matthew: the long character drama, a la the godfather
there's some epic events and some action, but it's about the people and what they say.
luke: star trek?
action, dialogue, different places (perea)
john: the supernatural thriller, a la the xfiles.
crazy miracles, xfiles, and the supernatural revealed.
mark: a michael bay film...transformers (i'm guessing here, i haven't seen it)
whoa! asplosions! fighting! cut the chat, lets do something.
this week is the break. jesus tells a gardening story here.
enjoy it....there are only two teaching sections in mark (it's sort of the action movie of the gospels).
this is one of the most well known parables in the bible.
sit back, and listen through another time.
1. He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in
the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.
2. And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,
3. "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4. as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
5. "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because
it had no depth of soil.
6. "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7. "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8. "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced
thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
9. And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
basic story:
got it, ja?
a farmer goes out to sow some crops.
some of the seed works, some of it doesn't.
(transition : ok, moving to what happens after he tells the story. )
we are all used to parables, and re especially to this parable.
1. why parables? to hide stuff (4:10-12)
parables - to make sense
people these days make a big deal about this...jesus taught in stories and we should too!
stories capture our imagination, they help us to feel certain things, etc...
that is true...and untrue as well.
mark 4:10-12
10. as soon as he was alone, his followers, along with the twelve, began asking him about the parables.
11. and he was sayig to them, "to you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are
outside get everything in parables,
12. so that 'while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand,
otherwise they might return and be forgiven.'"
2. (background principle) the kingdom of god is a mystery that must be revealed
v10 "to you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of god"
the idea here is that it is a secret more than that we need to call the hardy boys.
it is a secret because something must be revealed.
this is emphasized again and again.
3. did jesus speak in parables to limit his goodness to a subset?
v12 quotes isaiah 6:10, which is isaiah's calling.
he's told there that the people won't listen to him.
Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.
is god saying that he doesn't want the people to seek forgiveness?
some people say yes. that god reveals himself to those who he chooses to, and remains hidden to the rest.
some say no...that this is meant differently, perhaps as an ironic statement.
honestly, the text doesn't make a huge point out of it. i prefer the first, as i think the bible says
a number of things along these lines - that god chooses which people will hear him and which be spoken to.
it is also true that the explanation is given to everyone who asks for it.
minor note...check v10, where it says, "as soon as he was alone".
a small detail that emphasizes just how much jesus was on earth to care for men.
there are a few points where he is truly alone...to pray. but lots of those times are interrupted as well.
people are what christ was about...extrapolate to those who do his work in your own life.
(transition) with that as preface, they must have felt somewhat special to get the explanation.
so...jesus tells a story.
his disciples go, "huh? a little help here?", and he explains that things are hidden, and only
revealed to some (those who ask here).
interesting that he gives the preface before he gives the explanation, but that's it.
13. And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
14. "The sower sows the word.
15. "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes
and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
16. "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word,
immediately receive it with joy;
17. and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises
because of the word, immediately they fall away.
18. "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19. but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and
choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20. "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear
fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
v14 "the sower sows the word"
back to our principle that the kingdom of god is a secret that must be spoken. god set it up so that it needs to be communicated.
weird...except that god has always worked this way.
even when jesus comes, he tells a small group what to say *so that they can do the work of spreading it.*.
we, as believers (those of us who are), are privilaged to take up our piece of this role and to work for god.
1. bad soil 1: the seed which satan steals
v15 these are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately satan comes and takes
away the word which has been sown in them
no growth at all
some will hear the word of god and not respond at all. nothing.
satan! gah!
yes...there is a spiritual enemy.
as always, if you believe in god, and in you not being the same as your body (a soul), then this
isn't so hard to believe.
satan is the enemy
2. bad soil 2: the seed which wilts
v16,17 in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who when they hear the word, immediately
receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because
of the word, immediately they fall away.
these are people who are excited ('receive it with joy')
but they do not last. they leave with affliction/persecution.
- the gospel is against prosperity and happiness
even here, in a little story, jesus is saying that affliction and persecution is part of the kingdom of god.
this is a reason we should rejoice in affliction and persecution; it reveals the good soil.
funny that churches today often preach christianity as a way of getting health / wealth.
sad that we pray more for health/wealth than we do to bear fruit.
- what of those who fall away?
"perserverance of the saints"
1 john 2:19 "they went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us,
they would have remained with us; but they went out,
so that it would be shown that they are not of us."
this passage pretty nicely teaches the idea that god's people, the fruiting plants....won't fall away.
3. bad soil 3: the seed which is choked
v18,19 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke
the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
this is, pretty obviously, the one we should listen most carefully to.
the soil in this case is so close to being fruitful....
are they christians or not?
some people say...yes! they are plants, and plants are christians!
some say no! they don't bear fruit, and christians bear fruit!
i think...that's not the point of the parable and we're moving on.
the things that choke the the seed are:
1) the worries of the world
ouch.
so...when we worry about the things of the world instead of the things of god, we are unfruitful?
looks like it.
2) the deceitfulness of riches
accept it. riches are deceitful.
the ease of money, the ability to fulfill your desires... that is a sneaky, pleasant death.
i love that this is referred to as the "deceitfulness" of riches.
if you look at it carefully, you realize it doesn't quite do what you think it will.
but it looks like it unless we're activly paying attention.
3) desires for other things
this is a catch all that clarifies the point.
we are not talking about bad things
you don't have to desire that people die or anything obviously evil.
any desire which interferes in the desire to bear fruit is what is cursed here.
desire for things other than the kingdom of god will mean you are unfruitful.
think about that, and think about what you want, and how much time you spend wanting it.
these things will kill your fruitfulness.
4. the good soil bears fruit:
20. "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear
fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
- three types of good soil (30, 60, 100). leave it at that.
some people want to codify this into various types/styles, or
say that this is a miraculous harvest or a normal expectation (depends on what's meant).
that doesn't really seem to be the point here. the basic point is that...
- there are varying levels of fruitfulness (?)
this does seem to be part of the deal - some plants seem to bear more fruit.
it's possible that the intent isn't to deliniate, but rather just to say that the farmer gets his crop.
but it seems like there's also a bit where some plants are even more awesome.
this would take away any smug feelings about getting the explanation...
21. And He was saying to them, "A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not
brought to be put on the lampstand?
22. "For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.
23. "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
24. And He was saying to them, "Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you;
and more will be given you besides.
25. "For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him."
1. the 'secret' is to be revealed to anyone who has ears to hear
it is like a lamp, created to give light.
the job of those who hear is to give light to others.
2. hearing makes you responsible
"Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you;
and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he
has shall be taken away from him."
so...this is a call to act on your knowledge.