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Lesson 5: Parables of the Kingdom, Mark
4:1-34 by Brad Anderson
Mark now turns his attention to Jesus’ teaching
ministry. In fact, this section is the longest teaching passage
in the book. The chapter contains four kingdom parables, each one
of which teaches something about Christ’s kingdom. Mark strings
these parables together without giving their original contexts.
It’s unlikely that they were originally given one right after
the other.
What’s a Parable?
Parables are the most striking feature in the teaching of Jesus.
Although he did not invent this form of teaching (parables are
found both in the OT and in the writings of the rabbis), he
used it in a way and to a degree unmatched before his time or
since.
Many parables are stories taken out of ordinary life, used to
drive home a spiritual or moral truth. But they are not always
stories. Sometimes they are brief similes, comparisons, analogies,
or even proverbial savings.
The teaching found in the parables is more than general religious
truth. It is always related in a dynamic way to Jesus' message
and mission, i.e., to the life situation of his ministry. Like
all Scripture, the parables contain truth relevant for God's
people everywhere--those of the twentieth-century world as well
as those of the first-century world.
For centuries parables were interpreted allegorically; i.e.,
each element of the story was assigned a specific meaning. Now
we are more apt to look for the one main point a parable teaches.
This is not to say that all Jesus' parables have only one point
to make. Some clearly have more than one, but the principle
is a generally valid one. Don’t make the parables “walk
on all fours.” That is, try to see the main point and
disregard the unessential details.
from Expositor’s Bible Commentary
The Parable of the Sower (4:3-20)
This story is well suited for Jesus’ agrarian audience. They
were well aware of the conditions in a typical field—small
plots of ground without fences, paths outlining each field, the
method a farmer used to distribute the seed, and many rocks in the
soil.
How did the farmer plant his seed? Broadcast fashion, i.e., he threw
it around. At this time, the farmers first broadcast the seed, then
plowed the earth.
What were the four outcomes of sowing? 1. Birds ate some; 2. In
the rocky soil, some sprang up quickly and then died; 3. Some fell
among thorns and was choked out; 4. Some fell on good ground and
produced fruit.
Jesus begins this parable with the invitation to “listen”
(“hearken” KJV), and he ended it with the words, “He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” His point seems to
be that the understanding of this parable is going to take some
thought. There’s a hidden or cryptic meaning that one may
understand if he is committed to the truth. One commentator suggests
Jesus meant something like “Now think that one out for yourself,
if you can!” “The word of God, in its own nature, is
always bright, but its light is choked by the darkness of men”
(Calvin).
The interpretation of the parable
of the sower
The disciples had an advantage over the crowds who heard Jesus speak.
If they didn’t understand, they could just ask him later.
That’s exactly what they did in this case, although note that
others were there with the disciples (.10).
In verse 11, Jesus talks about a “mystery.” A mystery
in the biblical sense expresses God's revealing to man what was
previously unknown. It is proclaimed to all, but only those who
have faith really understand. Here in Mark the mystery is the disclosure
that the kingdom of God has drawn near in the person of Jesus Christ.
The secret has been given to the disciples because they have responded
in faith, but to “those on the outside” (i.e., men hardened
by unbelief), “all things,” i.e., the entire significance
of Jesus' person and mission, are “in parables,” meaning
in this case “riddles.”
The Kingdom of God
These parables are knows as “kingdom parables” because
they reveal truth about the kingdom. What exactly is the kingdom?
As we pointed out in Lesson Two, the word is used in several
senses. (1) God is a universal king who reigns over the world.
(2) Jesus Christ will one day reign over the earth from the
throne of David. This is the millennial reign, the kingdom that
the Jews of Jesus’ time were looking for—the Messianic
kingdom. (3) There is also a sense in which Jesus is currently
reigning over believers. All Christians are currently part of
this spiritual kingdom.
It’s often difficult to discern exactly what aspect of
the kingdom Jesus is talking about. Context has to tell the
reader whether Jesus is speaking of his coming physical reign
over the earth or his current spiritual reign over believers.
By their own nature and abilities, men are unable to understand
the things of God—they are mysteries (c.f. 1 Cor 2:14 “The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they
are spiritually discerned.”). Understanding is the result
of a divine enlightenment, a God-given ability to understand the
significance of the gospel. Christ declares that there are certain
people, to whom God especially bestows this honor of revealing to
them his secrets, and that others are deprived of this grace. No
other reason will be found for this distinction, except that God
calls to himself those whom he has gratuitously chosen. Unfortunately,
“the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor 4:4).
Who is the farmer? Jesus
What is the seed? The word of the kingdom, specifically, that the
king has come. God’s kingdom has come to earth in the person
and work of Christ. The Word is the message of salvation thru Christ,
the gospel.
How is the seed sown? In the preaching of the gospel.
What’s the significance of the various types of ground the
seed hits? People respond to the word in different ways—some
reject it, some are initially interested in it but still reject
it, and some receive it with joy.
In verse 12, Jesus claims that the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9-10 has
now come to pass. Hard-hearted unbelievers heard the parables, but
did not grasp their significance. They heard Jesus’ message
and saw his miracles, but did not understand. When unbelief has
advanced far enough, all its seeing and hearing will produce nothing.
The quotation seems to be saying that the purpose of parables is
that unbelievers (“those on the outside,” (those “without”
[KJV]) may not receive the truth and be converted. This is consistent
with the truth that God reveals truth to some and hardens others
(John 12:39-40; Rom 9:13-18, 11:8). For some, the gospel is a fragrance
of life; to others, the same message is the stench of death (2 Cor
2:15-16). God communicates truth to some and conceals it from others.
