Why Parables? March 19
Mark 4:10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’” (from Isaiah 6:9-10)
Jesus has performed miracles of healing and spoken truths that could not be contradicted, such as the exceptions of necessity and mercy for keeping of the Sabbath. He has spoken plainly, made clear statements concerning fasting and forgiveness.
In John 3, Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews (Pharisees) has heard and seen enough to proclaim that Jesus is “a teacher come from God.” (John 3:2).
Nicodemus is an exception among the leaders of Israel, but even he finds it difficult to understand Jesus. What Jesus says to Nicodemus can be said to the great majority of people: “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12)
God had spoken to the people of Israel before Isaiah became a prophet, but they would not understand. They saw but did not perceive, and heard but did not understand, and they did not return (“repent” in the New Testament translation of John the Baptist’s call) to God.
As the generous sower, Jesus casts His seeds of truth plainly at times. And also He speaks at times in parables to make their message more accessible.
But there is no forced entry into the kingdom of God. Only those who are ready to receive it find it.
About Parables March 20
Mark 4:10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10. This passage gives the impression that God’s words through Isaiah are meant to baffle people, to keep them from seeing and understanding. This is not in alignment with the character of God, so we must look more deeply….
A similar situation occurs in Moses’ interactions with Pharaoh. In Exodus 7:13 through Exodus 14:8, there are numerous verses stating that God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (KJV). This sounds as though Pharaoh had no choice, that the king was just God’s puppet.
But that charge is not true. God gave Pharaoh the choice before each plague of letting Israel go or suffering the consequences of refusal. Pharaoh always had a choice and was free to exercise it.
With each denial of Israel’s freedom and the consequences of the resulting plague, Pharaoh became even more intent on keeping Israel in bondage. His heart became increasingly hardened in its position because of Pharaoh’s own desires.
Parables are similar to the Exodus plague stories. The choices are clear, and the reward follows choosing God. Those who refuse to return to God, become even more fixed in their state of rebellion.
The consequences of actions are inevitable, although they may be postponed or hidden for a time.
Willful blindness, inability to hear spiritual insights, paralysis of spiritual action, and loss of touch with the reality of spiritual living, are all metaphors. These are the hardening of the heart, the sclerosis of the will, fixed on a self-destructive course away from God toward a mirage.
Ahead for those who choose not to return is the illusion of freedom. The reality is bondage to poor choices and reaping bad consequences, unaware they hold the key for release from the cycle.
The Parable Explained March 21
Mark 4:13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Jesus finds He must give His disciples a pattern for interpreting parables. And Mark allows us to learn from this example, as well.
“The kingdom of God is at hand” means that the kingdom is all around us. All we have to do is to enter. But to enter, we must leave behind all that does not belong in the kingdom. We must make a conscious decision to be nothing but the fertile ground that that accepts and nourishes the seed of the kingdom.
And the kingdom will accept and nourish us.
The parable of the sower shows how the word of God, given freely to all, perishes when it falls on anything other than a receptive spiritual soil.
Light to Be Shown March 22
Mark 4:21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus launches into a new parable of a lamp. The seed of the previous parable is the light of this one. As everyone understands where to plant seed so that it will grow, so everyone understands where to place a candle or an oil lamp to give the greatest light.
He relates events in normal daily life to the kingdom of heaven. As the hearers of His words discover their meaning in spiritual terms, they learn the truth that Jesus already has stated plainly. But the lesson now has more meaning.
The effort expended in translating daily life to spiritual life helps the hearer to own understanding of the concepts that Jesus speaks and models.
Once the message is understood, the light received, and the truth discovered, it is too much to be quietly contained within. We desire to plant the seed of this discovery in others, and to shine the light on the seed that it may grow.
Being in relationship with God allows us to see the light, to understand the things that are good. When we see clearly, there is no need to prohibit the dark, to make laws against the bad.
Take Heed March 23
Mark 4:24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.
Listen! Listen to the words that Jesus is telling you, disciples. The effort you put into understanding these words will be rewarded.
The reward? More will be given you to understand.
Devote your attention to hearing His words. Let the seed that He is casting land on fertile soil.
When the words fall on sterile ground, they create a pile that accomplishes nothing. The generous sower will let them pile up, but nothing more can be given to those who will not receive. Giving requires receiving, or else nothing can be said to be given.
Whether to receive, to listen - to put aside the lessons of the world and to hear new lessons, spiritual lessons - is a conscious decision.
Those unable or unwilling to hear, to comprehend the truth of the Word, will hear only babble. The truth does not fit into their old wineskin, already thin and stretched. They reject the Word to preserve their limited old understanding.
