Category Archives: Mark

Kingdom of God, Mark, Maturity, Predestination, The Word of God

Mark 4:1-20 The parable of the soils

Discussion question:

What is the biggest threat to your faith (or spiritual well-being)?

Read Mark 4:1-20

Context

Mark’s gospel began quickly. Both John and Jesus’ preaching ministry was about repentance and belief that the kingdom of God has come near. Jesus has attracted attention from all around through his healing ministry but he has said that the reason he has come is to preach.

He has called a group of disciples to follow him and has already stirred up trouble with regard to understanding the Sabbath. One stand out event so far was the healing of a paralyzed man where Jesus declared himself able to forgive sins – like only God can!

He has declared the those who do God’s will are included in his family.

Observation

Structure

  • Ready to teach in parables (1-2)
  • The parable told (3-8)
  • The problem with parables (9-13)
  • The parable explained (14-20)

Ready to teach in parables (1-2)

“Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.” Lake Galilee is where he has preached before and has been referenced previously. Mk 1:45, 2:13, 3:7. The first reference doesn’t mention a lake but the second implies that he has preached by a lake before. He was not able to preach in the synagogues since Mark 1:45.

“The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat…” This seems like a very practical way of creating a natural staged area where he faced the whole crowd and wasn’t engulfed. The point here is that it was a practical solution.


“He taught them many things by parables…” As stories go, they begin with setting a scene before they introduce the problem. Verse 2 can be seen as the problem of this narrative. Yes, he will tell a parable and then explain the parable and we will learn a great message from the parable…but the problem in this narrative is that he teaches in parables. This is made clear by verse 2 and verses 9-13. The parable is one layer of the story but the outer layer is that the kingdom is being revealed to those who God reveals it to.

The parable told (3-8)

“Listen!” This is not an incidental word. Verse 9 ends the parable with Jesus’ challenge to hear if you can! Can we listen?

“…some fell on…” Verses 3-8 are not challenging to listen to on a literal level. He speaks easy words to understand which you can draw on paper. Jesus explains the parable later, but for now, we just observe the four stages of his story. 1) a path 2) rocky places 3) thorns and 4) good soil. Drawing them out can be very helpful. How many of the four scenarios are commendable?

The problem with parables (9-13)

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” This is the challenge from Jesus. He began with “Listen!” and ends with “Did you listen?” 

“When he was alone… the others around him…” It seems odd to describe him as alone and yet accompanied by the 12 and others. Assuming that the writer is not an idot, this means that the large crowd of verse 1 was gone and now Jesus was alone – with those who were travelling with him.

“The secret of the kingdom of God…” Jesus’ first recorded words in Mark were “Repent for the kingdom of God has come near.” Now he talks about the secret of the kingdom of God. The key word here is secret. Paul will talk about the mystery of God which has now been revealed in Jesus (Eph 1:9; Col 1:26-27; 2:2). Jesus is the mystery of the kingdom revealed. He is the word of God. He will stand right before everybody and only those who will listen will see him.

“…has been given to you. But to those on the outside…” Jesus will speak plainly to his disciples but speak in parables elsewhere. These disciples will take the mysteries and give them to the world. Even then, only those who have ears will hear.

“They may be ever seeing but never perceiving…” Isaiah 6:9-10 are referenced here. There is not a word for word quote but idea for idea. Notably the original quote says healed rather than forgiven. When Jesus came, the big idea for God’s salvation was honed in toward forgiveness rather than prosperity. The idea is that the kingdom of God has come near – but who will enter? Once you understand grace and who Jesus is truly, and embrace him, the kingdom of God makes so much sense like you can’t understand why everybody else has a difficulty seeing it! It’s not rocket science. But people are kept from believing because of the deception of wickedness (2 Thess 2:10).

“Don’t you understand this parable?” The problem of the narrative of Mark 4:1-20 is about understanding and hearing. The good soils will be those who hear and embrace the truth – the word of God. What prevents producing crops in the kingdom is closed ears.

“How can you understand any parable?” I’ve come to notice that Jesus asks rhetorical questions from time to time (eg, Mk 10:18) but we actually need to answer the question! How will we understand any parable? What is the answer to that? Isn’t it that Jesus will tell us? That the word itself will explain it? How do can we have ears to hear? We must turn them on and turn to the bible and listen. The bible will explain what the bible means. There is more to it: The Spirit, who the Son and the Father sent, will lead us into all truth. There is an act of grace in having the secrets to the kingdom of God revealed. It takes the mercy of God. But on our par, it takes turning on our brain and opening our ears and listening to the bible. Jesus explained the parable to the disciples! That is how they would understand the parable.

