Elbows Up, Knees Down, Hands Out – Sermon – Pastor Dave Page

There are two little words in this parable that are easy to read past, but they help us understand how God’s Kingdom works. The first is the word “took.” Matthew says the man took the seed. The Greek word is λαβών (labōn), from the verb λαμβάνω (lambanō). It means to receive, to take into your hands, to deliberately embrace. Before the seed was ever planted someone first had to receive it. Maybe that’s where some of us are today. We’re asking God to grow something we’ve never been willing to receive. We pray for our community while missing the neighbour next door. We pray for Canada while forgetting that God often begins His work one person at a time. Before the Kingdom grows through us it must first be received by us.

Then Matthew tells us the man sowed the seed. The Greek word is σπείρω (speirō). It means far more than simply dropping a seed on the ground. It means to intentionally sow with the expectation of a future harvest. Every farmer or green thumb Gardner understands this. You don’t sow because you can already see the crop. You sow because you believe something is happening beneath the surface, even when no one else can see it. Sowing is an act of faith. It’s choosing to believe that today’s small act can become tomorrow’s harvest. And isn’t that where we struggle?

We live in a world of instant downloads, same-day delivery, and real-time updates. If we can’t see something happening, we assume nothing is happening. But that’s never how seeds work, and it’s never been how the Kingdom works. I think that’s exactly why Jesus chose this image. He knew there would be moments like the one we’re living in, moments when we’d wonder whether one prayer, or one act of kindness could possibly make a difference. Jesus says, yes. Because the Kingdom has always grown through people who were willing to receive what God placed in their hands and then faithfully sow it.

Now, if you’re anything like me, you hear that and immediately think, “Okay, but where do I begin?” How do we become people who receive what God gives us? How do we become people who faithfully sow seeds of hope when the world around us feels so uncertain? Jesus’ answer isn’t to begin with our circumstances. He begins with our hearts because before we can sow anything into God’s Kingdom God has to do something within us. Before our hands can be opened in service they must first be opened in surrender.

That’s why we think there are three postures hidden inside this little parable. Three movements that shape the life of every disciple.

First, Hands Up. Not in defeat but in surrender. Second, Knees Down. Learning to trust God in prayer. And finally, Hands Out. Living generously, serving faithfully, and sowing the seeds of God’s Kingdom wherever He has planted us.

So, let’s begin with that first posture. Hands up. Every great work God has ever done through His people began when someone first surrendered themselves to Him.

Hands Up: The Posture of Surrender

Hands up. Now, when we hear that phrase, we usually think of surrender. Giving up. Admitting defeat. Which is why so many people resist it. Our culture tells us that strength means taking control. Being self-sufficient and solving our own problems but the Kingdom of God turns that upside down. Jesus says the doorway into His Kingdom has never been through self-reliance. It’s always been through surrender. The mustard seed doesn’t become a tree because it fights harder than the soil around it. It grows because it is willing to be buried. There is a kind of surrender that looks like loss but is actually the beginning of life.

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” (Matthew 11:28–29) Notice His invitation. He doesn’t say, “Come to Me when you’ve figured everything out.” He doesn’t say, “Come to Me once you’ve fixed the country, your family, or your future.” He says, “Come.” Bring your worries. Bring your fears. Bring your weariness. That’s what surrender looks like.

That’s harder than it sounds. Because if we’re honest, we’d often rather have control than peace. We’d rather know the outcome than trust the One who holds it. But throughout Scripture, every significant move of God begins with someone who says, “Lord, not my will, but Yours.” That’s true for Abraham, for Moses, for Mary, for the disciples, and ultimately, for Jesus Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. Surrender has never been weakness. It has always been the starting point of faithful obedience.

Before we ask, “What should I do?” Perhaps the better question is, “Who am I trusting?” Because when our hands are open to Jesus, we’re no longer carrying the weight of the world on our own shoulders and that’s incredibly freeing. It doesn’t make the challenges disappear, but it reminds us that we don’t face them alone and once our hands are raised in surrender the most natural place for us to go is down to our knees because surrendered hearts become praying hearts. Some of the smallest prayers offered in faith become the mustard seeds through which God does His greatest work.

Knees Down: Prayer is a Mustard Seed

If surrender is where Kingdom life begins then prayer is where Kingdom life grows. That’s why our second posture is knees down. Can I ask you something? Have you ever finished praying and wondered, “Did that actually accomplish anything?” You don’t always see immediate results. The diagnosis doesn’t instantly change or the headlines don’t immediately become more hopeful. Sometimes prayer can feel like planting a seed and then staring at the ground, wondering if anything is happening beneath the surface. And again, isn’t that exactly why Jesus uses the image of a seed. Growth is often invisible before it is visible.

One of the great temptations in uncertain times is to believe that prayer is the least practical thing we can do but Scripture tells a very different story. Listen to God’s invitation in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face then I will hear from heaven” Notice where divine change has begun throughout history. Not in Parliament, not in the marketplace Not even with our neighbours. It begins with God’s people, humble, repentant and in prayer! God has always chosen to work through people who seek His face before they seek solutions.

Paul echoes that same truth in Philippians 4: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”

Did you notice what Paul doesn’t promise? He doesn’t say every circumstance will immediately change. He says we will. “The peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Prayer may not always change the situation first but it always changes the posture of the one who prays.

