Mark 4 26 34 gospel reflection

LIBERTY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Parables of the Kingdom (Mark 4:26–34)

Submitted to Professor Moitinho

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

Exegesis Research Paper

RTCH 500 B14 LUO

By

Avery Clementin

February 24, 2018

Introduction

This paper will discuss how Jesus Christ used parables in trying to explain to his followers what the kingdom of God is like. In the book of Mark Jesus used the parable of the scattered seed and the parable of the mustard seed to show how the Kingdom of God is mysterious. The book of Mark that contains these two parables is one of the Gospel books of the Bible. However, unlike the other gospel books of Matthew, Luke and John, the book of Mark do not give the chronology of Jesus from the time of his birth; instead, the book focuses more on Jesus as an adult. Theologians believe that the author of this book obtained most of this information from the narration that he received from Apostle Peter.

Literacy Review

The purpose of writing this paper is to try and come up with an understanding of the kingdom of God by looking at the two parables found in this book of Mark. In this endeavor, the paper will attempt establishing the cultural context of the parables, their meaning, and application to the contemporary Christian life.

In the chapter Mark 4, Jesus uses four parables in His missionary discourse. These include; the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20), the parable of the lamp under a Bushel (Mark 4:21-25), the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29) and the parable of the Mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32). The explanation for the use of the parables is superficially featured in Mark 4:33-34. The parables are spoken in front or in the presence of the crowd, however explanation to their deeper or hidden meaning is only given to the disciples of Jesus[footnoteRef:1]. [1: James Edwards "The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary)." (2017). ]

Except for the parable of the lamp under a bushel, the other three parables talk about seeds and their germination into plants, however, different meanings come from them. Jesus describes the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29) and the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-33) as kingdom parables.

It is necessary to try to interpret these parables for the purpose of fully understanding the nature of the kingdom of God, and that the growth of the Kingdom of God is purposefully through the Grace of God. These parables also enable us to understand how God calls people to do His work. Additionally, it is prudent to exercise patience, faith, and hope for God's will for your work in His Kingdom will come to manifest at His own time since the Growth of the Kingdom of God to fullness usually happens over time. It is important to understand.

Meaning of the Passage; Mark 4:26-34

Mark 4:26-29. The Kingdom of God-Like Scattered Seed

"The kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth" (Verse 26). Seed sowing represents the start, and the power of seeds is manifest through producing the food and shelter that both man and animals depend on for life. These plants give meaning and existence possibility to the human beings and animals.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Ruban Zimmerman Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and interpretation. Fortress Press, 2015. ]

"And should sleep and rise night and day" (Verse 27). This verse denotes the ordinary nights and days, and their quality. During the day the farmer sows seeds, and during the night he rests.

“And the seed should spring up and grow, he does not know how” (Verse 27). This verse tends to put into perspective the work of the farmer, who sows seeds, waters, fertilizes and does weeding when appropriate, but does not know how the seeds germinate. The work of the seed is pointed out in this verse, which grows mysteriously and slowly which cannot be tested by the human nature. Consequently, even if the farmer was only to sow the seed and do nothing further, the seeds would still germinate and clock maturity. The same point at the kingdom of God which has a slow but steady growth, however, slow the growth or the rate of spreading the word of God tends to be, the impact it has overtime is so huge and immeasurable[footnoteRef:3]. [3: Ernest Van, Eck. "The harvest and the kingdom: An interpretation of the Sower (Mk 4: 3b-8) as a parable of Jesus the Galilean." HTS Theological Studies 70, no. 1 (2014): 01-10. ]

"For the earth bears fruit, by itself: first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain that ripens within" (Verse 28). The mystery of the source of life of the plant is only discernable through faith. The physical properties that enable seeds to grow can be explained humanly, but the source of its ability to grow is beyond the grasp of a human being.

