Using Your Light, The Parable of the Growing Seed, The Parable of the Mustard Seed, and Using Parables Gospel reading: Mark 4:21-34 Video clip: https://youtube/watch?v=bb0J39MPRyU Using Your Light 21 He also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, and nothing hidden except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!” 24 Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure you use,[a] it will be measured and added to you. 25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” The Parable of the Growing Seed 26 “The kingdom of God is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; 27 he sleeps and rises—night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain on the head. 29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, because the harvest has come.” The Parable of the Mustard Seed 30 And He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown, it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.” Using Parables 33 He would speak the word to them with many parables like these, as they were able to understand. 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples. **Verses 4:21-34 Mark concluded his section on Jesus’ teaching in parables with four epigrams (vv. 21-25), two parables regarding the kingdom of God (vv. 26-29; 30-32), and a brief explanation of Jesus’ use of parables to teach (vv.33-34). **Verses 4:21-23 ‘Lamp’ refers to a small clay lamp which was placed on a ‘lampstand’ to maximize the illumination. The lamp here represents Jesus and assumes that the light should not be hidden. Verse 22 emphasizes that Jesus’ is only going to be temporarily concealed. **Verses 4:24-25 ‘Pay attention to what you hear’ reinforces verse 9 and 23 and the emphasis on hearing in verses 13-20. Jesus’ words to His disciples are almost the opposite to those given to outsiders in verse 12. Hearing is vital (Rm. 10:17), and God will grant more revelation and understanding to those who listen and respond. However, some will neither hear nor benefit from the revelation (Mk. 4:25). **Verses 4:26-29 Mark included two parables related ‘to the kingdom of God’ (vv. 26-29; 30-32; cp. 1:15). Like ‘seed’, God’s kingdom has within it the power to grow. The only human role is in planting. Once planted, seeds grow and become a ‘harvest.’ The ‘sickle’ is a symbol of the final judgment (Jl. 3:13; Rv. 14:15). **Verses 4:30-32 Mark’s second kingdom parable (cp. Mt. 13:31-32 and Lk. 13:18-19) contrasts a small beginning with a disproportionate growth. While technically ‘a mustard seed’ is not ‘smaller than all the seeds on the ground’, it was apparently the smallest seed used during Jesus’ time and was symbolic or metaphorical for a very small things (Mt. 17:20; Lk. 17:6). The mustard seed produce a bush up to six feet tall with ‘large branches’ on which ‘the birds of the sky can nest.’ The Old Testament uses this image for Gentiles finding a place amongst God’s people (Ps. 104:12; Ezk. 17:22-23; 31:6; Dn. 4:9-21). **Verses 4:33-34 Mark concluded this section on Jesus’ teaching through parables with a final explanation. ‘Would speak’ denotes that this was the usual and customary way Jesus would teach. ‘With many parables like these’ indicates that Mark (and other Gospel writers) included only a selection of Jesus’ parables (cp. v. 2). ‘As they were able to understand’ is literally “as they were able to hear.” ‘He did not speak to them without a parable’ indicates that parables were Jesus’ regular and customary method of teaching, but in private ‘He would explain everything to His own disciples.’ HCSB Study Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:20:39 +0000
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