The parable explained (14-20)

“…like seed along the path, where the word is sown.” The combination of the seed and the path are in focus. The seed is the word of God. God speaking. The bible. Sometimes when the word of God is shared, it falls on the path.

“…as soon as they hear it…” This is how the word is sown, by sharing it to those who can hear it.

“…Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” This is both sudden and criminal. Satan steals it away. The hearer treats it as junk. Message heard and ignored or ridiculed.

“…on rocky places…at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time.” These hearers receive the word of God with joy. It pleases them. Like a lovely and comforting story. Not immediately discarded but heard with a smile on their face.

“…when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” Can Christians fall away? Not if they remain! But hearers with shallow roots quickly retreat when tested or challenged. Their understanding of the gospel is shallow. Any number of arguments or alternate options can knock them off their faith. Paul celebrated the church in Colossae because they had hear the true gospel and truly understood the grace of God (Col 1:3-8).

“…seed sown among the thorns…” The challenge to the third group is the struggles and worries of this life. If group 2 are easily challenged by their faith, group 3 are overwhelmed by the distractions of this world. Finances, ambition, entertainment, idolatry, everything else comes before Jesus. Colossians 1:15ff talks about the priority of Christ for life and salvation. 

“…worries of life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word…” Matthew 6:19-33 contains Jesus’ advice to stop worrying and seek first the kingdom of God.

“…making it unfruitful.” The first three scenarios are unacceptable outcomes. It is not good enough to be 2 because it is better than 1! All three end in the same result – the word of God produces no fruit in them.

“…hear…accept…produce a crop…” This is the lesson. Listen. Adopt. Do.

“…some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” The word of God does not stop with this one person but produces more. Both good works and more seed sown by the farmer. The Twelve listening to Jesus will produce an international church that has not and will not end until Christ returns.

Suggested questions for running this study

Q1. Verses 1 and 2 set the scene for Jesus’ sermon. What stands out in the description of this scene?

Q2. Draw the parable as explained in Verses 3-8. Which of the four scenes are commendable?

Q3. What does Jesus reveal to be the real problem here according to verses 9-13?

Q4. Talk about each type of soil where the word is planted. What are the differences between all three? And which of the four soils are fruitful?

Meaning

The kingdom of God is about hearing the gospel (Jesus the mystery of God revealed). To unlock the secret of the kingdom of God we need to listen, adopt and do what it says – like it is worth listening to (not to be stolen or discarded), like it is rich in knowledge and truth (deep roots), and like it is of highest priority (not strangled by the things of this world. Jesus is offering us the keys to the kingdom. What we need to do is stop and listen – have ears to hear and do what it says!

Application

Challenge#1 – Sharing the word to those who don’t care.

There will be many who don’t know what to do with the message of the gospel. It will be either white noise to them or they will be repulsed and hate every word of it. Our task is not to only plant where there will be fruit, but to speak the word everywhere. There is nobody on the planet that doesn’t need to hear the gospel and have a chance to listen.

Challenge#2 – Hearing the depths of the gospel.

Simply knowing that God loves you and that Jesus is awesome is not enough to sustain you in your faith. Believing that church is lovely but not knowing your bible well is not a healthy place for anybody. The word of God is written for adults to dig deep and understand as well as for children to read and grasp. But we don’t want to remain children in the faith. The knowledge of God is vast and the bible is filled with robust theology. It can handle scrutiny and can stand the test of time. Only shallow readers and mockers think that it is not worth reading and knowing or that Jesus is only 2 dimensional. Set goals to continue to grow in your knowledge of God and his word.

Challenge#3 – Riches I heed not nor man’s empty praise

Knowing what the Kingdom of God is about ought to set our compass on eternal things and not the things of this earth. Read Matthew 6:19-34; or Luke 12:22-31; or Colossians 3:1-18 during the week to pray about seeking our eternal treasure and setting our minds on heavenly things and not on earthly things. Write a list of all the things that fill your mind regularly with worry and take them all to God in slow and concentrated prayer. Cast your anxiety on him and seek first the kingdom of God. Once you have ears to hear, it makes perfect sense.

