Posts
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 round, 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 was again teaching by the sea. Such a great multitude was gathered on the shore to hear Him that He taught from a boat in the water. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 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, 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.'" And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. 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. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 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. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 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. 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."
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." My study bible says, "Christ discloses truth, He does not hide it. His truth is like light, for it reveals all mysteries and exposes all secrets. 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 (Luke 8:16-18). Everything done in secret will ultimately be revealed (Luke 12:1-3)." If we think about it, Christ Himself, in His full identity, is sort of "hidden in plain sight" among them, before the people. He is the Christ and He lives His life as such, yet without announcement. But here He promises us truth. He repeats again, as in yesterday's reading, the emphasis on our own capability to hear what is really there to hear, "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." My study bible says, "A call to attentive listening and discriminating response, both requisites for understanding and experiencing the truth of Christ. We must not only hear but hear properly. More will be given to those who respond to Jesus with open hearts; they will grow in understanding. 'Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you' (St. Mark the Ascetic, 6th century)." It adds: "Satan, not God, takes away the Word that was sown in hearts too hard to receive it [see yesterday's reading and explanation of the parable of the Sower]. But to those who are able to receive His Word, God gives even more." The other thing to note here is the reciprocal quality of Christ's teaching, which we will find often in the Gospels, referring again to our own initiative in discipleship, our responsiveness to His teachings.
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." Here's a subtle kind of metaphor teaching us about this process, and referring to what's required of us on our part. The man scatters the seed, but it is a mysterious -- or, in our case, we should call it a mystical -- process by which the seed sprouts and grows. But we reap the harvest at the right time. My study bible says, "The kingdom of God is like the seed which by the power of God produces a harvest. This is an image of the mysterious working of the Kingdom -- beyond human measures and expectations. This parable appears only in Mark."
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 round, 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." My study bible has an elaborate note here: "The parable of the mustard seed contrasts humble beginnings with a bountiful crop. 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 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. Another note reads, "Jesus spoke in parables as they were able to hear. Had the people turned to God in their hearts, their understanding would have cleared. People are accountable even for what they do not understand." It also points out that on other occasions, He taught the people without a parable -- but here it is true, that He doesn't speak to the people without a parable.
We get, in today's reading, a gradual sense of revelation. Jesus starts out with His Galilean ministry, in the final few years of His life. Even His family are overwhelmed and believe He is beside Himself. But eventually, His identity is revealed and proclaimed. This is an action that expresses the images in today's reading, and it is just one aspect of the truth of these parables about the Kingdom. Just as my study bible pointed out that Jesus' parable of the Mustard Seed would prove true in the unfolding and spread of the Gospel and the Church, so we can see its truth in our own lives, and in countless other ways in which this mysterious process works. Whether out into the world, or else deeply within us, or in a kind of intersection of both, Jesus' parables about the revelation and spread of the Gospel and of His faith, building in us as a trust, holds true. The parable of the Mustard Seed is found in all three synoptic Gospels, and it is one that is very dear to my heart. Perhaps it's just this image of the birds of the air taking rest in its branches and under its shade that makes it quite tender and more than just a metaphor about growth. It also teaches us about the tenderness of the teachings of Christ. This isn't a kingdom that is going to overpower and overwhelm anybody; it is one whose power, at work within us, is dependent upon the spark of faith in our own hearts to initiate its power. It's one that initiates beauty and love and truth that speaks to us of offering shade even to the birds, a kind of parable hidden in the parable about the "mother" Church, its nurturing and its giving. Jesus tells us so much in a few simple words, and I can't even begin to touch upon all the meanings it holds and all the teachings it contains. Like a mustard seed itself, it contains so many things in its potentials that are still hidden, to be revealed, for us to discover. In this mustard seed is the strength of the sturdy shrub where birds of the air can nest, is the multiplicity and endless creativity and boundless life at work in the Spirit and the mysterious process by which it all happens. But the mustard seed is to be found in us, and Jesus also tells us of our faith as small as the mustard seed, and what that can accomplish. Let us remember the reciprocal nature of this Kingdom. It requires something on our part, and its great power does the rest.