One reason Jesus taught in parables was to conceal the truth from
persistent unbelievers. Even a casual reading of the Gospels shows
that Jesus' parables were not always clear—even the disciples
had difficulty understanding them. Parables gave Jesus’ audience
the opportunity to seek for truth if they wanted it, or to continue
in their stubborn unbelief if they didn’t.
The Parables of the Lamp and the Measure
(4:21-25)
Note the words, “And he said unto them.” These words
serve to introduce another parable. Jesus now changes the analogy
from a farmer planting seed to a lamp and the light it produces.
Believers, those in whose heart the seed of the Word has sprouted,
are like lamps sending forth light. What’s the point of this
parable? Just as it is unthinkable for one to put a lamp under a
bed or under a measuring bowl, so it’s unreasonable for disciples
not to let their lights shine. Jesus has enlightened believers in
order for them to enlighten others. Just like the Word planted in
good soil brings forth much fruit, so one enlightened by Jesus sends
forth light to others.
It is of utmost importance for us to be careful hearers (.23), i.e.,
to have spiritual perception.
What’s the point of verses 24-25? The more one listens to
the word of Jesus with spiritual perception and receives it, the
more the truth about Jesus will be revealed. I.e., sincere seekers
of truth will receive more truth. But whoever does not lay hold
of the word now, even the little spiritual perception he has will
be taken from him. Stubborn unbelief will be rewarded by continued
lack of understanding.
The Parable of the Secretly Growing Seed (4:26-29)
This parable is also introduced by the phrase, “And he said.”
The other gospels do not contain this parable. Its emphasis is different
from the parable of the sower. Here Jesus is emphasizing the mysterious
power of the seed itself to produce a crop. This is similar to the
idea contained in Romans 1:16 “The gospel of Christ . . .
is the power of God unto salvation.” The gospel message itself
is powerful.
The parable relates to how the kingdom grows. All the farmer can
do is plant the seed in suitable ground. He cannot make the seed
grow. He does not even understand how it grows (.27). But it does
grow, and this without any further help from the farmer (.28). The
point of the parable is as follows: the kingdom of God spreads and
develops in a mysterious way. The seed (the Word) is planted, finds
root, and brings forth fruit, but just how that occurs man “knoweth
not how.” The implication is that God is superintending the
entire process. The emphasis is on the power of the seed to grow
in and of itself. The Word alone has life and imparts life to the
soil, man’s heart. (C.f. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God
is living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword .
. . .”)
The harvest spoken of (.29) is the judgment of the last days (c.f.
Joel 3:13 “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.”).
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (4:30-32)
The mustard seed was proverbial for its smallness, but it is not
in fact the smallest known seed (the seed of the black orchid is
smaller). Jesus obviously was not giving a lesson in botany. The
mustard seed was the smallest seed his audience was familiar with.
When grown, it becomes a huge treelike shrub (.32).
The main point of the parable is that the kingdom of God is like
what happens to the mustard seed after being planted. It has insignificant
and weak beginnings, but a day will come when it will be great and
powerful. By these parables Christ encourages his disciples not
to be offended and turn back on account of the lowly beginnings
of the Gospel. They should not doubt its eventual success. Jesus
began life on earth in a stable, gathered about him a few poor followers,
and died a criminal’s death, forsaken by all. Yet after the
resurrection, the gospel went forth with power, and multitudes came
into the kingdom. This kingdom will culminate in a millennium of
world domination, with Christ reigning the earth from the throne
of David.
It is doubtful whether the detail in the parable about the birds
taking shelter in the branches of the tree has any significance,
though some interpreters see in it a mention of the inclusion of
the Gentiles in the kingdom. Conclusion: These parables are helpful
in that they communicate truth about Jesus and his kingdom. Some
people receive the message, some don’t. Those who do have
a responsibility to enlighten others. Disciples should not despair
that the kingdom has a lowly beginning.
Applications:
1. People respond to the Word of God in different ways. It’s
common for people to make an initial positive, even enthusiastic,
response, yet their enthusiasm is temporary, and they soon fall
away. Note that in three out of four cases, the seed landed on bad
ground.
2. The sincere reception of the gospel is always followed by fruitfulness.
Some may initially respond to the gospel, but if they produce no
fruit, it’s because there was no life-giving reception of
the Word. True believers persevere in faith and in good works.
3. It’s impossible for unbelievers to understand the true
significance of the gospel on their own. God must enlighten their
understanding. Faith is a gift.
4. Those enlightened by Jesus send forth light to others. Don’t
hide your light “under a bushel.” Put yourself on a
lampstand and let your light shine.
5. The gospel message contains its own power. The Word of God does
the work of God. Evangelists can add nothing to it. All they do
is announce it and call people to respond to it. Conversion is the
result of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God to convict someone
of his need; it is not the evangelist himself convincing or persuading
anyone to be saved.
6. We cannot judge the outcome of a thing by its beginning. We don’t
know the eventual results of our efforts. Our labors may seem insignificant
and fruitless, but God can use such work to achieve His desired
goals.
Discussion:
1. How did parables reveal truth to some and conceal it from others?
2. Why would Jesus want to conceal truth from anyone? 1. For his
own good purposes; 2. To decrease his listeners’ condemnation;
3. To prevent false accusations.
3. Why is it sometimes hard to interpret parables? Because we usually
want to make every detail represent something. The details of an
analogy almost never perfectly correspond in every point to the
truth they convey.
