Mark 4

Mark 4:1-34

Sermon: Jesus Teaches on the Kingdom of Heaven – The sermon that follows the narrative material on indoctrination through the proclamation of the Gospel is found in Mark 4:1-34, which gives us the Parable of the Sower along with three related parables. The Parable of the Sower explains the principle of justification as the Gospel is sown into the hearts of men through preaching, explaining how different hearts respond to the proclamation of the Gospel. The other three parables explain to us the other, progressive aspects of sowing through the proclamation of the Gospel, which is indoctrination, perseverance, and glorification.

1. The Parable of the Sower — Mark 4:1-20 — Justification
2. The Light Under the Bushel — Mark 4:21-25 — Indoctrination
3. The Parable of the Growing Seed — Mark 4:26-29 — Service-Perseverance
4. The Parable of the Mustard Seed — Mark 4:30-32 — Glorification
5. Conclusion: The Use of Parables — Mark 4:33-34 As we reflect upon the four Gospels, we can note how each one of them has a popular passage. When we think of the Gospel of Matthew, we are reminded of the Sermon on the Mount. The most popular passage in Mark is the Parable of the Sower. A popular passage in Luke’s narrative is Jesus’ first teaching in His home town of Nazareth and the rejection that followed. John’s Gospel opens with the popular poetic passage of Jesus as the Word of God, which was made flesh and dwelt among us.

We can understand the significance of each of these popular passages by evaluating their structure in relation to the overall structure of their respective Gospels. The parabolic scheme of these four parables in Mark’s Gospel foreshadows the structure of the rest of Mark’s Gospel, with the Parable of the Sower being the central passage of the Gospel.

1. Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) — Mark 1:4-13 on Justification
2. The Light Under the Bushel (Mark 4:21-25) — Mark 1:14 to Mark 4:34 on Indoctrination
3. The Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) — Mark 4:35 to Mark 9:50 on Service & Perseverance
4. The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32) — Mark 10:1 to Mark 13:37 on Glorification Here is a summary of the thematic scheme of the parables in Mark 4:1-34 :
5. The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) (Justification) - The Parable of the Sower reflects the underlying theme of Mark’s Gospel, which is the testimony of Jesus Christ as the Son of God through the preaching of the Gospel. The Parable of the Sower reveals how the proclamation of the Gospel produces justification with God in the hearts of men, and this reflects the emphasis of justification embedded within Mark 1:4-13.
6. The Parable of the Light Under the Bushel (Mark 4:21-25) (Indoctrination) - The Parable of the Light Under the Bushel teaches us that as the light of the Gospel shines forth into our hearts through the preaching of the Gospel, we become indoctrinated with God’s Word, and this reflects the emphasis of indoctrination embedded within Mark 1:14 to Mark 4:34.
7. The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) (Divine Service and Perseverance) - The Parable of the Growing Seed explains how God causes the seeds that we sow to grow and produce a harvest when we are faithful to serve the Lord and persevere in proclaiming the Gospel, and this reflects the emphasis of divine service and perseverance embedded within Mark 4:35 to Mark 9:50.
8. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32) (Glorification) - The Parable of the Mustard Seed tells us the end result of our faithfulness to preach the Gospel as the Kingdom of God grows into the greatest kingdom upon the earth, and this reflects the emphasis of glorification embedded within Mark 10:1 to Mark 13:37. Thus, we find in Mark’s Gospel that the proclamation of the Gospel goes further than a message of repentance unto justification by faith. The message that Jesus preached in Mark also teaches us about becoming indoctrinated into God’s Word, about persevering against the world, and finally, about the believer’s glorification into Heaven, through preaching. These aspects of the Gospel can be found in the three parables that Jesus told after the Parable of the Sower. The Parable of the Sower is the fundamental passage in the Gospel of Mark, upon which the structure of the book is framed. Its fundamental characteristic is reflected in the fact that it is also the most popular passage in Mark, just as the Sermon on the Mount is the most popular passage in Matthew and serves the same fundamental role. An example of the popularity of The Parable of the Sower is seen in Edwin Rice’s commentary on Mark, where he makes an effort to sum up the message of Mark’s Gospel by placing a picture of a man sowing seed adjacent to the title page of his commentary.[90] Another example of its popularity is noted when Joseph Church refers to this parable when teaching out of the Gospel of Mark to the native Africans.[91] [90] Edwin W. Rice, People’s Commentary on the Gospel According to Mark (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The American Sunday-School Union, 1892). [91] Joseph E. Church, Quest for the Highest (Exeter, UK: The Paternoster Press, 1981), 58.The Parabolic Scheme - The Gospel of Mark contains fewer parables than the other Gospels. In contrast, the other Synoptic Gospels contain a greater number of parables, which are scattered throughout their Gospels. Mark 4:1-34 contains the most important parables recorded in this Gospel. When we evaluate the four parables contained in Mark 4:1-41, we find a relationship and order between them, which we call a parabolic scheme; for these parables give us an order of principles which governs the growth of the Kingdom of God. Specifically, we find this growth and development of the Kingdom defined in four stages: justification, indoctrination, perseverance and glorification.

