The Gospel According to Mark Chapter 4
Originally posted Tuesday, February 12, 2008
General Comment: As
we read this chapter we should remember that this Gospel was written in the
midst of great social and religious storms. The war between Israel and
Rome was nearing a bloody conclusion. Since the time of Claudius who expelled
many Christians from the city and Nero, who put the blame for the great
fire of Rome on them, Christians had suffered violent
persecution from the Roman State, Synagogue Jews and the common people alike.
We are aware from the Roman historian, Tacitus, that Claudius expelled
Christians and Jews (he did not know the difference) because of a riot
instigated by "...one named Chrestus." Suetonius writes of the
death of many Christians in the arena and in Nero's palace gardens where
they were used as human torches. Mark's use of the storm imagery and
Jesus' power to overcome the storm would be an effective image to bring
encouragement to his storm-tossed community.
Mark Chapter 4:1-9
The Parable of the Sower [MT
13:1-9]
Matthew has copied
Mark almost word for word with no new material added or important wording
deleted. As we read these parables, keep in mind that they all relate to the
Kingdom (Reign) of God by making a comparison that seems odd to the hearing.
By the time the Gospels were written (John has no Parables as
such), most parables had been changed from a single meaning to an allegory to
make it easier to remember. Allegories also serve the purpose of providing more
teaching and preaching points of understanding. The parable of the sower
probably had a single point - the surprising yield that can come
from preaching the word to all kinds of people, including the
Gentiles. An allegory allows each element (type of soil, birds, heat, etc.) to
be used as a separate line of preaching. When you read this parable you should
be able to locate at least five themes for preaching.
The passage opens by
telling us about the size of the crowd. Before this the crowds were large. Here
Mark uses a superlative adjective which is translated as "the biggest
crowd yet." By doing so he conveys that increasing numbers of
people are coming out to hear Jesus. The crowd will be made up of all
sorts of people, and they will become part of the parable as receivers of the
word of Jesus' teaching. Not all will respond favorably. Many will not
"hear" or "see," in a spiritual sense. But enough will and
these are the ones who will participate in the Kingdom.
Jesus begins the
parable with the words, "Listen, look!" as an indication of how important
this is. It is something to be heeded as well as visualized. Both senses
are necessary to learn the parable's meaning.
It might seem
unusual that the seed is sown in places not suitable for
planting. This reflects the ancient way of planting in which the seed is
scattered and then the ground is plowed in hopes of a reasonably good harvest
overall. The unexpected result of up to the hundredfold yield is, as is the
abundance of the coming Kingdom, a mystery of God's hidden
involvement in the world. The notion of such fruitfulness is frequently used in
the Old Testament as an image of the new age to come (Hos. 2:21-22; Joel 2:22; Amos 9:13; Zech. 8:12).
Mark Chapter 4:10-20
The Purpose of Parables [MT
13:10-17]
Matthew has used all
of Mark's passage and cited the text from Isaiah 6:9-10, thereby softening the harsh conclusion one must
reach at Mark's verse 12. The
entire difficulty hinges on the first word of that verse,
"hina," translated as "in order that." The
disciples have been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God in the
parables (although they still need help in understanding them). For those
"outside" the circle of disciples, who have not been given the
mystery of the Kingdom of God, Jesus uses parables "in order
that"they do not perceive, understand and therefore turn and be
forgiven. In Isaiah and therefore Matthew, it is the people who do not
wish to see or hear what God has to say. In Mark, God has willed it.
What do we make of
this idea that God wills that some will not understand, turn and be saved?
Three points may provide something of an answer: First, in vs. 3:8 it is apparent that some
people do understand the parables. Some do turn back to God,
thirty, sixty and a hundred fold. Second, community persecution, the
puzzling, unexpected rejection of the Gospel, the imminent destruction
of the Temple and much of Jerusalem, have created for Mark a "Last
Days" mentality. He is drawing a clear and present dividing line
between those who are "inside" the coming Kingdom of God and
those who are "outside." Third, the Old Testament is very clear
regarding a time to come when the sentiment of Isa. 6:9 will be reversed. See particularly Isa.
29:18, 24; 32:3-4; 35:5. Mark clearly believes that God has
temporarily clouded the minds of some, but others do believe, and in the
end, even the spiritually blind and deaf will see and hear and "The minds
of the rash will have good judgment." We will see as well that Mark
will have more to say about the use of parables.
Mark Chapter 4:21-25
A Lamp Under a Basket or a Bed
Matthew has
used parts of this passage in several locations,
most prominently in MT 5:14-15, following Jesus' call for
disciples to be the light of the world. Mark vss. 21-22 contain two proverbs which he uses light as a
symbol of the Gospel. Even though there may be persecution which will cause
some to hide their belief and spiritual blindness and deafness, the Gospel
cannot be hidden. As a basket or a bed would be set afire by a lamp placed
under them, so the Gospel will be revealed as it was meant to be - placed on
the lampstand where it can be seen and heard by all. To some extent this
revelation of the Gospel which cannot be hidden and remain secret points
back to vss. 11 and 12, to
the ultimate understanding of parables as lamps placed on a lamp
stand. They will be seen and finally understood.
vss. 24-25 also
contain two proverbs. Although they may have originally referred to generosity,
in Mark's context they have to do with one's faith or Gospel-belief. The
more we share our faith with others the more of it we
receive - remember the line in Matthew's parable of the Talents (MT 25:21),
"...you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of
many things..." The servant who buried his one silver talent had that talent
taken away and he was left with nothing. This may not be too far
removed from our own experience with spiritual disciplines (and any other kind
of discipline). The more we practice a skill the more of it we have. The less
we practice it, whatever we had is lost (For those interested in spiritual
disciplines I recommend reading books by Richard J. Foster, especially Celebration
of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth).
