Mark 4 (Jesus teaching with parables)

The key verse for this chapter sums up the chapter fairly well.

Mark 4:34 (ESV)
He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

I subtitled Mark 4 "Using Stories". It is built on the 'U' of Jesus is the Ransom (our chapter outline acronym). To add to the memory hook, each outline point has a 'u' first word and an 's' second word.

• Using a Sower
• Using a Shining Light
• Using a Seed
• Using a Storm

Brief Commentary

Using a Sower
Church health strategies, church growth initiatives, church-wide evangelism programs......one out of four. Jesus teaches that the ratio of people who receive the Gospel and trust Him to those who ultimately reject Him is 1 out of four. And this is Jesus talking. It's the ratio that He saw in His own ministry. People (including me) tend to overlook the fact that people rejected Jesus all the time in the Gospels. Even some who followed Him, whom John calls 'disciples', turned away and stopped following Him (John 6:66). And this is after walking with Jesus Himself. How can this inspire my ministry? The numbers don't look so good. I must remember when I'm preaching, teaching, counseling, leading, confronting, evangelizing, shepherding, and contending that even if I use the exact words that Jesus Himself would have used........one out of four. Even if I give the same counsel that Jesus Himself would give, some will reject it. Even if I use the same strategy of evangelism that Jesus would use, some will reject it.
My job? I need to walk with Jesus so that I do lead and speak in the very character and mind of Jesus.....and trust the response to God. I must be true to Jesus and His Word.....and trust the response to God. I must proclaim the truth and beauty of the Gospel of Jesus to the crowds and to individuals (to all who have ears to hear, v9).......and trust the response to God. Then, should He call someone and they repent of their sin and follow Jesus, we obey His commission; make disciples and baptize them.

Using a Shining Light
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.....hide it under a bushel, NO..." If the Gospel is a life-giving light, we must let it 'shine' in our lives. If we don't then we won't see where to go, and we'll never be able to help others see where to go either.

2 Peter 1:19 (ESV)
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, (italics mine)

Using a Seed
There are actually two 'seed' parables back-to-back in this chapter. The first is about how a seed (apparently the Gospel seed similar to the one sown in the vv 1-20) grows. Jesus teaches that a man sows the seed, but he doesn't know how it grows. But it does. And when it is ripe, the man brings in the harvest. This echoes what Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV)
⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

God is the originator of the Seed itself (the truth of the Gospel), but has given it to us to proclaim. God is the instigator of salvation (He alone saves people), but He has given us a role in the 'watering'. God is the initiator of growth (Holy Spirit working in us) but He commanded us to make disciples in His name. We are to sow, bring Christ to people, and make disciples. But the power of all of this lies with God alone.

The second seed parable seems to compare the growth of the Church to that of a mustard seed. Although the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, it can grow into a large plant. Jesus' mission has played this out. His investment and training into a few men grew into a world-wide church that continues to carry out His mission today.

Verses 33 and 34 are confounding and yet comforting. Jesus taught with parables. He taught that way to the crowds to (among other things) test to see who was hungry. Then He took His disciples aside and explained it to them. He walked with them and taught them continually. Even if they didn't know it at the time, the kingdom rested on their shoulders (by the grace of God). He wanted to make sure they got it.

Using a Storm
Jesus got tired. I can't believe that He was just 'faking' being asleep, or that (as some would suppose) He just 'appeared' to be tired in order to better relate to His men. He was tired. He walked a lot, taught a lot, it was hot, and working with people is draining. So after a hard day of teaching, preaching, healing, and ministering....He wanted to get out on the water and take a nap.

And a storm came up. But He still slept. So He was either REALLY tired, or His disciples were freaking out over a storm that wasn't really that bad. Either way, they were scared, He was asleep. They wake Him up, accuse Him of not caring if they live or die, and then He displays the power of His Word.

'Peace! Be still!'

Done. No more storm.

But instead of just going back to sleep, He used this moment to challenge His men.

Mark 4:40 (ESV)
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Faith. They heard Him. They followed Him. They walked all over the place with Him.

But did they trust Him?
Did they really believe Him?
Did they know Who He was?

Jesus let them get to the point of despair and then used the moment to drive home His point; remember who I am, and trust Me.

It seemed to take a long time for His own men to really trust Him. They had to walk with Him and follow Him. They had to learn, and sometimes re-learn. They had to believe who He was and what He was sent to do. Only then could they truly be disciples of Jesus.