The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) emphasizes the aspect of our justification in our spiritual journey in the Kingdom of God. It teaches us how the sowing of the Word of God, which is the preaching of the Gospel, results in some good harvest that bears fruit.

Thus, this parable reveals the process of justification in the lives of those who hear the Gospel. The Parable of the Light Under the Bushel (Mark 4:21-25) teaches us that as the light of the Gospel shines forth into our hearts, we become indoctrinated with God’s Word; and we are not to hide this light and hold back our testimonies of God’s goodness in our lives, but are to continue sowing seeds of God’s Word to others. This light is symbolic of our indoctrination into the Word of God. The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) explains how God causes the seeds that we sow to grow and produce a harvest when someone is faithful to persevere in sowing. This parable reveals the need to persevere in sowing the seeds of the Kingdom. In other words, our job is to sow, while God’s work is to cause the increase.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32) tells us the end result of our faithfulness to preach the Gospel; for it will cause the Kingdom of God to grow into the greatest kingdom upon the earth. This parable reflects our glorification at the end of our journey.

We can also note that these four parables teach us about the four stages of our spiritual journey from the perspective of the theme of Mark’s Gospel, which is the preaching of the Gospel with signs following.

1. The Parable of the Sower — Mark 4:1-20 — Justification
2. The Light Under the Bushel (labour of love) — Mark 4:21-25 — Indoctrination
3. Parable of Growing Seed (Patience in hope) — Mark 4:26-29 — Service & Perseverance
4. Parable of Mustard Seed (work of faith) — Mark 4:30-32 — Glorification These four parables teach us how man is justified through the preaching of the Gospel, as well as the role of preaching the Gospel as it indoctrinates us, causing us to persevere and ultimately it brings us into our redemption and glorification in Heaven. In other words, these parables teach us about our spiritual journey of redemption from the perspective of the proclamation of the Gospel, which is the underlying theme of this Gospel. This is called a parabolic scheme by scholars. Finally, in Mark 4:33-34 Jesus explains why He taught in parables, so that those whose hearts were hardened would not understand the precious truths of God’s ways and He would not be casting His pearls before swine. This way the Church becomes the custodian of the Gospel, and the world continues in darkness, so that the world has no opportunity to corrupt and propagate the precious Gospel.
5. Conclusion: The Use of Parables — Mark 4:33-34 The Reason Jesus Used Illustrations from Nature - Andrew Wommack believes that Jesus used illustrations from nature in teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven rather than from the Jews social life to convey these truths because the laws of nature are certain and cannot be broken. In contrast, social traditions can easily change. The laws of the Kingdom of Heaven are as sure and certain as the laws of nature.[92] [92] Andrew Wommack, “Laying a Sure Foundation,” in the series “A Sure Foundation,” [on-line]; accessed on 4 January 2010; available on Audio; Internet.

Mark 4:21-25

The Parable of the Light Under the Bushel (Our Indoctrination) (Luke 8:16-18) – In Mark 4:21-25 Jesus gives us the illustration of the light hid under the bushel as way of explaining how hearing and receiving God’s Word works in our lives. He explained that if we will hear and obey what we know to do, more understanding would be given unto us. The Parable of the Light Under the Bushel teaches us that as the light of the Gospel shines forth into our hearts, we become indoctrinated with God’s Word; and we are not to hide this light and hold back our testimonies of God’s goodness in our lives, but are to continue sowing seeds of God’s Word to others. This light is symbolic of our indoctrination into the Word of God, which follows our justification after having received God’s Word. As we examine this parallel passage in Luke 8:16-18 we gain further insight into the meaning of this parable. As the Gospel is preached, the hearts of men are exposed to the light and their true qualities identified (Luke 8:17). For those who repent, their hearts are transformed so that they can receive more light. However, for those whose hearts are hardened and reject what little light they have been given, their hearts are darkened even more (Luke 8:18). Mark 4:22 — Comments – God desires to reveal all things to His children; but He must do it in His time and in accordance with His divine plan of redemption for mankind. He would have revealed all things to Adam had he not fell from His presence through sin.Mark 4:24 — Comments – If we will hear and obey God’s Word to us today, He will continue to reveal more to us so that we can bear more fruit, as Jesus describes in the Parable of the Sower. Scripture Reference - Note other parallel passages. Matthew 7:2, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Mark 4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. Mark 4:24-25 — Comments – Jesus Warns His Hearers - In Mark 4:24-25 Jesus gives a warning to His hearers to listen carefully to what is being said. This warning is placed within the context of a series of parables about the transforming power of the proclamation of the Word of God. It has power to enlighten and set free, and it has power to judge and condemn. When God’s Word comes to our ears, we are to receive it and, as a result, more of God’s Word will be given. This was what was happening to those disciples who were clinging to Jesus. Thus, that person will come into more and more light of the revelation of God’s ways.

If we close our hearts to what we hear, then the insight that we have already gained will become dim and the hardening of our hearts will cause even that little light to become dark. This is what Paul the apostle was saying when he described himself figuratively as “a sweet savour of Christ.” For some, it was the savour of death, and for others the savour of life. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?”

Mark 4:26-29

The Parable of the Growing Seed (Our Perseverance) – In Mark 4:26-29 Jesus tells the Parable of the Growing Seed. This parable is unique to the Gospel of Mark. It is important to understand the Parable of the Sower first in order to understand these three parables that follow it. We find a similar parable, called the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares found in Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:37-43. This parable also follows the Parable of the Sower and has a similar interpretation. The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29) explains how God causes the seeds that we sow to grow and produce a harvest as someone is faithful to sow. This parable reveals the need to persevere in sowing the seeds of the Kingdom. In other words, our job is to sow, while God’s work is to cause the increase. One good illustration of this divine principle is found in 1 Corinthians 3:6 where Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Mark 4:26 — Comments – The first parable taught by Jesus, the Parable of the Sower, does not begin with the phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like…” simply because it does not describe the characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather, those to whom the Gospel is preached. For those who accept the Gospel, Jesus now describes the principles of this new Kingdom which they have joined. Mark 4:27 — “And should sleep, and rise night and day” – Comments – The NKJV gives us a smoother translation, “and should sleep by night and rise by day.” Robert Guelich notes that the term night is mentioned before day because the Jewish day begins as sunset. He says this phrase describes “the farmer’s passing of time.”[96] In other words, he goes through the daily routine of sleeping at night and rising each day awaiting the time of the harvest. [96] Robert A. Guelich, Mark 1-8:26, in Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 34A, eds. Bruce M. Metzger, David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Dallas: Word, Inc., 2002), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 3.0b [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2004), comments on Mark 4:27.Mark 4:27 — “and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how” – Comments – As we life as members of the Kingdom of God, there are many aspects of our life in which we must trust the Lord, believing that He will work things out in His divine providence.