We have little
clarity when the subject of how to share our faith with others arises. We know
we should be doing so, but we don't seem to have a sense of how that gets done.
For the most part we think the preacher ought to be doing this. Well, he does,
every Sunday and in other settings. Jesus said we - that's you and me, are lights
to the nations. Of course we do a lot of that by proxy, through the larger
United Methodist Church. But that's not personal, is it? How do we,
personally, share our faith? How do we, personally, share what it means to
our lives to be part of a worshipping, serving community of believers? How do
we tell someone the ways in which being a Christian has changed our lives? We
need to learn the ropes of this personal sharing ministry. I think it needs to
be sooner than later.
Mark Chapter 4:30-34
Two Parables About Seeds [MT
13:31-32 The Mustard Seed]
Mark appropriately
follows his prior references to parables with two more parables. Both
refer to the final manifestation of God's approaching Kingdom. The first is not
used by Matthew. In both parables the Kingdom of God into which all those who
respond to the Gospel with belief (faith) will enter, appears as an event
of mystery. It is like the sprouting of wheat or the growth of a large tree
from a tiny seed. The growth in both cases is understood to have been
brought about by God. This demonstrates the Gospel's God/human relationship.
Mark says, we plant, God gives the growth. We share our faith and the results
belong to God. This can also be seen as an allusion to vss. 24-25, the
measure we give will be the measure we get.
In the Parable of
the Mustard Seed the "birds of heaven" may be symbolic of the
Gentile nations as in Ezekiel and especially Zech. 2:11 where all the nations of the earth will be
gathered to the God of Israel. This has the far reaching implication of a
universal inclusion of all peoples within God's Kingdom.
Mark Chapter 4:33-34
The Use of Parables [MT 13:34-35]
We might read this
small passage with some degree of relief. Matthew has used this passage with a
needed elaboration from Ps. 78:2-3, which suggests the use of
parables for revealing the mysteries of old to newer generations. In Mark,
Jesus uses only parables to speak to the crowds while explaining everything to
his disciples. it seems some hearers are able to understand the
parables, while others do not or cannot.
Mark 4:35-41 Jesus
Stills the Storm [MT 8:23-27]
Matthew has
made no substantive changes to Mark's passage. Matthew tends to soften the
words of the disciples and make any criticism of their faith less harsh. In
this passage the disciples sound as if they are in a panic. As the boat is
being swamped by waves and in danger of capsizing, Jesus is asleep in the
stern, under the boat's rear platform. The disciples wake him and rhetorically
ask if he cares that they are all about to drown. Jesus does awake, rebukes the
wind, and asks the disciples, "Why are you cowardly? Have you no
faith?" Matthew tones this down, having the disciples call out,
"Lord, save us! We are perishing!" He changes Mark's "Have you
no faith?" to "...you of little faith."
Mark emphasizes the
nature of this storm as a supernatural event. He uses the word
"great" three times: A Great storm (vs. 37), a Great calm (vs.
39), and a Great fear (vs. 41). Such
a life-threatening storm would be understood as demonic in nature. The text in
the Greek reads, "...he rebuked the wind and spoke to the lake and he
said, 'Be still. Be silenced.' and the wind died down and there was a great
calm." In the end the disciples are filled with a great fear (awe in the
presence of the divine), wondering who is this whose power overcomes the power
of the demonic. It is one thing to cast out a demon through exorcism. It is
another to quell the massive force of the demonic in nature.
If we look closely
we will see a remarkable resemblance to the story of Jonah.
Both are journeying
by boat to Gentile territory - Nineveh and the Decapolis
At stake is
delivering God's message to the Gentiles
A massive storm
arises
Jesus and Jonah both
are asleep during the storm
The disciples and
the sailors are very afraid
The water is calmed
by the action of Jesus and God
The disciples and
sailors respond in awe
Comparing
the narrative in both stories we see common uses of words and phrases. It
is apparent that Mark has used the Jonah story as his framework. Whereas God
calms the sea for Jonah, Jesus calms the sea for the disciples. In the next
chapter we will see the fruit of Jesus' journey among the Gentile
Gerasenes.
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Notes
In 1968 a fishing
boat was excavated intact from the Sea of Galilee, not too far from the
shore. It was carbon-dated to the first Century. The boat would have been
similar to that used by Peter and Andrew as well as by James and John. It was
26 1/2 feet long, 7 1/2 feet wide and 4 1/2 feet high. The front and rear would
have been decked. In the stern, where Mark says Jesus slept, there was a large
platform on which the helmsman steered the boat. There was space under the
platform for a person to lie down. The cushion could have been collected sand
bags used for ballast.
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