This is a teaching my friend presented on the parables of Jesus from Mark 4 and 5. I hope you will enjoy her insight as much as I did.
Teachings for Mark 4 & 5-Kelly Berg
2/29/2024
In this teaching, I am going to concentrate on the parables and teachings of Jesus. When I have read the parables in the past and even as I read them this time, some of them seemed very easy to understand whereas others I did not understand and I sort of put them aside to try to understand them later.
A general idea about Jesus’ parables. The teaching in the parables is more than just religious truth – It is always related in a dynamic way to Jesus’ message and mission.
Parable of the Sower – (4:3
-4:9)
This parable begins and ends
with the call for careful attention – vs 3 and vs 9. This suggests that its
meaning may not be self-evident – Alert minds are needed to comprehend its
truth.
Practical piece – in first
century Palestine, sowing was done before plowing –(this was mind-blowing to
me…) so the consequences (for the seeds) that Jesus mentioned could inevitably
happen.
In the details about the
soils, the diversity of response to the proclamation of the Word is
evident. That statement means in real
English – that each of us respond to the Gospel differently.
The final thought for this parable is although difficulties face God’s kingdom, it grows and ultimately produces an abundant harvest.
Ref Jn 15:5 – I am the vine
and you are the branches. If you remain
in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing
Col 1:6 – the gospel is bearing fruit
A secret (from 4:10-12) refers to something that God has revealed to His people. The secret (that was previously unknown) is proclaimed to all but only those with faith will understand - those who don’t believe are referred to as the outsiders. In this passage the secret is that the Kingdom draws near in the coming of Jesus Christ.
Ref Mt 3:2 – Repent for the
Kingdom of Heaven has come near
Col 4:5 – Be wise in the way
you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
1 Th 4:12 –act so that your
daily life will win the respect of outsiders.
1Ti 3:7 – he must have a good
reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the
devil’s trap.
I am sure that I have read these verses previously but now I know what an outsider is.
Also in 4:12 – Jesus likens his teaching in parables to the ministry of Isaiah, from which He is quoting, and while Isaiah’s ministry gained some disciples it was also used to expose the hardhearted resistance of the many to God’s warning and appeal.
Lamp on the lampstand –(
4:21-4:22)
The present hiddenness of Jesus will not always be – hidden things are meant to be brought out into the open. God intends that Jesus will someday be manifested in all His glory. But who Jesus really is – is now hidden. It is therefore of utmost importance for us to be careful hearers and to have spiritual perception. The more that one listens to the Word of Jesus with spiritual perception and also uses it, the more about Jesus will be revealed. Also one who studies the Word now, the more one will receive in the future,and whoever does not lay hold of the Word now, even the little spiritual perception he has will be taken from him.
Ref, Jer 16:17 – My eyes are
on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from
my eyes.
Mt 10:26 - … for there is
nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made
known.
-These verses also say to me
that those things that we think that we are hiding – usually sins – are not
hidden at all from God.
Parable of the Kingdom of God
(4:26 – 29)
Here the mysterious power of
the seed to produce a crop is
emphasized. The gospel message contains its own power. As seedtime is followed in due time by the
harvest, so will the present hiddenness and ambiguity of the Kingdom of God be succeeded
by its glorious manifestation.
Personally, I find it
interesting that there are 4 teachings about the coming of the Kingdom within 1
short chapter in Mark. It also is
amazing that I have read this chapter many times and never saw that there were 4
teachings in 1 short chapter about the coming Kingdom of God. Geez may be it is important!!
Ref. Rev. 14:15 - … “take
your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the
earth is ripe.|
Ref. Mt 13:24 – The kingdom
of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Parable of the mustard seed –
(4:30-32)
The main point of this
parable is the Kingdom of God. I had
always been taught and I continued to think that this parable had to do with
the size of our faith – which can be small.
My grandmother gave me this
pendant, and though it is special to me because she gave it to me, it also
always felt like a representation of my faith – it is small but according to
this parable, I thought anyway, it could command a tree to be uprooted! Actually, I thought that it said that with
faith the size of a mustard seed you could move mountains.
But the commentary I looked
at said the Kingdom of God has insignificant and weak beginnings, but a day
will come when it will be great and powerful.
The example of the mustard seed should prevent us from judging the
significance of results by the size of the beginnings.
Also a postscript to this story – apparently
the mustard seed is not the smallest seed on earth – the black orchid is the
smallest -but it is thought that Jesus used the mustard seed as the audience was
familiar with that seed.
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