Mark #6

Continuing our Walk Through Mark

Thank you guys, and thank you Kristi & Eloise for that wonderful music, but before we continue in our study of Mark, please:

“Join me in a word of prayer.”

Last week in our study of the Gospel of Mark, we discussed how the crowds followed Jesus, listening to His teaching, and hoping to maybe be healed from what ever ailment they had. Also Mark gave us a list of all 12 of Jesus’ disciples. Then he talked about Jesus having problems with His own family, with them not acknowledging just who Jesus was, saying He was out of His mind.

Up to this point, Mark has been giving us kind of a play by play account of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Here, however, he inserts a series of Jesus’ parables, the first being the Parable of the Sower. Mark’s point is to announce the message Jesus had for Israel and to help explain why Jesus’ message received mixed reviews.

Tonight we’re going to start of at the very beginning of chapter 4 and go through verse 34. But I’ll begin by reading through verse 20. (read text).

When we think of biblical parables, we immediately think of Jesus. While parables can be found throughout the Old Testament and were used by many teachers of the first century, Jesus strategically used this way of teaching. His parables weren’t intended for entertainment; Jesus used parables for a very specific reason and purpose, as Mark will go on and explain to us later.

All the miracles that Jesus was performing had become so popular that it created an overwhelming following of people. Because of the size of the crowd, Jesus had to teach from a boat anchored in the shallow water off shore in the Sea of Galilee while the people stood on the beach to listen. But to their surprise Jesus’ teaching this day was mostly about farming.

Jesus begins and ends this first parable by telling His audience to listen very carefully, indicating that the meaning of parables is not always easily understood. The Parable of the Sower is short, clear, and true to what is known about first century agriculture. Unlike the modern way of planting, seeds were first sown and then plowed under. The sower held a bunch of seed in an apron or a pouch with one hand and used his other hand to scatter the seed. Naturally, some seeds would fall on the hardened path running through the field, some would fall where the soil was too shallow for them to take root, and some would fall among the thorns along the edge of the field.

The one strange element in this parable, is the abundant harvest found in verse 8. (“8 But other seed fell on good soil and yielded a crop some multiplying thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”) . Due to the first century planting techniques, an average harvest in ancient Israel was probably no more than seven or eight times the amount of seed sown; a good harvest might have yielded ten times more. So the parable makes a significant point: To achieve such a high rate of return, much of the seed needs to take root in good soil. Even as Jesus was speaking this parable, His words were like the seed being scattered and taking root only in the people who’s hearts were like that of good soil—which turned out to be quite a small percentage in this case. Even though most of the people understood what Jesus was saying about farming, they couldn’t comprehend what He really meant by telling the parable.

Some may assume that Jesus used the simplicity of parables to clarify what He was saying, but that’s not really the case. After He tells the Parable of the Sower, His disciples immediately asked about its meaning. For they didn’t understand what it was He was telling the crowd. Before answering, Jesus tells them that “the mystery of the kingdom of God will be revealed in the form of parables.” The parables serve to reveal truth to those with spiritual insight, those who have been redeemed by placing their faith in Jesus. That’s why many of His parables were set in the context of a conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel. Jesus condemns the unbelieving religious leaders while initiating a new covenant with the nation of Israel, as promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34. (“31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”)

In addition to revealing truth to those who believed Jesus was the Messiah, parables also concealed truth from the people who didn’t believe. By quoting Isaiah 6:9–10 in verse 12, Jesus reminds His listeners of a time when God, as a form of judgment, will not allow the people to hear the word of salvation. Their pride had drawn them away from Him, and He would allow them to experience the consequences of their choices. The same was true of those who were too arrogant to understand the truth of God contained in the parables.

The parables are the means through which God provides two opposing works: revelation and concealment. In the revelation of the kingdom of God, His people are trained and instructed in the requirements of the kingdom. In the concealment of the kingdom, those who oppose God are prevented, as a form of punishment, from ever understanding the true nature and requirements of the kingdom. Unless one understands this dual purpose of the parables, there can be no proper interpretation, and therefore the clear and intended meaning of the parables is hidden from them.

In verse 13, Jesus begins to explain the parable. Jesus’ questions to His disciples are not meant to discourage them, but to force them to consider the real meaning of the parable as well as the state of their hearts. If they don’t provide “good soil” for the seed He is spreading, how can they ever understand what He is trying to teach?

Jesus’ explanation of the parable provides surprising insight. The identity of the sower is not explained, but the context indicates that it’s Jesus. Seed is the Word of God. Soils are different kinds of people. Birds represent satan, and thorns are the worries of life. No wonder Jesus tells everyone to pay close attention!

Jesus seems to be saying that there are those who can hear His message, respond for days, months, or even years, and still not have His message take root in their lives. But those who hear and believe in their heart, will bear spiritual fruit, with varying yields up to a hundred times what was sown.

The Parable of the Sower sets the stage for the ministry of Jesus and the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus’ follow-up statements make direct application of the parable to the lives of the disciples. It is very important to understand this application because it lays the groundwork for the work of the 12 apostles and the apostle Paul who would soon follow.

The Parable of the Sower raises four questions that each one of us needs to consider:

• Which of the soils best represents our reaction to the word of God?

• Am I so hard-hearted that the word of God seems to never sink in?

• Was I eager to respond to God’s word at one time, but now I just seem to blow it off?

• Do I allow my life circumstances to capture all my attention, so that God’s Word gets choked out?