“The earth bears fruit by itself” through a process that is partially understandable, similarly the process by which God brings His Kingdom into being is largely mysterious. Another point is the dependability of the kingdom of God. Humans beings largely rely on the earth to produce food, own its own, so then God can also be relied upon to bring about the greatness of His Kingdom. The sense in the phrase “by itself”, means that as the word of God is being proclaimed by the preachers of the word, the power of bringing the Kingdom of God into being is on God’s own control and desire. “The earth bears the fruit by itself,” because God has made that process possible, through His desire[footnoteRef:4]. [4: Van Eck, Ernest. "The harvest and the kingdom: An interpretation of the Sower (Mk 4: 3b-8) as a parable of Jesus the Galilean." HTS Theological Studies 70, no. 1 (2014): 01-10.]

“And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come” (Verse 29). This verse can be interpreted from the view of an ordinary farmer, who plants but always relies on God’s will and grace for the harvest to come or to be positive. Similarly, the proclaimer’s of God’s Kingdom should have faith in God and rely on His grace to bring the Kingdom, through their work, to full establishment.

Mark 4:30-32. The Kingdom of God like a Mustard Seed

“The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed” (Verse 31). This verse illustrates the beginning of the gospel of God, which begins in a status different from what the human being expects. Always the expectation is that God will use the mighty, the huge, the strong, the intelligent, and the popular to be His ambassadors and disciples. However, God chooses the small, fishermen and tax collectors as his disciples. Comparing the Kingdom of God to mustard seed points that the kingdom of God begins at a tiny setting, by the use of unexpected people, to a bigger thing that covers, gives hope and solace to the human kind[footnoteRef:5]. [5: Placher, William C. Mark. Westminster John Knox Press, 2010.]

“But after it is planted, it grows to be larger than all garden plants” (Verse 32). The point of emphasis on this part is on the existing and noticeable differences between the large tree which develops from a tiny seed. Similarly, the kingdom of God as a smaller or barely visible beginning but through God's grace, it becomes bigger and better, than the other existing or ever existed kingdoms[footnoteRef:6]. [6: Donald English. The message of Mark. InterVarsity Press, 2014]

“So that birds of the air nest in its shade” (Verse 32). The mustard seed-the God's Kingdom- grows so large over time that each and every person, whether sinner or not, is able to find solace and refuge. The Kingdom of God that had a very small beginning, in this context, grows into a bigger tree overtime that provides comfort to the human race that depends on it[footnoteRef:7]. [7: James Edwards "The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary)." (2017). ]

“With many such parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand” (Verse 33). In this case, it is evident that Jesus used the parables to teach His listeners as a way of inducing serious reflection and sparkling their imagination, which he could not have much achieved if He would decide to teach them with clarity[footnoteRef:8]. [8: Schneider, Floyd. "Mark's Gospel Compared with Virgil's Aeneid." (2018).]

“He did not say anything to them without a parable. But privately He explained to His disciples” (Verse 34). Basically, the parables where fictitious, however, Jesus used them to teach people about the Kingdom of God, which was mysterious and at hand. The disciples received private interpretation of the parables because they were being prepared for the task of continuing the spreading the word of God, but their full grasp of the meaning of the parables was subject to the resurrection. However, understanding the parables required inner faith and belief in God[footnoteRef:9]. [9: Regina Boisclair. The Word of the Lord at Mass: Understanding the Lectionary. LiturgyTrainingPublications, 2015]

Bibliography

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Bock, Darrell. Mark. Cambridge University Press, 2015.

Boisclair, Regina A. The Word of the Lord at Mass: Understanding the Lectionary. LiturgyTrainingPublications, 2015.

Edwards, James R. "The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary)." (2017).

English, Donald. The message of Mark. InterVarsity Press, 2014.

Hannan, Maryanne. "A Lot of the Way Trees Were Walking: Poems from the Gospel of Mark." Anglican Theological Review 98

Jacobsen, David Schnasa. Mark. Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 2014.

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Placher, William C. Mark. Westminster John Knox Press, 2010.

Schneider, Floyd. "Mark's Gospel Compared with Virgil's Aeneid." (2018).

Van Eck, Ernest. "The harvest and the kingdom: An interpretation of the Sower (Mk 4: 3b-8) as a parable of Jesus the Galilean." HTS Theological Studies 70, no. 1 (2014): 01-10.

Zimmermann, Ruban. Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and interpretation. Fortress Press, 2015.