MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St.Mark

St. Mark 4:1-20

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MARK introduces us to the teaching of Jesus in parables, and verse 2 suggests it was a common form of teaching which Jesus used. They have two great advantages over other forms of teaching. Firstly they are easily remembered, and secondly they are all from well known things in life. Even if the parable meant little at the time it was heard, it stuck in the memory and could mature in the mind later.

It is important with the parables to get at the purpose which Jesus had in mind in teaching it, and to remember that it is not the details of the parable that are important but the overall message that is being communicated. If we start attaching meaning to every little detail we shall really only find ourselves in trouble.

The parable of the sower is so well known that we may be tempted to say we know what it means, but if we do we will miss the depth of meaning in it, and what Jesus may be saying to us today. I guess that for every believer there is a challenge from this parable every time it is read. The core meaning is concerned with the reception of the word of God by people. So often we stop at the thought of Jesus speaking of the reception of the word when the Gospel is preached for conversion, but the different receptions of the word of God outlined by Jesus are present all the time within the church and amongst believers.

How often have we gone out of church on a Sunday and the word that has been proclaimed in reading and preaching has already been snatched away by the devil, because we have not taken enough trouble to listen and receive it, and instead our minds have been full of our friends and what we want to say to them after the service. Then how often are believers caught out by the pressures of the world and fear of what the world might say, and devotion to Jesus withers like the seed sown on rocky ground. Then only too common is the experience that the things of the world, and the pleasures of life, crowd the Lord out of our affections. Our spiritual life may not be choked to death but it is still choked and we are not fruitful.

The seed of the word of God is most precious. It is life to our souls. When it grows it brings forth all the fruit of the Christian life, from the assurance of the love of God for us, to the character of Jesus in our living. When the seed of the word is bringing forth fruit, how blessed is our lives and what a blessing we become.

The other thing we need to stop and think about is the little section from verse 9 to 12 which comes between the parable and the interpretation of the parable. The words of Jesus seem very enigmatic, but they hold such a profound truth that we cannot afford to miss it.

Jesus first says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear". By this Jesus is pointing out the fact that although we all hear the words being spoken we may not be in a state whereby we actually hear, in an intelligent and believing way, what is being taught. Verse 12 is the cogent verse. We can be seeing and hearing but never perceiving or understanding. The point Jesus is making is that people think they see when the don't, or they treat the teaching with a certain amount of disdain or contempt. The source of both these problems is the pride of the human heart. We think - I know what that means - and we never stop to question whether in the pride of our life, we have shut ourselves out of the truth.

This pride of life and the deceitfulness of the attractions of the world, cause people to hear but not really hear, and thus they miss the forgiveness which we all so desperately need. Jesus lays his finger on our need in verse 11. Why did the disciples understand. It was not because they were naturally humble. Not a bit. They understood because it was given them to understand. It is only when the Lord takes pity of on us in our inveterate pride and humbles us so we listen, and opens the eyes of our minds, that we understand, receive and believe.

What the words of Jesus in verse 12 is calling people to, is to realise the problem of not really seeing and hearing, so that we may be moved to call upon God desperately in our need. The disciples had the parable explained because they did just this.