And then James writes these remarkable words: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Think about that. Faithful prayers, whispered prayer before a difficult conversation. A prayer for your family, your neighbour. A prayer for our leaders. A prayer for Canada, and yes even a prayer for our American neighbours and their leader. Each one may seem as small as a mustard seed but Jesus has already told us Never underestimate what God can do with a mustard seed. And here’s the beautiful thing. Prayer was never meant to be the finish line. It’s the starting line. Because when we rise from our knees God sends us back into the world with open hands. Hands ready to serve. Hands ready to plant even more mustard seeds of hope.

Hands Out: Mustard Seed Living

That is the final posture that grows naturally out of surrender and prayer. Hands out. Think about it. When our hands are lifted to God in surrender and our knees have been bent in prayer our hands don’t stay empty. They become available. Available for God to use. The Christian life was never meant to stop with prayer. Prayer is not an escape from the world it is preparation to re-enter it.

The same Jesus who often withdrew to lonely places to pray was also the Jesus who walked into villages, touched lepers, fed the hungry, welcomed children, and sat with those everyone else ignored. Prayer always moved Him toward people and it should do the same for us.

This is where the mustard seed comes back into focus. Jesus never asked His followers to change the whole world by themselves. He simply asked them to be faithful with what was in front of them. A mustard seed isn’t impressive because of its size. It’s significant because someone plants it. And maybe that’s the invitation for each of us this week. You may not be able to solve Canada’s economic challenges. You may not be able to fix political division. You may not be able to influence international events. But you can plant a seed. You can write an encouraging note. You can forgive someone who hurt you. You can visit a neighbour who’s been lonely. You can pray with a friend. None of those things will make the evening news but they matter deeply in the Kingdom of God.

Imagine if every one of us left this place today asking just one question: “Lord, where can I plant one mustard seed this week?” Not ten. Not a hundred. Just one.

Because here’s what I’ve learned over the years. Most of us overestimate what we can accomplish through one dramatic moment and underestimate what God can do through years of small, faithful acts of obedience. The Kingdom grows one seed at a time. So as we celebrate this Civic Holiday weekend, perhaps we leave with a different slogan echoing in our hearts. The world may tell us, “Elbows up.” And, As I said, there may be moments when determination and resilience are needed. But as followers of Jesus, our first response is different. Hands up in surrender to Christ. Knees down in humble, faithful prayer. Hands out in love and service to our neighbours because that’s how the Kingdom grows; through ordinary people, empowered by an extraordinary God, faithfully planting mustard seeds wherever He has placed them. That’s the way of the Kingdom. And that’s our calling.

As we’ve walked through these two short verses together, I hope you’ve noticed something. Jesus never tells us to become a mighty tree. He simply tells us what the Kingdom is like. It begins with a seed. That’s encouraging to me. Because if we’re honest, most of us don’t feel like mighty trees. Most days we feel more like mustard seeds. Small. Ordinary. Sometimes overlooked. Sometimes wondering if what we’re doing really matters. Maybe you’ve been faithfully praying for a son or daughter for years. Maybe you’ve been caring for a spouse whose health continues to decline. Maybe you’ve been trying to be a faithful witness in your workplace where no one seems interested in spiritual things. Maybe you’ve wondered if your quiet obedience is making any difference at all. If that’s you Jesus would say, “the size of the seed has never determined the size of the harvest.” God does that.

At the beginning of this message, we noticed a little Greek word that most of us would have read right past. Matthew says the man took the mustard seed. Labōn. He received it into his hands before he planted it. I want to show you something beautiful. Just a few chapters later, Matthew uses that very same word again. On the night before the cross Jesus took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. And He gave it to His disciples. Isn’t that remarkable? The man takes a seed that will bring life. Jesus takes bread that points to the Life of the world.

Before God’s Kingdom grows through us God’s grace must first be received by us. Church, before we can sow hope we must first receive hope. Before we extend forgiveness we must first receive forgiveness.

As I reflected on this passage this week, I couldn’t help but realize that Jesus isn’t just describing the Kingdom. He’s describing Himself. Think about His own life. He arrived as a helpless baby in Bethlehem. He grew up in an insignificant village. He gathered a handful of ordinary followers. He owned very little. He never held political office. He never commanded an army. From the world’s perspective His life looked remarkably small. And then came a Friday when He stretched out His hands on a Roman cross. To many, it looked like failure. Like weakness. Like defeat. But what looked like the smallest, weakest moment in history became the greatest victory the world has ever known. Three days later, the tomb was empty. Life had overcome death. Hope had overcome despair. The Kingdom had broken into the world in a way no one expected. That’s the Gospel.

God brings immeasurable life out of what appears small, weak, and surrendered. And every time we gather around this table we remember that. Communion is, in many ways, another mustard seed moment. The elements are wonderfully ordinary. A small piece of bread. A small cup. Nothing about them appears extraordinary. And yet, by God’s grace, they point us to the greatest act of love in history. They remind us that our hope has never rested in governments, economies, markets, or even our own efforts. Our hope rests in Jesus Christ. The One who surrendered Himself for us. The One who invites us to surrender ourselves to Him.

As we come to the Lord’s Table today, perhaps this is our opportunity to reflect on those three postures we’ve talked about this morning. Hands up. Have I truly surrendered every area of my life to Christ? Or am I still trying to carry burdens He has invited me to release? Knees down. Have I been bringing my anxieties to God in prayer? Or have I spent more time worrying than worshipping? Hands out. Who is God inviting me to love? Where is He asking me to plant a mustard seed this week?

As the bread and the cup are shared, don’t rush through this moment. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Perhaps there is something to surrender or someone to forgive. Perhaps there is a burden you’ve carried long enough. Or perhaps God is already placing the name of a person on your heart, someone who needs you to become a mustard seed of hope in their life this week.