A Lamp & Seed: Mark 4:21-34
By Phil Higley | April 4, 2010
4:21-34 (ESV)
And [Jesus] said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
26And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Verses 21-25 (A Lamp Under a Basket)
The first verses signify that Jesus is himself the lamp in a figurative sense, just as the sower was in the previous parable. This is the Markan way of saying that Jesus is the light of the world. The purpose of the coming of the light is not to be put under a basket or a bed, but rather to be set up so it is visible to all. The lamp is not lit for the purpose of being hidden or concealed. The implication here seems to be that there is an appropriate time for some secrets to come to light—in particular the time for the revelation of the truth about the Son of Man. Here we can learn something about the “messianic secret” spoken of earlier in the series. Things are indeed hidden and concealed, but for a purpose—in order that they might be revealed at the proper juncture or time. This is also true of Jesus during his ministry. There are disclosure moments, such as at Caesarea Philippi. Mark is pointing out for us that the light of Jesus did not come ultimately to be hidden (which is essentially Gnosticism), but it may be concealed for a time until the appropriate hour or venue or audience appears. In Jesus’ case the ultimate disclosure does not come until the crucifixion and resurrection.
Vv. 24-25 strike a rather different note, with warnings as well as encouragement. Human response is also required in full measure. Perhaps what is in mind is the preaching of the gospel by Mark’s audience. Those who respond positively will be rewarded abundantly; those who do not will forfeit even what they have. The section as a whole thus combines assurance and exhortation with warning for the hearer. As with the previous parable of the sower and its interpretation combined with vv. 10-13, there are both encouraging and warning elements in the Christian gospel. But if the warning side has been stressed so far, the encouragement is not forgotten, as the next two parables will reveal.
Verses 26-29 (The Parable of the Seed Growing)
This particular parable is interesting because it is only found here in Mark and not the other synoptic gospels. Its emphasis is different from the parable of the sower. There the importance of proper soil for the growth of the seed and the success of the harvest is stressed. Here the mysterious power of the seed itself to produce a crop is emphasized. The parable relates to the kingdom of God and, more particularly, how that kingdom grows. All the farmer can do is plant the seed on suitable ground. He cannot make the seed grow. He does not even understand how it grows. But it does grow, and all by itself the soil produces grain. The point of the parable is as follows: “As seedtime is followed in due time by harvest, so will the present hiddeness and ambiguousness of the kingdom of God be succeeded by its glorious manifestation.” The last part of the parable calls to mind Joel 3:13. The harvest spoken of (v. 29) is the eschatological judgment which is spoken of throughout all of the gospels.
Verses 30-32 (The Parable of the Seed Growing)
This is the third and last of the parables about the sown seed. The mustard seed is said to be the smallest seed on earth by Jesus. The mustard seed, however, is being used proverbially for its smallness because technically the smallest seed known is the black orchid. But Jesus is obviously not giving a lesson in botany; hence he’s using the mustard seed because it is the smallest seed his audience was familiar with. When grown, it becomes a huge treelike shrub. In fact, some of these trees can grow to ten feet high, so the analogy obviously makes the point and is thus effective. The main point of the parable is that the kingdom of God is like what happens to the mustard seed. It has insignificant and weak beginnings, but a day will come when it will be great and powerful. It is doubtful whether the detail in the parable about the birds taking shelter in the branches of the tree has any significance, though some interpreters see in it a mention of the inclusion of the Gentiles in the kingdom. In any case, one scholar sums up the meaning of the parable very well: “The example of the mustard seed should prevent us from judging the significance of results by the size of the beginnings.”
Verses 33-34 (Jesus’ use of Parables)
Mark ends this section with its collection of parables with a statement about Jesus’ use of them. Parables constituted one of Jesus’ primary methods of speaking the word (i.e., the word of the Kingdom—God’s reign revealed in Jesus himself) to “them”—the crowd (v. 33). He did this in order to help them understand by means of a veiled confrontation with the truth. It was his gracious means to stimulate their thinking and awaken their spiritual perception. The crowd was not ready for a direct revelation of the truth. In contrast, when Jesus was alone with his disciples (v. 34), he could speak more directly with them; but even they needed his explanation to understand. As we move along through Mark, we will see that the disciples still fail to understand at a deep level who Jesus is and what he is about. The next story will illustrate this.
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Notes from:
The Oxford Bible Commentary, Edited by Barton and Muddiman, 2001.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol 8, Edited by Gaebelein, 1984.
The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Witherington III, 2001.
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Phil, thanks for setting this up. I will plan to do background work on Tuesdays. Any comments or dialogue during the week is welcome. Sometimes I may send out some questions out of my own curiosity that others can respond to.
Interesting notes, phil, It’s always very interesting when we see original content in mark that is not in the other gospels, especially since the synoptics are supposed to be dependent on John Mark. That’s something about the two source hypothesis that always gets to me. Also like those few verses in matthew and luke that agree against john mark.
An immediate question I have as I read through is how the lamp, and the two seeds parables are interrelated. Is there a central message being conveyed with three different aspects to that message?
Also, although their is a description for how kingdom growth works, as one which starts small and explodes, as one which God himself controls. What is the prescription? Why does Jesus say this to the disciples? For what purpose in their own life or thinking?
Thoughts?
Thoughts…
I think that Jesus as the “lamp”, i.e., the light of the world, needs to be tied to the concept of the Kingdom of God in the following two parables, obviously, but in that order. There’s something going on here with conversion and discipleship, as well as preaching the gospel and continuing the work of Jesus by the light of Jesus’ own teachings.