Mark, Maturity

Mark 8:31-38

Losses and gains – crosses and chains

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:36

Context

This week’s study is on the topic of Christian maturity. It does not fit into a series of other studies and yet it does naturally follow on from our focus on mission and proclaiming the word of God to the world around us. When you come to Christ to be saved, then what? If salvation is by grace alone, is there no change required from us? If there is change required, since repentance demands it, what does that change look like?

In Mark’s gospel, the author wants to outline to us the good news about Jesus the Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Right in the middle of the book, after 8 chapters of hearing clues about who Jesus is, Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the promised King of God (Mark 8:27-30). The disciples, who had given up everything to follow Jesus and learn from him, could now see that Jesus is God’s chosen One. Their eyes are opened and Jesus is ready to let them in on the rest of his plans!

Observation

Structure

  • 31-33 The concerns of God
  • 34-38 The concerns of a Disciple

31-33 The concerns of God

“…began to teach them…” This is the primary concern of Jesus to his Disciples – that he teach them. Indeed, Jesus’ ministry is focused, not on healings and miracles but on his teaching.

“Son of Man” To be a ‘son of man’ is simply to be human (Daniel 8:17) but this title echos back to Daniel 7(:13-14) where the Son of Man is described as deity – one who will come to rule over everything. Jesus clearly has in mind someone great prophesied about. He is teaching his disciples about the plans of God.

“…must suffer many things…” Jesus is explaining what will happen as he knows it. Isaiah 53 is one place which predicts the Servant King’s sufferings but Jesus is being more explicit than what the Old Testament foretold in any singular place. Jesus knows that he is going to the cross.

“…looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter.” Although Peter’s rebuke appeared to be in private, Jesus made no attempt to keep Peter’s rebuke quiet. Peter was not proposing what they ought to have for dinner but that Jesus ought to abort the mission God sent him to do.

“…concerns of God…concerns of men…” Although Peter was able to see with clarity that Jesus is the Christ, he doesn’t see what God intends to do. Peter doesn’t know the future like Jesus does but his heart is on show here. Avoiding conflict or preserving one’s life is not the primary directive. Following God wherever he will lead is primary.

“…Satan…human concerns.” Notice how tightly bound these two forces are. If we are not for God, we are against him. Call it man versus God or Satan versus God. If you are not for God you are against him.

This section concerns God’s plans for Jesus to go to the cross. The following passages expound this plan of God to give us life through the cross of Christ – Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 2:24; Hebrews 9:28; Colossians 1:15-23 (esp. v19). God’s plans and concerns are for the Christ is to bring salvation by way of the cross. But what is God’s intention for the disciple?

34-38 The concerns of a Disciple

“…the crowd…along with his disciples…” Jesus moves from a private moment with his 12 to a moment to teach anyone who is willing to listen.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple…” An open invitation is given. Jesus is about to teach anyone who is willing to listen how they may become a disciple if they want to.

“…must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Three parts of the same lesson. To be a disciple is to follow Jesus. It means to be a learner of him. The only way to do that is to put to death our former selves and learn all over again. Our lives are no longer to be the centre of the universe. Our minds must be set on opportunities to love others sacrificially. The New Testament writers talked about this as dying with Christ. If we want to be a disciple of Jesus, we must die with him. So, three things: let go of survival instincts, go where Jesus sends you, and learn from him. Sound attractive? Well, gospel logic is the reverse of the world’s logic and Jesus talks about that next.

“…save their life will lose it…loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark Twain apparently once said, “it ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” The context of that quote probably served a different meaning but Jesus says things often that are not difficult to understand – they’re just outrageously challenging. If I want to live and have life, I need to trust Jesus and let it go. If I don’t want to trust Jesus nor have anything that he is offering, then I will instinctively live for me. This doesn’t mean I’ll be totally selfish and a bad person. I may be very kind and considerate of others but ultimately I will seek to survive and thrive and be true to me. The Christian worldview is that God is the creator and I am his creation; that I have sinned and fallen short of his expectations; that Christ has paid my debt to God and expects no repayment; that for me to have life, I must live for Christ.

“…gain the whole world?” If our treasures are here in this world then that is what our hearts will be set on and the best we can get is exactly what we’ve hoped for – treasure here. Even Solomon saw that life was meaningless without God.

