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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 rest 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, we read that Jesus again began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 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 depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched; and 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." A note in my study bible tells us: "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 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." We recall from yesterday's reading the notion of perception of the heart, and Jesus' frequent references back to Isaiah, even in the statement, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." A note here tells us that this passage is "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)." We recall from Matthew's Gospel: "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." The growth of the Kingdom in the heart is "good treasure" that can be brought forth. Referring back to the parable of the Sower, told in yesterday's reading, my study bible notes that "Satan, not God, takes away the Word that was sown in hearts too hard to receive it. But to those who are able to receive His Word, God gives even more."
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." A note 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." The parables teach us of this mysterious process of the growth of the Kingdom. Let us remember the importance of the heart as a sense of the perception in the center of who we are, that place where the Kingdom grows. It's not our doing, but nevertheless we see its results, its growth.
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 rest under its shade." A note says, "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. My study bible says, "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."
But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. A note tells us here: "this is true here, but not at all times of His ministry. On other occasions, Jesus did teach the people without a parable."
Let us build on yesterday's parable of the Sower, because that is precisely what the Gospel is doing here. Jesus is teaching about the power of this kind of perception of the heart, and emphasizing its crucial role in our faith -- in the understanding of the mysteries (or secrets, a kind of hidden knowledge) of the Kingdom. What is it to really perceive and understand? What is it to truly hear with the spiritual ears to hear that Jesus keeps talking about? The idea that those who have will receive more is a teaching about perception, or the ability to perceive. With a little comes more. But with none, comes nothing. It's like an initiation into something; but without the initiation, without this capacity, what will be received? And there is more to this mysterious process; it's not up to us to grow it. It grows almost unexpected, unannounced, through mysterious processes helped along by creation and Creator. The lampstand and the light is the promise of all of this. It's a promise of what is possible for those with eyes to see. The mustard seed parable teaches us about the promise of growth: it will be unexpected and strong, and capable of producing much more than is evident at first sight of these little seeds. The nests of the birds of the air are like a promise of the messengers of God that may reside and take shelter in the branches of the sturdy shrub or tree that results. Let's remember mustard is also a potent spice that warms and brightens and enhances whatever it is used with. But again, we come back to parables themselves as a metaphor for the perception of the Kingdom. It all depends on what we are capable of receiving. What may not look like much (say, a simple parable about a mustard seed, or a farmer who scatters seeds and they mysteriously grow into a great harvest) can yield us an incredible amount if we but allow these seeds of simple parable to do their work in us. Christ is signalling that with a little, we may receive a lot. The depth and breadth and growth of this Kingdom within us will be surprising. But it all depends on our reception, our initial capacity to begin to hear, to care about what spiritual light may begin to show us things we didn't know. Our faith becomes challenged in our willingness to learn, to be receptive. Let us remember: "With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given." But if we are truly empty of these things, He promises that even what we have will be taken away. In the heart, the desire for what is on offer becomes the great gift and promise. But so much depends on whether we care to hear. This will always be our challenge.
