Dear God, thanks for the gift and mystery of seeds. Help me to humbly do my part in work and prayer and to rely on you for growth in and around me. In Jesus I pray. Amen.
诵读: 孙大中
片头: 张妙阳