“…forfeit their soul?” Those ‘crossroads’ stories of selling your soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune come to mind. Jesus is giving us the same message in different ways: seeking heaven now on your own terms discredits you from eternal life. To forfeit something is to make you disqualified. You can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:19-24).

“Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” The irony of what Jesus is saying here must be pointed out. He is telling us that there is nothing more precious than your soul – your inner being. So, take care of it by losing your life. Let God be your salvation. Jesus is telling us to sacrifice our own life to make Jesus King but that by knowing that Jesus is King, we sacrifice our fleeting life for the sake of our own soul.

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words…” Here is the gospel: our boldness and surety in Jesus today is our forecast for the future. How does being ashamed of Jesus and his words play out in life? Awkwardness to talk about him? A hidden faith?

“…in this adulterous and sinful generation…” This is describing an age rather than a demographic like Gen X. This world, since the beginning, have demonstrated adultery and sinfulness or wickedness. This is the opposite of what Jesus is calling his disciples to be. He says deny yourself while the world says be true to yourself.

“…when he comes…” Jesus is not thinking of his current arrival into the world, but of his second coming. He has eternity in mind. Mark 9:1 may have the resurrection and cross in mind as the coming of the kingdom of God, but in Mark 8:38 he describes coming with the holy angels.

The concern for Jesus’ disciples is to hand their lives over to him. Jesus makes his simple point over and over again in these 5 verses in multiple ways. If you want to be embraced by Jesus then embrace him now and do away with everything else. Being a disciple, follower, learner of Jesus is an all in commitment. If a person is concerned for their soul, then entrust it to Jesus to be taught, shaped, exercised and saved. Read these New Testament verses on this subject: Romans 6:1-14 (esp. v1-4); Colossians 3:1-4 (and the rest of the chapter); Ephesians 2:1-5; Luke 14:25-33.

Meaning

God’s concern is to save people through the death and resurrection of Jesus and he calls on us to share the same concern for ourselves. Following Jesus is a radical and complete commitment. If we want to be a disciple of Christ, we must follow him completely, unashamedly and faithfully. We forfeit our souls when we share the same concerns the world has.

Application

  • Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). Jesus said that anyone who is ashamed of him and his words are disqualified from the kingdom of heaven. Discuss how these statements affect your life. What are some examples of being ashamed of Jesus and what are some examples of being unashamed?
  • Do you think of yourself as a disciple of Jesus? Discuss what a modern day disciple of Jesus looks like. Is it possible to be a Christian but not a disciple? Matthew 28:18-20 may help this discussion.
  • The concerns of God or the concerns of men. How do we foster lives which are bound up with the concerns of God?

Prayer of the Week

Dear God and Father, thank you for the concerns that you have for the people of this world and the desire for us to see our greatest need which is in Jesus. Help us, we pray, to lose our lives and be concerned for the things that you are concerned about. May we love Jesus dearly, obey him yearly and follow him clearly. Amen.

Mark

Mark 2:13-17 Jesus calls us to follow

We are in the middle of mission week. We heard last week how Jesus tells us what our greatest need is – forgiveness of sin. This week, in mark 2:13-17 we see how Jesus demonstrates the need for forgiveness to reach for beyond our comfort zone.
This is a shortened blog and I challenge you to grapple with this short passage and decide where it challenges your own life. Consider, by yourself and with your group, these few questions.

1) At the beginning if this passage, and in last weeks section, what is it that Jesus is busy doing? How does your answer challenge your week?

2) Jesus told Levi to follow him, and he did. How did Jesus call you to follow him? What about the stories of people in your group – have they got a story to share?

3) Jesus ate with Levi and a large number of people – some were known as sinners and tax collectors. It’s not that the whole crowd were – but it’s significant that some, perhaps many were. What type of people do you think that describes? How does this challenge us as a church and yourself in your engagement with people?

4) Jesus said that he came to call… He wasn’t simply dining out – in fact, the Son of God was slumming in his mission to call the sick. We heard last week that our greatest need is forgiveness. How does Jesus’ demonstrate an urgency for uncomfortable mission?

I hope this is enough to get conversation going. Be aware, as I’m sure you are, that we are amongst the sinners and tax collectors who Jesus came to heal. Your group is filled with them and many are slow to respond when Jesus calls. Pray for the people in your growth group.
Your brother in Christ,
Simon