Blog
Seed Blog is written by various authors that attend Seed. To find out more about the author, to read more posts by that author, or to visit their personal blog, please click on the author’s name.
A Lamp & Seed: Mark 4:21-34
By Phil Higley Sunday, April 4th, 20104:21-34 (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.
—————
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.
→ 10 CommentsTags:
What Would Jesus Do?
By Christy Rood Thursday, February 26th, 2009
I was flipping through the channels a few nights ago, and caught the tail end of the show Wife Swap. If you’re not familiar with the show, I’ll spare you the details, but each show ends with the lessons learned by all involved. On this show, one wife decided that she was setting a bad example for her daughters, who only saw her “doing dishes”, and not finding ways to fulfill her own needs and desires. She was determined, after she went home, to chase her own dreams for a change, and set a better example of a life well lived for her daughters. That got me thinking. Is doing the dishes a bad example to my daughters? Is making dinners, vacuuming, doing the laundry and scrubbing the tub in front of them going to perpetuate a negative stereotype of women? Should I just let the housework pile up and go get a job to teach my daughters that domestication is not all there is to life?
Too many girls my age are in complete angst because their moms tried to “elevate” the role of women by proving themselves in the job force. Today’s moms who stay home feel they are not living up to their potential. But, if they work, they feel guilty for leaving their children in the care of others. So what is the best example of godly womanhood for our daughters?
Jesus invites us to “…learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…” Christ is the perfect example for men and women alike, but since I’m a woman, I most identify with His submission and humility. It wasn’t that He couldn’t rule the world – He was God. It wasn’t that He couldn’t rise to the top of the political and spiritual food chain – He was King of Kings. It wasn’t that He couldn’t be the richest man alive – He owned it all. He just didn’t care to chase the American dream. His entire life was defined by service.
If I’m going to live like Jesus, my tombstone will read, “She served others her whole life, and cared only about the approval of her heavenly Father.” Maybe doing the dishes is setting the right example for our daughters.
→ 6 CommentsTags: bibical mothering, homemaker, wife swap and the christian wife
Just read.
By Kay Bonikowsky Thursday, February 12th, 2009
There has been a lot of pressure in church circles to study the Bible. To dig in and get at the chewy meat. To KNOW more. To come up with a great insight into life. That’s great! But, I’ve realized in the last few weeks that people are cracking under the pressure. The stakes are so high…understanding the deep truths found in the Bible…that many people are saying to themselves, “If I can’t spend time to pull out a nugget of inspiration, then its not worth it. If I’m not feeling inspired by the Word, then reading is a waste of my time.” Hence, America is filled with Christians who ignore their Bibles.
William Tyndale, a 15th century scholar who translated the Bible into modern English, said “a ploughboy with the Bible would know more of God than the most learned ecclesiastic who ignored it.”
And that is the point: knowing and falling into loving life with God, who exposes His personality on the printed pages of the Holy Scriptures.
So lighten up! Just open the pages and read a verse. Then tomorrow, do it again. The same the next day, and the next. The days will become weeks, and before you know it, you will know your Bible and our Creator a little better! You will know how God wants you to behave. You will be comforted by His presence. Your life will be inspired.
“Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death, the whole human drama, everything is in this book…It is the Book of Books, Biblia.” – Gabriel Sivan
→ 1 CommentTags: Bible reading, devotions
Seed Church History 2004-2008
By Kay Bonikowsky Tuesday, January 6th, 2009Shown December 28, 2008.
→ No CommentsTags: Seed Church History, Slideshow, Video
Envy those who rejoice, correct those who mourn
By Chris Bruno Wednesday, December 17th, 2008One day a friend comes to church glowing, a smile stretched from ear to ear. Without even being asked, he launches into an in-depth story of how he landed the best job of his life, one that would provide his family with more financial resources than he’s ever had. Through his elation, he begins to tell you of the well-deserved trips he plans to take, the debts he plans to pay, and the charities he has already chosen to support. “I can’t believe that God has done this for me! Can you?”
What is YOUR response?
The next day, another friend calls you. Tragedy has hit his home, and he is beside himself with grief and agony, completely unsure of what lies ahead. Tremors of panic rack his words, and brief cracks of doubt are evident in his shaken faith. The fear and anxiety he feels about the future seem to overwhelm him. He asks such questions as: “How could God allow this?” and “Where is God in the midst of this terror?” or “What am I to do?”
What is YOUR response?
No really, what happens, more often than not, in our hearts, as we face these two friends, one in deep agony, the other in extreme elation?
Sadly, I believe we respond like this: To our elated friend, knowing the struggle through which he has come to achieve this job, we may, for a while, be excited for him. “That’s so great!” we respond. “Yep, God is so good to do that for you!” But secretly deep within our hearts, there often rises up a shoot of envy, one that we may never voice outwardly, but says, “Yeah, God is good to you, but what about me?! I’ve been working hard too. God, when is it my turn? Why won’t you show up for me too?”