There are things we do not have to understand, but simply trust that He cares about us and will work our problems out as we serve Him. Just as the seed planted in the ground by the farmer takes root and produces a plant that bears fruit, so is the spirit of man created to bear fruit naturally as the Word of God is sown in our hearts. We can rest in the fact that our lives can be transformed as we receive the implanted God’s Word in our hearts (James 1:21). James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Mark 4:28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:28 — “For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself” – Comments – Everything that we possess originates from the ground; our clothes, the homes we live in and the cars we drive, everything. It all is made of the dirt that we walk on. Mark 4:28 — “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear” – Word Study on “blade” – Strong says the Greek word “blade” (χόρτος) (G5528) means, “a court, a garden,” and implies a “pasture,” thus, “herbage, vegetation,” and it is translated in the KJV as “blade, grass, hay.” Word Study on “ear” – Strong says the Greek word “ear” (στάχυς) (G4719) means, “a head of grain (as standing out from the stalk).” Word Study on “corn” – Strong says the Greek word “corn” (σῖτος) (G4621) means, “grain, especially wheat.” Webster tells us the old English word “corn” means, “A single seed of certain plants, as wheat, rye, barley and maiz; a grain.” Lyndon Kannenberg says that the Eastern world did not know about corn until Columbus’ voyage of 1492, when the American Indians show corn to the Europeans for the first time.[97] The English word “corn” was used by the British for grains and cereals in general, such as wheat, barley, rye, and maize. The word “maize” was normally used to describe Indian corn. (Webster) [97] Lyndon W, Kannenberg, “Corn,” in The Word Book Encyclopedia, vol. 4 (Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1994), 1062-1063.Comments - In Mark 4:28 the English words, “blade, ear, corn” are better translated “blade, stalk, grain.” BBE, “The earth gives fruit by herself; first the leaf, then the head, then the full grain.” NKJV, “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.” In botany the three parts of a plant or tree that aid most in identifying its species are the leaf, the bloom or flower, and the seed. These three parts are mentioned in Mark 4:28 as the blade or leaf, as the head of grain comparable to the blooms on some plants, and the grain or seed. From a spiritual application, our fruit of service and victory in the Kingdom of God comes in stages. In other words, God gives us a little to be faithful with before he entrusts us with great tasks. Thus, sometimes our dreams are not manifested as soon as we desire because God wants to take us through phases of spiritual maturity before we can handle great anoints or wealth. Thus, our faith develops in much the same way that a plant grows. In other words, there is a process of the Word of God growing in our hearts, a process that takes time to come to full maturity. Mark 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Mark 4:30-32

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Our Glorification) (Matthew 13:31-32, Luke 13:18-19) – In Mark 4:30-32 Jesus tells us the Parable of the Mustard Seed. This parable tells us the end result of our faithfulness to preach the Gospel; for it will cause the Kingdom of God to grow into the greatest kingdom upon the earth. This parable reflects our glorification during and at the end of our journey. Interpretation of the Parable - The full maturity of the mustard seed reflects the believer who has reached his divine calling and bearing fruit in the Kingdom of Heaven. Andrew Wommack explains that such a large herb requires a large root system to support its growth. He then explains that a child of God should focus on developing the roots of his faith in God and godly character, which are hidden, rather than the immature Christian who takes great effort to present himself before others as some great Christian. He uses the illustration of the tree planted by the rivers of water in Psalms 1:3 to explain the important role of strong roots in the Christian life.[98] [98] Andrew Wommack, “Laying a Sure Foundation,” in the series “A Sure Foundation,” [on-line]; accessed 4 January 2010; Audio; Internet.Psalms 1:3, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” The Parable of the Mustard Seed also represents the fullness of the Kingdom of God upon the earth, which will take place at the Second Coming of Christ Jesus when He will rule and reign from Jerusalem. Thus, the fowls of the air that lodge under its shadow could symbolize the nations who come to Jerusalem to honor the Lord and find rest and peace as a result of doing so. Old Testament Analogies - The analogy of a great tree providing shelter for the animals is used a number of times in Scriptures. Note a similar analogy in Ezekiel 17:22-24 of a great tree providing shade and shelter for animals. Ezekiel 17:22-24, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.” In addition, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a dream in which a tree grew to be the greatest among trees, reaching to the heavens, with the beasts finding shade under it and the birds nesting in its branches (Daniel 4:12). Daniel 4:12, “The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.” Mark 4:32 — “so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it” - Comments – We too are able to rest in faith towards God alone.

Mark 4:33-34

Conclusion: The Use of Parables (Matthew 13:34-35) – Mark 4:33-34 explains how Jesus taught the multitudes with parables. Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes so that they would not understand the ways of God and become accountable to live by them. Instead, He revealed the meaning of these parables to those who sought Him, to those who stayed around after the crowds left. So it is today, we must pursue wisdom before God will give it to us. Mark 4:34 — Comments – With the exception of the Parable of the Sower, Mark does not record Jesus’ explanations of His parables that Mark 4:34 says He gave His disciples.

Mark 4:35-6

Divine Service – In Mark 4:35 to Mark 6:13 the emphasis moves from indoctrination through preaching the Word of God to preparing the Twelve for divine service, where Jesus begins to train to His disciples about the Kingdom of God. Jesus first trains the Twelve by example (Mark 4:35 to Mark 5:43), then He sends them out preach and heal for themselves (Mark 6:1-13). Outline – Here is a proposed outline:

1. Narrative: Demonstrating Preaching & Miracles — Mark 4:35 to Mark 5:432. Sermon: Jesus Sends Forth His Disciples to Preach — Mark 6:1-13