Without a parable He did not speak to them: the Lampstand, the Scattered Seed, the Mustard Seed

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? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 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. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

- Mark 4:21-34

In yesterday's reading, Jesus preached the parable of the The Sower. In this way, Mark's Gospel introduces us to parables. Later, Jesus explained the parable privately to His disciples, and how each place in which the seed fell and was scattered determined how and whether or not it would sprout, take deep root, and grow and give fruit. He also explained why He spoke in parables, and we get the understanding that Jesus wants those to come to Him who will form the good soil; the mysteries of the kingdom are for those whose hearts can participate in it, and in which the word - His seed - can take root and grow and yield a harvest. Each of us responds individually, and the cycle of growth begins from there. See He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The Parable of the Sower.

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? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." In today's reading, we have a wonderful collection of parables given to us by Mark the Evangelist. A parable is a word-picture. The word in Aramaic or Hebrew also means allegory, riddle or proverb. My study bible notes that, when Jesus says (in yesterday's reading) that "to those who are outside, all things come in parables" might be translated therefore "to those who are outside, all things come in riddles." A riddle intrigues, and depending on the passion it awakens in us, we pursue its meaning and its answer. So is the mystery of the kingdom, the presence of God's reality in our midst. So we begin with the allegory of light. Light is an important spiritual metaphor that has been used often and also in many forms, such as a blazing fire that sends out its energy and warmth, a source of power like the sun that sends its energy everywhere, a lamp that gives reflection onto other things. Here in this allegory of the lampstand and the lamp, Jesus teaches us about that light: it is to be shed everywhere and to illumine all things. This is a sort of parable about the parables: the parables are to open our eyes; they invite us into this kingdom to get to know it and to understand it. And they promise us that all will be revealed. My study bible says, "That which is hidden is the Gospel, the presence of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel, at first a mystery explained only to the disciples, will be revealed to all. Everything done in secret will ultimately be revealed." Those who have ears to hear -- whose hearts are receptive to this word, these parables or riddles -- will see and taste the Kingdom for themselves, that presence.

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. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." And here we are given the first taste of Jesus' promise to those who "have ears to hear." To those who have, more will be given. Those who are outside, because they do not receive by spiritual hearing, shall remain outside. Here's an intriguing idea, one that will surely draw those who are curious, who truly want to know, in. We are responsible, my study bible points out, for our own receptivity. Do we care? Do we desire this? Are our hearts open to this love, this presence and this reality of God? A mystery of this sort calls to us within ourselves, and we are either responsive or are not. Do you care? We must nurture that capacity for hearing within ourselves, and this is a lifetime process.

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." This is an amazingly beautiful allegory about the kingdom and the fruits of our own pursuit of it, our spirituality. It conveys an important mystery and the ways in which that kingdom may grow within us. Without knowing, seed has taken root and begins its yield. We can be as anxious as we want to be, but with our care we don't force this growth - we can but be receptive to it, good soil, nurture it, but the growth is its own secret contained in the seed and the workings of God. But fruits will spring up, the seed bit by bit will bear its own opening up and its own expression in us and in our lives. Grace is at work; we just have to do our part to nurture it. We remember that in Luke's Gospel, Jesus teaches, "The kingdom does not come with careful observation." (Luke 17:20)

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." I do love the parable of the mustard seed, because truly it is so much like my own experience. This tiny seed takes hold somewhere. We may not even be conscious of what it is or was in our lives, but eventually (as in the previous parable above) we begin to take note of its fruits in us, its growth. The large branches, coming from such a small seed, an herb, is as big as a sturdy tree, so that it may even make a place for the birds to nest. I see birds as an allegory to angels, the messengers of the kingdom. A good seed planted, no matter how tiny, may result in the greatest of sturdy shrubs that gives a home to the beauty of God, God's good messages of love and care and mercy, a home to what is good in life and what makes life beautiful for others. Like Jesus' family in the world, Joseph and Mary who cherished and nurtured the Babe who would grow to be known as the Christ, we too can be a place of nurturing and shelter. But the growth remains a mystery, through grace - we just have to be prepared ourselves for receptivity.

My study bible has an important note on the mustard seed parable which I will quote: "Jesus begins with poor fishermen, but in a few years the Christian faith will spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The work of God may involve apparently insignificant people and circumstances, but the possibilities are limitless because of God's power. That being said, Jesus' followers must always be prepared for the 'long haul.' Jewish expectations in Jesus' day were for the Kingdom to appear suddenly and fully. But God's Kingdom takes time to grow and mature through adversity, and when it is fully formed it will be even greater than expected." And, we note, its strength unbreakable in the bond of faith within us.

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. Jesus gives us many parables in order to speak the word, "as we are able to hear it." What does it mean to be able to hear that word, to receive the seed? He will also preach without a parable. But here in Mark's Gospel, as He has just chosen the Twelve Apostles, but has not yet sent them out, we begin to learn with the disciples and apostles what it is to preach and to live with Jesus, to sit at His feet and learn from what He does.

In some sense, He tests the waters. He offers parables, riddles, mysteries - so that those who come by faith, by a seed planted "without observation" within themselves, can "follow Him" and be nurtured and grow in that faith. We will all be tested by adversity as they were (as my study bible points out), just as in yesterday's parable of the Sower. There are things in this world that might choke that seed, cares and anxieties and false loves that deceive us. There are always choices to be made. Will they prove a stumbling block? But the seed, the word, is there. The kingdom, the great mystery that is within us and among us, is there. The question is, are we attuned to its presence? God's grace gives us the workings of this kingdom within us and among us, we but have to be prepared to be good ground, and to continue in the journey of faith, the struggle or the "good fight of faith" as St. Paul put it. How do we hear the word? Something may have happened years or decades ago in your life - but your observation of its fruit or harvest comes much, much later on. Let us remember that above all this kingdom is love, and mercy and patience, joy and peace that "pass understanding." It will nurture and grow in us, change us, but we must be prepared to love it, and provide a place for it in our hearts, to allow its work in us. Can you have ears to hear? When you are alone with "your Father who is in the secret place" is a good time to hear.