We must let go of the old wineskin. This is as true today as it was two millennia ago or two millennia into the future.
What Jesus will pour into those who listen will not fit in the confines of the old way of thinking. His words are too large, the meaning too different from the old understanding, too bold for the old mind to hold.
More...or Less March 24
Mark 4:25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
As the hearer stretches the mind to accommodate a new way of thinking, further possibilities for change and growth will open. There is more to the world than what is felt with the hand, seen with the eye, and heard with the ear. The first acceptance of this as a fact opens up a whole realm of possibilities. This realm Mark calls the kingdom of God.
The hearer of the Word is given a new world with new vistas and new understanding. Life becomes more abundant as the spirits of darkness vanish in the light.
With the heart opening to understand the first light of dawn, the concept of light becomes more appealing. Shadows recede as the light rises higher.
As the light is received, it begins to be reflected, also. Something so precious cannot be held within.
And yet the light burns those not used to light. The Word is an offense to eyes used to darkness, to ears hearing only the old language of an old world.
When we hold tightly to what little light we have been willing to receive, when we record only the little bit of the Word we have been willing to hear, our capacity for more is shut down. Without the energizing force of seeing and hearing more, we allow what we held to slip away.
We choose darkness and silence when we close our hearts.
Growing March 25
Mark 4:26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
In the only parable unique to Mark, we again visit the seed, physically planted in the ground (the world) and figuratively planted in the heart (the kingdom of God).
Life is the only source of new life. The sower scatters the living seed, reminiscent of the earlier parable of the sower who casts seed on all types of ground, neglecting none. And time passes.
Root and stem develop as the seed nourishes the new growth. The seed disappears as the roots, stem and foliage become the sources and conduits of nourishment. In time, the plant will bring forth its fruit.
And so it is with the seed of the Spirit planted in the heart. If it finds fertile soil (the willingness to give life to the spirit) and is not overcome by the forces outside (the culture and the people), a wholly new life emerges.
We cannot see or know the workings of the human heart, but we are able to see the effects. The actions and character are external evidence of what has or has not taken place in the heart.
The ripened fruit is the time of harvest into the kingdom of God. Life in this kingdom is peace here and now as intended from the Beginning.
Next day
Mark 4:10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that
‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’” (from Isaiah 6:9-10)
Jesus has performed miracles of healing and spoken truths that could not be contradicted, such as the exceptions of necessity and mercy for keeping of the Sabbath. He has spoken plainly, made clear statements concerning fasting and forgiveness.
In John 3, Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews (Pharisees) has heard and seen enough to proclaim that Jesus is “a teacher come from God.” (John 3:2).
Nicodemus is an exception among the leaders of Israel, but even he finds it difficult to understand Jesus. What Jesus says to Nicodemus can be said to the great majority of people: “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (John 3:12)
God had spoken to the people of Israel before Isaiah became a prophet, but they would not understand. They saw but did not perceive, and heard but did not understand, and they did not return (“repent” in the New Testament translation of John the Baptist’s call) to God.
As the generous sower, Jesus casts His seeds of truth plainly at times. And also He speaks at times in parables to make their message more accessible.
But there is no forced entry into the kingdom of God. Only those who are ready to receive it find it.
About Parables March 20
Mark 4:10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10. This passage gives the impression that God’s words through Isaiah are meant to baffle people, to keep them from seeing and understanding. This is not in alignment with the character of God, so we must look more deeply….
A similar situation occurs in Moses’ interactions with Pharaoh. In Exodus 7:13 through Exodus 14:8, there are numerous verses stating that God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (KJV). This sounds as though Pharaoh had no choice, that the king was just God’s puppet.
But that charge is not true. God gave Pharaoh the choice before each plague of letting Israel go or suffering the consequences of refusal. Pharaoh always had a choice and was free to exercise it.
With each denial of Israel’s freedom and the consequences of the resulting plague, Pharaoh became even more intent on keeping Israel in bondage. His heart became increasingly hardened in its position because of Pharaoh’s own desires.
Parables are similar to the Exodus plague stories. The choices are clear, and the reward follows choosing God. Those who refuse to return to God, become even more fixed in their state of rebellion.
The consequences of actions are inevitable, although they may be postponed or hidden for a time.
Willful blindness, inability to hear spiritual insights, paralysis of spiritual action, and loss of touch with the reality of spiritual living, are all metaphors. These are the hardening of the heart, the sclerosis of the will, fixed on a self-destructive course away from God toward a mirage.