But first, it appears that Mark’s point about Jesus being the lamp implies that the secrecy of Jesus’ task and mission will soon be revealed in both the narrative and to the audience reading the story. Any form of secrecy will in the end result in openness. This is demonstrated by Jesus’ minuscule and seemingly insignificant birth in a barn to his crucifixion and resurrection. The way God chooses to work is from small beginnings to abundant glory. And it seems that Jesus’ teaching was never intended to be just for an inner circle of followers. It is the responsibility of the disciples/us to communicate the gospel of the kingdom to the world at large.
Now I think the theme of this openness of Jesus’ light is also demonstrated in conversion and discipleship on the part of the believer because the next two parables have to do with small beginnings in the form of Seed analogies. The last two parables are obviously interconnected—at least by Mark. “Both parables are said to be parables illustrating the reality of the ‘Kingdom of God.’ Both imply that the kingdom is present in minute, hidden form as a ‘seed’, but that it will be shown in its full glory in the future.”
So how does this relate to conversion and discipleship? How does the lamp analogy relate to the context of small seed analogies? I think there’s a relationship here because it’s tacitly stated that Jesus is indeed the lamp and light that should be shining and illuminating everything around us. Does he illuminate everything around us? Do we try to put the light of Jesus “away”, or under a couch, or in the back of our minds until church time? Will his light expose us or will it help us to see? Will it do both? Think of Plato’s cave analogy about light! That would be an interesting illustration.
But regarding the relationship between the parables, I think there’s a sense in the seed analogies that Jesus’ light will make the seeds grow whether we are active or not in the process (“Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” v. 24). In fact, the kingdom is something which is present already in hidden form (as a seed) now. What I’m thinking about regarding conversion and discipleship is that Jesus will do and accomplish his will, but he intends to use us in the process. It’s not use in the sense of duty or obligation, but relationship and love to communicate truth to others.
In sum: It seems that Jesus and the light of his shining is the emphasis of the passage, and that is somehow tied to small beginnings to exploding in the sense of the kingdom of God being realized here and now.
Purpose? Prescription?
To be honest, these parables are a bit perplexing. I think that one of the reasons Jesus is saying this is tied to the fact that we look at the first parable and say, “ya, you obviously don’t put a lamp under a pillow, but on a lamp stand!???” However, the “ya” point is not what we often do in our lives, figuratively speaking.
For example, many Christians don’t but need to prop Jesus up on a lamp stand throughout the day. They need to prop Jesus up at their jobs, in their relationships, with their children, parents, spouses, friends, strangers, the barista at Starbucks, etc. What happens though when they try and bury the light of Jesus or they don’t plant the seed in the ground at all? Well, they can’t see if there’s no light and if they don’t plant the seed then they starve! They also might make it difficult for other people to see if they don’t prop the light up and plant the seed. What we’ve got is the problem of personal blindness and starvation as well as corporate/relational blindness and starvation (the blind lead the blind into a ditch—and typically there aren’t harvests in ditches!).
Regarding burying the light and failing to plant seeds, I do this all the time. I clearly know that I should pray and have gratitude for the light that Jesus provides, but I often try and snuff it out, whether out of selfishness, pride, fear, or just downright sin and rebellion. Secondly, if I’m not willing to plant the seed by talking about Jesus—and perhaps even more importantly living as though I actually KNOW and LOVE Jesus—then how can God water and make the seed grow? This is where the light of Jesus is tied to conversion, discipleship, and the great commission.
Any thoughts?
I’ve probably written too much…
I think John Calvin answers why Jesus is saying this to his disciples:
“Christ appears to direct his discourse purposely to the ministers of the word, that they may not grow indifferent about the discharge of their duty, because the fruit of their labor does not immediately appear. He holds out for their imitation the example of husbandmen, who throw seed into the ground with the expectation of reaping, and do not torment themselves with uneasiness and anxiety, but go to bed and rise again; or, in other words pursue their ordinary and daily toil, till the corn arrive at maturity in due season. In like manner, though the seed of the word be concealed and choked for a time, Christ enjoins pious teachers to be of good courage, and not to allow their alacrity to be slackened through distrust.”
Phil, good points to ponder.
J.R., your quote of Calvin was an encouraging reminder of faithfulness to preaching and teaching despite visible results. Thanks for both of your perspectives.
Josh, maybe you can unpack Calvin’s comment a little more…
In verses 21-25 Jesus refers to himself as the Lamp (ie: the light of the world through whom the Kingdom of God is revealed to mankind). It is important to keep in mind that times were very different 2000 years ago. With electricity a mere turn of a switch and a room is completely lit, but 2000 years ago when all they had were lamps it took a lot longer for a room to light up, or for a persons eye to adjust to the low light levels put out by the lamp.
The following two parable about the seeds are to help the disciples accept that the fruits of their labor will take time, they wont see the full magnitude of the Kingdom of God instantly but rather it will be revealed to them gradually as the “light” spreads through the room.
Calvin is simply stating that those who are ministers of God’s word need to be patient, both with their own understandings of God and with those they are giving counsel to.
Assuming these parable are in some sort of chronological order, keep in mind that the apostles had just been chosen in the chapter prior to this one. In essence these were probably some of the first parables they had heard. As such is seems reasonable to think that the reason Christ told these parable at this time was so that his disciples would come to understand that they weren’t going to understand everything immediately.
Josh, great points. Now that’s what I call unpacking. I like the historical point about the lamp lighting a room relative to our day and age where we take illumination for granted. But when the power goes out from a windstorm, we sure do appreciate–real fast, the essence of illumination. Anyhow, great points!