Mark 5
-Jesus teaches from the boat in the sea many parables for
the masses that were gathered as curious observers in these times of Messianic
fulfillment. Most did not recognize Him, but they knew He was something special,
even abnormal, given to them. Jesus explained everything to His followers and
disciples. He wasn’t trying to hide things with His parables, but He did want
people to seek out the deeper meaning and explore what the Truth was all about.
That is why He would say, “To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of
God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while
seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not
understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven (Mark 4:11-12, 33-34).”
He spent time giving agricultural parables (an earthly story with a
heavenly/spiritual meaning). Some got it, when they asked, sook, and knocked
(Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9). Others left their misunderstandings alone and walked
away still clueless and unforgiven. Christ’s mission centered on the belief of
the individual answering His call for change in the heart.
-He gave them a fundamental parable at the beginning
concerning the sower and the soils (Matthew 4:13). The sower sows the Word of
God. Some seed falls on the hardened road where Satan comes and easily takes
away the Word which has been sown in them. Some seed falls on shallow places
where rocks are underneath. The Word is received immediately with joy, and
springs up looking like a healthy plant. But, it has no firm root to nourish it
to make it last. This person has a temporary experience of tasting the Word of
the LORD (Hebrews 6:4-8), but when persecution or affliction comes their way,
they fall away as apostates. There was really never any relationship here in
this second type of soil. Some seed falls on a third type of soil that is
infested with thorns, or contaminants, to a healthy plant. The thorns, which
are described as the worries of the world (or age), the deceitfulness of
riches, and the desires for other things rather than God, choke out the Word
and these individuals become unfruitful. There is great debate on whether or
not these will enter the Kingdom of God. On one hand they could be carnal
Christians (1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:1-16). On the other, they may not actually
have a real-authentic relationship with the Savior (Matthew 7:21, John 15). The
last soil is the desired good soil. These people hear the Word of God, accept
it in repentance and life change by faith, and bear fruit according to their
giftings and talents, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold (Mark 4:3-20).
-Jesus went on to teach about letting the Light that we have
in Him shine for all to see using the analogy of a lamp in relation to a
lampstand. No one would put their light under a bed, but expose that
illumination for all to see. Jesus went on to say that He would be the One to
bring all things to light, nothing in the end will be hidden or secret; it will
all be revealed. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:21-23).”
-The next line of reasoning has Jesus telling the crowd to “Take
care what you listen to.” Obedience to His Words will begin a growth process
that will grow the Kingdom of God. Whoever wants more and more of it will be
rewarded. Those who reject it, though they be religious, will never have and in
the end have eternity taken from them (Mark 4:24-25). The Kingdom of God is
like a man who puts his seed out on the soil. He doesn’t have to work for his
increase. He goes to sleep while the divine process takes effect. The seed
spouts and grows, but the person really has no clue as to how it happened. The
soil (the Holy Spirit) produces the results by itself (Itself), the blade
first, then the head, and then the mature grain in the head. When the crop is
ready, it is harvested with the sickle of judgment because the harvest has
come. Only those who have a Savior, which is Christ the Lord, will survive this
(Mark 4:26-29). Another picture of the Kingdom of God is given with the analogy
of the mustard seed. A mustard seed begins very, very small when it is cast
upon the soil, but it grows into a mighty tree larger than all the garden
plants that surround it and form large branches so that birds can nest (rest)
in its shade (Mark 4:30-32).
-Now on that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let
us go over to the other side.” They would cross the Sea of Galilee that night
with another lesson from the Creator. A fierce gale came upon them as they
crossed over, and Jesus, probably from exhaustion, was sleeping in the stern of
the boat. The disciples thought they were perishing and woke Him up. Jesus
simply rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” The wind died
down quickly and the sea became “perfectly calm.” To bring home the point,
Jesus looked at His followers and asked, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have
no faith?” The fact that they still had no clue that this indeed was the
Messiah is evident from the last verse of the chapter. “They became very much
afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the
sea obey Him (Mark 4:35-41)?’”
-*Application* What an amazing Savior we have. Think about
all of His wisdom and power today as you do life. Seek, ask, and knock to find
His answers and open door into the everlasting abundant life. What a good,
good, good God!
Verses to Memorize:
Mark 4:22, 28
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