Ahead for those who choose not to return is the illusion of freedom. The reality is bondage to poor choices and reaping bad consequences, unaware they hold the key for release from the cycle.
The Parable Explained March 21
Mark 4:13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Jesus finds He must give His disciples a pattern for interpreting parables. And Mark allows us to learn from this example, as well.
“The kingdom of God is at hand” means that the kingdom is all around us. All we have to do is to enter. But to enter, we must leave behind all that does not belong in the kingdom. We must make a conscious decision to be nothing but the fertile ground that that accepts and nourishes the seed of the kingdom.
And the kingdom will accept and nourish us.
The parable of the sower shows how the word of God, given freely to all, perishes when it falls on anything other than a receptive spiritual soil.
Light to Be Shown March 22
Mark 4:21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus launches into a new parable of a lamp. The seed of the previous parable is the light of this one. As everyone understands where to plant seed so that it will grow, so everyone understands where to place a candle or an oil lamp to give the greatest light.
He relates events in normal daily life to the kingdom of heaven. As the hearers of His words discover their meaning in spiritual terms, they learn the truth that Jesus already has stated plainly. But the lesson now has more meaning.
The effort expended in translating daily life to spiritual life helps the hearer to own understanding of the concepts that Jesus speaks and models.
Once the message is understood, the light received, and the truth discovered, it is too much to be quietly contained within. We desire to plant the seed of this discovery in others, and to shine the light on the seed that it may grow.
Being in relationship with God allows us to see the light, to understand the things that are good. When we see clearly, there is no need to prohibit the dark, to make laws against the bad.
Take Heed March 23
Mark 4:24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.
Listen! Listen to the words that Jesus is telling you, disciples. The effort you put into understanding these words will be rewarded.
The reward? More will be given you to understand.
Devote your attention to hearing His words. Let the seed that He is casting land on fertile soil.
When the words fall on sterile ground, they create a pile that accomplishes nothing. The generous sower will let them pile up, but nothing more can be given to those who will not receive. Giving requires receiving, or else nothing can be said to be given.
Whether to receive, to listen - to put aside the lessons of the world and to hear new lessons, spiritual lessons - is a conscious decision.
Those unable or unwilling to hear, to comprehend the truth of the Word, will hear only babble. The truth does not fit into their old wineskin, already thin and stretched. They reject the Word to preserve their limited old understanding.
We must let go of the old wineskin. This is as true today as it was two millennia ago or two millennia into the future.
What Jesus will pour into those who listen will not fit in the confines of the old way of thinking. His words are too large, the meaning too different from the old understanding, too bold for the old mind to hold.
More...or Less March 24
Mark 4:25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
As the hearer stretches the mind to accommodate a new way of thinking, further possibilities for change and growth will open. There is more to the world than what is felt with the hand, seen with the eye, and heard with the ear. The first acceptance of this as a fact opens up a whole realm of possibilities. This realm Mark calls the kingdom of God.
The hearer of the Word is given a new world with new vistas and new understanding. Life becomes more abundant as the spirits of darkness vanish in the light.
With the heart opening to understand the first light of dawn, the concept of light becomes more appealing. Shadows recede as the light rises higher.
As the light is received, it begins to be reflected, also. Something so precious cannot be held within.
And yet the light burns those not used to light. The Word is an offense to eyes used to darkness, to ears hearing only the old language of an old world.
When we hold tightly to what little light we have been willing to receive, when we record only the little bit of the Word we have been willing to hear, our capacity for more is shut down. Without the energizing force of seeing and hearing more, we allow what we held to slip away.
We choose darkness and silence when we close our hearts.
Growing March 25
Mark 4:26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
In the only parable unique to Mark, we again visit the seed, physically planted in the ground (the world) and figuratively planted in the heart (the kingdom of God).
Life is the only source of new life. The sower scatters the living seed, reminiscent of the earlier parable of the sower who casts seed on all types of ground, neglecting none. And time passes.
Root and stem develop as the seed nourishes the new growth. The seed disappears as the roots, stem and foliage become the sources and conduits of nourishment. In time, the plant will bring forth its fruit.
And so it is with the seed of the Spirit planted in the heart. If it finds fertile soil (the willingness to give life to the spirit) and is not overcome by the forces outside (the culture and the people), a wholly new life emerges.
We cannot see or know the workings of the human heart, but we are able to see the effects. The actions and character are external evidence of what has or has not taken place in the heart.
The ripened fruit is the time of harvest into the kingdom of God. Life in this kingdom is peace here and now as intended from the Beginning.
Next day