Three More Kingdom Parables
TRANSLATION
(21) And he said to them, “Do you carry a lamp inside to put it under a basket or under a bed and not on a stand? (22) For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought into the light. (23) If any have ears to hear, let them hear.” (24) And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure that you use it will be measured to you and even more. (25) For to the one who has, more will be given, but to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
(26) And he said, “The kingdom of God is like a man scattering seed on the ground. (27) He sleeps and rises night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but he does not know how. (28) The earth produces a harvest by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. (29) As soon as the grain is ripe, he applies the sickle because the harvest is ready.”
(30) And he said, “To what should we compare the kingdom of God or what parable should we use to explain it? (31) It is like a mustard seed which is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. (32) Yet, when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all with such large branches that the birds in the sky can make their nests in its shade.” (33) And with many other parables he spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to understand. (34) He did not speak to them without using a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
OBSERVATIONS
In addition to the parable of the sower, Mark provided his readers with three additional examples of the parables Jesus used to teach the multitudes. Repetitions in this segment included “hear,” (four instances in vss. 23, 24, & 33), “kingdom of God” (vss. 26 & 30), “parable(s)” (three times in vss. 30, 33, & 34) as well as several words used in agriculture: “seed…stalk…head…grain…harvest.”
OUTLINE
I. The parable of the lamp: all it needs is a place to shine. (21-25)
II. The parable of scattered seeds: all they need is a place to grow. (26-29)
III. The parable of the mustard seed: the smallest seed becomes the largest tree. (30-34)
IDEA STATEMENT
The Kingdom of God simply requires cooperation on our part to have an impact for God’s glory because the work is his to accomplish.
APPLICATION
In his statement, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it,” Jesus declared that he is the one who would establish and sustain his church (Mt. 16:18). He alone should receive the credit for all that will be accomplished. Our role is merely to cooperate, to fit in as he chooses to use us. He will graciously include us in the process of building his kingdom if we are willing to make ourselves available, but we are never the reason why the work succeeds. He is! While we may accept this truth in our heads, we still tend to feel that we are somehow indispensable to the growth of the church, at least in the neighborhood where we live and operate. When will we learn that whatever gets done is really due to him and not to us
These three parables of the Kingdom help us keep this crucial truth front and center. In the first, it is the lamp that gives off light. All we do is keep it burning and make sure it remains out in the open where it can shine brightly. In the second, it is the seed that matures and produces a crop. Our role is to scatter it in places where it can grow and produce an abundant harvest. In the final parable, the resulting growth is due to the nature of the seed, the smallest in the garden producing the largest plant, a process never due to our efforts or strategizing.
This does not excuse us from carrying out what God has entrusted us to do. We are to serve faithfully and sacrificially in advancing the kingdom of his Son, but we must never forget that the results are due to his working and should bring him glory. Anything of value is due to what he promised: “I will build my church.”