These are questions we all need to ask ourselves, and if we respond negatively to any of them, we need to rethink and reconsider the way we listen and the way we respond to God’s word. It’s critical in our lives that we fully understand what God is telling us through the written word He has given us, through “The Bible.”

Mark follows the parable of the sower with three more short parables contained in verses 21 through 34. And lets read those together. (read text)

In the parable of the lamp, Jesus explains that He and His followers are providing light to the world in verse 21. (“21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?”) yet light serves little use if it is hidden. Their challenge would be to let the light of God shine brightly. As spiritual light is provided, the hidden mysteries of God would be revealed. Although Jesus is using parables to intentionally keep some of the mysteries of God hidden from those who resist His ministry, soon the truth will become clear and brought out into the open as verse 22 indicates. (“22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.”)

Jesus concludes with another warning in verse 24 to pay close attention to the Parable, because the more His disciples understand, the more opportunity they will have to proclaim the meaning of it. ( “24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.”) As they respond to the teaching of Jesus, they will be given responsibility equal to their understanding. Verse 25 (“25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”) This verse is frequently taken out of context and used in the teaching of finances, but Jesus is not speaking about finances, but about understanding and ministry. In what could be a veiled reference to Judas, who betrayed Him, Jesus concludes by warning that whoever doesn’t understand these truths will lose his or her ministry.

Mark follows Jesus’ Parable of the Lamp with two more related parables about seeds. Both are short, yet each one provides a bit more information about the kingdom of God.

The Parable of the Growing Seed is the only parable that’s unique to Mark’s Gospel. It’s not found in any of the other three gospels. Like the Parable of the Sower, it represents a comprehensive picture of the coming of God’s kingdom: sowing, growing, and harvesting. The emphasis, however, is on the growing stage.

The initial phase of the growing seed occurs when the sower scatters seed on the ground. In the second phase, the sower is present, but not active. He has planted the seed and left it to germinate, sprout, and grow. Meanwhile, he goes about his other daily routines. The soil produces grain, which develops to maturity in stages which the sower can’t understand. The growth occurs without visible cause, without the help of human hands. It is God who works in the life-bearing seed, which was planted in good soil, growing stage by stage and producing the grain.

The sower’s main interest is in the third phase, the harvesting of the grain. When the it’s is ripe, the sower immediately puts the sickle to it.

The point of this parable is that as the disciples work to “scatter the seed” of Jesus’ message, the final results are the work of God. The sowers are not in charge of the hearts and minds of the people, nor can they change them. All they can do is scatter the seed and trust God for the outcome. Followers of Jesus must understand that they do not cause the harvest; but they should spread the seed.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

In The Parable of the Mustard Seed, although an herb, the mustard plant begins as a tiny seed and can grow to heights of ten to twelve feet with a stalk three to four inches in diameter. It’s clear here that the mustard plant symbolizes the extreme contrast between the tiny beginning and ultimate result of the kingdom of God. Mark is writing his Gospel at a time near the beginning of the growth cycle when the kingdom might not have appeared very significant in contrast to other earthly kingdoms such as the Roman Empire. Yet this parable points to a much greater impact to come.

The mustard seed was not literally the smallest seed in the world (though it may have been the smallest known in Israel). However, it was used proverbially to indicate small size, like the head of a pin. Bible critics might point to Jesus’ statement that the mustard seed is “the smallest of all seeds” and declare that the Bible contains errors. But Jesus was merely using a popular figure of speech to better communicate with His listeners. The reference to the birds merely implies that just as birds inhabit a large tree, that people will take rest and comfort in the great work of God that had such a humble beginning.

Mark concludes this section by pointing out in verse 33, that he is only recording a few of the parables that Jesus told. (“33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.”) And Mark makes it clear that even though the crowds might have been confused by some of the things Jesus was saying in His parables, He later explained everything to His disciples when they were alone.

Jesus compares the growth of the kingdom of God to a seed that is planted and then grows on its own. There’s nothing people can do to speed up its growth. In light of Jesus’ teaching, how do you feel about the emphasis many churches put on growth and the tendency to measure success by attendance numbers instead of the teaching of true, solid doctrine? Do you think Jesus was down playing evangelism? If not, how do you think evangelism fits into what He is saying? Something for us to think about !!!

Lets pray together !

We’ll stop here tonight and pick up next week where we left off in verse 35, where Jesus calms the storm. And I’m sure we all have a storm or two in our lives we could sure use His help on calming.

But for now as Kristi and Eloise are getting us ready to sing our last hymn tonight, and as we’re asking ourselves that last question, about evangelism, and if you’ve never honored God before by asking His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and savior, this would be the perfect time to do just that. God has made that so easy for us to do. The Bible says that anyone, and I do mean anyone, who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED. It doesn’t matter what your past might look like. Remember the apostle Paul, before the Lord saved him on that road to Damascus, how he persecuted the church, and had the Lord’s people put in prison and even executed. And remember King David who commited adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed in battle. Those two “Great men of God” commited terrible sins, and the Lord forgave them, and even chose them to do great things for Him. The Lord doesn’t care about our past, He just cares about our future. And He wants everyone to spend that future with Him in eternity, in that place He calls heaven. Don’t wait another second. If you have any doubt at all about your eternal security, or what’s going to happen to you when you die physically, I beg you to get it settled right now. Don’t wait another second. Settle it right now. Get it taken care of right this minute, right here,--- just quietly, with your eyes closed, heads bowed, and your heart’s toward God, just pray a little prayer like this..............Just pray......

Please, as we’re singing our last hymn, if you need to, just pray that little prayer I mentioned as we sing. And God will save you !!