Mark

Mark 4:1-20

This begins a second phase to the ministry of Christ.  His teaching is widespread, now involving others as teachers and teaching in parables.  Jesus said, "Listen" to those who had ears to hear.  Those who are seeking God's kingdom, who are repentant are those who have ears.  The hardhearted and proud may seek Jesus, but for the wrong reasons:

• To ease their shame and guilt
• To give them blessings.
• Provide for their needs
• Make life better.

These folks tend to seek Jesus only as an accessory to their life.  They aren't willing to give up their sinful life to follow him.  They want Jesus to follow them.  They, in turn, do not have ears to hear. 

The parable conveys a truth about the kingdom message.  These parables confused the disciples.  They pulled Jesus aside and asked for clarification.  Those who trust in Christ are given this mystery.  The mystery is the nature of God's work, a wider view of life, the reality that is unseen.   They should therefore:

• See and perceive
• Hear and understand
• Repent
• Be forgiven

Those to whom it has not been given will:

• See and not perceive
• Hear and still not understand
• They won't repent
• They won't be forgiven

In explaining this in verse 12, Jesus paraphrases Isaiah 6:9-10.  Jesus came with the knowledge of the kingdom and the truth about God.  Those who truly wanted the truth would become good soil.  All those who came for the wrong reason or listened only to receive healing or blessing, they were the bad soils.  The word is truth and clarifies the truth of men's hearts.  The logos, God's word is sown by the sowers.  This word falls on the ears of man, but is received in four different ways:

• Those along the wayside.  The words hit their ears but they are not received.  Satan comes and takes the word away.
• Those of stony ground.  These folks hear the word and even receive it gladly.  But there is no depth, thereby no root and it just doesn't last long.  Their faith & understanding are both shallow.  When the difficult times of life happen, they stumble.
• Those of thorns.  These people hear the word and it may even make sense to them.  But they are citizens of this world.  They are concerned with job, family, home; others with fame, money, status, popularity. All these things choke the word and they become unfruitful.
• Those of good ground.  Those who hear the logos, accept it and bear fruit.

The truth is that there are those who hear and those who don't.  Forgiveness, healing and inheritance comes to those who hear.  They bear fruit.  Those who don't hear might fake it while, may play the part, but in the end, it becomes evident that there is no fruit.  All mankind is condemned in their sin already.  Those who hear and reject the word remain condemned.

Mark 4:21-25

The truth of the kingdom Jesus speaks about isn't to be concealed.  It's like a light made to be set on a stand to illuminate all around.  When the light is shared with others, they too should share that light, not attempt to hide it.  The sharing of this light is part of the fruit that should come from having ears to hear. 

Therefore, those who hear should take heed.  This calls for prudence, great care and diligence regarding what you've heard.  What will you do with it?  Jesus promises that the same measure you use will be the measure given to you.  If you are meager in measuring out the word, if you are meager in faith and meager in bearing fruit for God's kingdom, then God will be meager in entrusting you with more knowledge, faith and understanding.  Whoever has, more is given.  If you receive it and share it by the truckload, you will receive new by the truckload.  Those who don't have, will lose what was originally given.

Mark 4:26-29

We already saw he word of God like seed.  When the seed is scattered, we don't know which ones will take and which ones won't.  It's a hidden mystery; we can't see the state of the soil in which we cast seed.  We can't look on the surface; we can't judge anyone's worthiness or readiness; our job is simply to sow. 

Watching seed grow is kind of like watching water boil.  It seems like nothing is happening and its taking too long.  Some seed will take, grow and ripen and soon the harvest will come.  We can't be lulled into thinking it isn't important or there is more time or that its someone else's job.  The Harvest is coming.  There can be no harvest without seed being sown.

Mark 4:30-34

Again, we see the consistent idea that God's word, His kingdom principals are like a seed.  The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed; tiny in the beginning, seemingly insignificant with no indication it could grow to anything worthwhile.  It grows like so many other seeds and among other seeds, but its different.

The mustard seed grows from something small into something very large.  We are told the birds of the air will nest under its shade.  As we see the consistency of the seed being likened to God's word, we also remember the previous use of the birds represented Satan and demons.  Are we to understand that in God's kingdom, there is evil influence nesting among us.  This seems like a reasonable understanding for those who follow Jesus and were walking side by side with Judas. 

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus prepared the disciples to go to the 'other side'.  They were going to cross the Sea of Galilee to Decapolis, a group of gentile cities on the eastern side of the sea.  Jesus was already in a boat, so that was how they started for the other side.  There were other little boats also. 

It seems clear Jesus knew that there would be a storm.  He was in such deep sleep the storm didn't awaken him.  The others, in fear for their life, woke him up.  It's worth noting, many of these guys were professional fishermen who were used to being on the sea.  This had to be a large storm to scare them.  It may be, as some believe, this was a satanic storm to prevent the passing of Jesus to the other side.  "Be muzzled!" is what his rebuke to the storm means.  It's the same words used to silence the evil spirits He cast from people. 

Jesus informed the disciples their faith was weak.  It was indeed shown as weak and undeveloped when they show amazement that the winds and waves obey Jesus.  They had seen Him do so many things, yet still didn't understand He was God in the flesh. 

It is faith that believes Jesus is who He said He was.  While we see storms and waves (birds in the branches), we can know the Kingdom of God when we follow Jesus.  In following, He doesn't forget about us.  They weren't on their own while He slept.  When we trust in Christ, we are in His constant care.  If we are in a storm, its to learn a lesson, it's to grow our faith.  We are either given grace and courage to weather it or faith and courage to speak it into submission by the power of Christ.

©2018 Doug Ford