The real message behind our response, then, is one of envy. Rather than truly participating in our friend’s joy, we remain distant, unable to give the gift mutual rejoicing. Our own disappointment in God’s giving good gifts to others but not to us drives us away from a place of mutuality.
To the friend in desperation, we might indeed feel the pain and terror with him for a while, and even seek to comfort and aid him as best we can. But often we find ourselves trying to spiritualize, analyze or rationalize away the pain. Before our hearts are drawn into a place of despair and darkness along with his, we fight for intellectual control over our hearts by attempting to explain God’s place and reasons. We defend God’s character, affirming that He is indeed good, and that “surely He knows what He is doing. This is all part of His plan, though we may not see that now.” In so doing, we form barriers around our own hearts like spiritual dikes designed to hold back the floodwaters of grief. “God works in mysterious ways.”
The real message behind our words, then, is one of correction. We are in essence chiding our friend’s despair, not giving it space to exist while we attempt to exterminate it with “right thinking.” In essence we condemn it as disbelief that can be comforted or corrected with doctrinal truths designed to inoculate the pain. To his question of “how could God allow this?” we answer, “Who are we to question God? Everything He does is good and right, so change your despair into submission to His sovereign plan.”
Envy those who rejoice, correct those who mourn. How has it come to this?
Many of us are familiar with the following passage from Scripture:
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn.”
Romans 12:15
Why is something stately so simply so incredibly difficult to do? What does it mean to rejoice with another? What does it mean to mourn with another?
I believe our failure in both of these realms is primarily a theological one. What I mean by this is that we have misunderstood God’s heart for us as we are commanded to rejoice and mourn with others. From the moment we pick up the phone and enter into a conversation with our despairing friend, or from the first glance at our rejoicing friend’s smile we have entered into a deeply theological realm designed to bring us closer to the heart of God.
Our first assumption is that the focus of the interaction, (any conversation, as a matter of fact, but for the current argument, let’s stick to these two friends), is on the issue at hand, namely the pain or the elation. Our attention is centered on the earthly place where struggle and triumph exist. However, I would argue that, in order to truly obey the command to rejoice or mourn with others, we may enter closer into the heart of God as we seek to see Him rejoicing or mourning with and for us and our friends.
Yes, God Himself rejoices. He sings over us. He seeks us. He smiles. As our Father, He loves to give good gifts to His children. As an earthly father rejoices when his son makes the 3-point hoop or his daughter perfectly graces the ballet stage, He loves to see our smiles. So when we see goodness and passionate pursuit of His children on earth, we may catch a precious glimpse of His fatherly heart. Rather than respond to our elated friend with envy, we may instead ask to see God’s elation – how is HE rejoicing right now in this situation? What does His face look like right now as he hears my friend’s joy? What does His laughter sound like? How does hearing about this gift exalt my view of God and his giving heart? In so doing, the conversation becomes an interaction not only with my friend, but also with God Himself. God becomes the focus, and the temptation to envy my friend practically disappears as I have entered into communion with God through the joy of my friend. I am now truly rejoicing, because I have entered God’s joy in being a good God, and am basking in the glory of His smile. Pure joy.
And yes, God Himself mourns. He weeps over us. He agonizes. He sheds tears. As our Father, He is well aware of our pain and suffering. He Himself has experienced that pain in ways that we will never come close to comprehending. The tragedy and agony of our lives have not escaped divine notice, but rather have so moved Him to enter our loss personally. He is not afraid of our despair, and He can handle our doubt. He is not threatened by our questions, but rather identifies with our grief with holy tears. As an earthly father weeps with the pain and fears of his earthly children, so too God weeps with us. Rather than respond to pain with feeble attempts to correct our thinking, we may instead ask to see God’s agony – how is HE weeping right now in this situation? What tears is He shedding with my friend? How is His countenance as He sits with this grief? And how may we grasp His love for us all the more as we experience His sorrow as well? We are brought into the tearful mourning of God Himself, a place of truly intense love for us. I am now truly mourning, because the Great Divine also weeps at pain, loss and brokenness.
In our friend’s elation or pain, we too receive a gift from God – a deeper glimpse into His heart for us. That same God who rejoices with them also rejoices over me. That same God who weeps with them also weeps with me. There is then a great freedom to rejoice or mourn – neither threatens us. Rather, they draw us closer to God Himself.
So the next time you either encounter a rejoicing or mourning friend, or you yourself have a season in either of these two places, consider allowing yourself to stay there in obedience of God’s command. Truly rejoice, because HE rejoices. Truly mourn, because HE mourns. If He’s ok with it, you can be too.
→ No CommentsTags:
