Post by foxjj on Jun 4, 2023 7:27:34 GMT
Kingdom Parables, Mark 4:1-20
Jesus used parables as a means of teaching spiritual truth concerning God’s Kingdom as in Mark chapter 4: “Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables,”- Mark 4:1-2. Parables are usually stories from life used to illustrate spiritual, or moral truth. They can be analogies, comparisons, similes or proverbial saying. Not every detail in the parable was intended to have significance.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus spoke to an audience who understood how the different conditions of soil affected the outcome of planted seeds. The farmer was required to walk the field carrying the seed in a cloth looped around his necker or shoulders, from which he scooped handfuls of seed scattering then on the prepared soil:
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” - Mark 4:3-4.
Even the disciples did not always understand the parables as we can see in the following verse’s: “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Verse 12 is a quote from Isaiah 9-10. The teachings of Jesus are for people who seek the truth concerning The One True God and are inline with Isaiah 8:16 where Yahweh instructed: “Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.” In this case disciples are those who ‘sanctify The Lord’ by obedient trust in Him. They are the ones who trust that God’s Word would come to pass although they may not understand it completely: “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” - Psalm 25:14.
In Mark 4:13-20, Jesus helped the disciples understand the parable, and in so doing you and I are educated in our understanding of parables: “Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
This is an amazing parable speaking to the numerous conditions of the human heart. There are some who want to believe, however life gets in the way of total commitment. However, in spite of obstacles, God’s Word will accomplish its purpose. These verse’s also show that God has given each one the free will to either believe or not. This gift of free will carries an awesome responsibility for you and I, either eternal life with our God, or judgment with its eternal consequences.
Today, let us give thanks for the testimony of The Gospel.
John Joseph Fox.
Jesus used parables as a means of teaching spiritual truth concerning God’s Kingdom as in Mark chapter 4: “Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables,”- Mark 4:1-2. Parables are usually stories from life used to illustrate spiritual, or moral truth. They can be analogies, comparisons, similes or proverbial saying. Not every detail in the parable was intended to have significance.
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus spoke to an audience who understood how the different conditions of soil affected the outcome of planted seeds. The farmer was required to walk the field carrying the seed in a cloth looped around his necker or shoulders, from which he scooped handfuls of seed scattering then on the prepared soil:
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” - Mark 4:3-4.
Even the disciples did not always understand the parables as we can see in the following verse’s: “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Verse 12 is a quote from Isaiah 9-10. The teachings of Jesus are for people who seek the truth concerning The One True God and are inline with Isaiah 8:16 where Yahweh instructed: “Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.” In this case disciples are those who ‘sanctify The Lord’ by obedient trust in Him. They are the ones who trust that God’s Word would come to pass although they may not understand it completely: “The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” - Psalm 25:14.
In Mark 4:13-20, Jesus helped the disciples understand the parable, and in so doing you and I are educated in our understanding of parables: “Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
This is an amazing parable speaking to the numerous conditions of the human heart. There are some who want to believe, however life gets in the way of total commitment. However, in spite of obstacles, God’s Word will accomplish its purpose. These verse’s also show that God has given each one the free will to either believe or not. This gift of free will carries an awesome responsibility for you and I, either eternal life with our God, or judgment with its eternal consequences.
Today, let us give thanks for the testimony of The Gospel.
John Joseph Fox.