Parables
Listen!
Friday- 04.15.2016
Today's parable will probably turn into 'the rest of this month's parable.' There is just too much to cover in one week.
If you remember the setting for last week, we saw how Jesus' family thought he was 'out of his mind' (Mk 3:21). Mark wraps us that section with Jesus asking the question, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" A couple verses later, Jesus tells us, "...whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
This context opens the parable of the sower. If you look at Mark 4:1-9, you will see that Jesus is beside the sea and a crowd has gathered.
Let's focus this week on the sea. Next week, we will move into the actual parable.
I would ask that you read a few verses and look for similarities:
What do these passages have in common? I hope you noticed they all center around two things- the sea and the disciples. It seems that when Jesus is at the sea, his disciples need to pay attention! Mark is calling our attention to these things so that we sit up and take note.
The last point I would like for you to see today is this- Jesus begins this parable with a pivotal word in the Jewish world. Look at verse 3:
If you remember the setting for last week, we saw how Jesus' family thought he was 'out of his mind' (Mk 3:21). Mark wraps us that section with Jesus asking the question, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" A couple verses later, Jesus tells us, "...whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
This context opens the parable of the sower. If you look at Mark 4:1-9, you will see that Jesus is beside the sea and a crowd has gathered.
Let's focus this week on the sea. Next week, we will move into the actual parable.
I would ask that you read a few verses and look for similarities:
- Mark 1:16 & 17- Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
- Mark 2:13 & 14- He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
- Mark 3:7- Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea...
What do these passages have in common? I hope you noticed they all center around two things- the sea and the disciples. It seems that when Jesus is at the sea, his disciples need to pay attention! Mark is calling our attention to these things so that we sit up and take note.
The last point I would like for you to see today is this- Jesus begins this parable with a pivotal word in the Jewish world. Look at verse 3:
"Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow."
"Listen!" This command would have taken the people back to the most important imperative in their faith, "Hear, O Israel: the LORD is our God, the LORD is One."
Jesus opens this parable with a command, "Listen!"
Listen because a prophet is speaking.
Listen because God is speaking.
May we gather, as His disciples, to listen. So many things in our world fight for our attention. The voice of God is so easily drowned out and lost in the static of our world.
Listen because the Lord is speaking!
It is my prayer, that we sit up and take notice. God is speaking. May we turn off the noise around us to listen to the One who brings life.
Transformed Lives
Friday- 04.22.2016
In life, we have many common experiences. One of these experiences is from elementary.
My second-grade class did it.
My children's classes did it.
I assume, no matter your age, you too participated in a similar project.
When I was a kid, we were told to keep our milk cartons one day at lunch. When we returned from lunch, we took turns rinsing the cartons out in the class sink.
The next day, the teacher had a large bag of soil and we each put a cup of soil in the milk carton after we skillfully cut the top.
Then, each student was given a seed to plant in their little carton of soil. The cartons were placed in the window and we eagerly waited for a green shoot to break the black soil.
Every class had that kid- the one who cannot wait for the green leaf to appear. Two days into the project, he goes to the window while no one is paying attention and digs into the soil to see what he finds (I use the male pronoun because it always seems to be a boy!).
In the days of the New Testament, a farmer sowed a seed for one reason- to produce fruit. Without the resulting fruit, plants were good for nothing. They were as worthless as the seed pulled out of the milk carton.
Mark 4:3-7 reads, "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain."
This imagery in this parable is one that would have been common to the original audience. The explanation that Jesus gives a few verses later seems only natural, "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful" (Mark 4:14-19).
The symbolism in this parable is clear. There are people, in whom, the word of God is planted. This word grows and for whatever reason, this word does not take root. Some people might even sprout roots, but pressures of this world (the literal meaning of tribulation) do not allow the roots to delve into the soil.
Discipleship is hard.
Following Jesus is difficult.
I hope this parable challenges you. I hope it reminds us that there are plenty of ways for our faith to be choked out. There are days that the pressure seems too great.
There is hope.
Seeds are beautiful things. Their size is deceiving. They seem too small, but great things can come from the smallest seed.
They open and send a sprout up through the soil and roots deep into the soil.
A seed is transformed. If a seed stays the same, it cannot produce fruit.
It is only through transformation that a seed can produce fruit.
The question is– Are you willing to be transformed?
May you allow God to do the miraculous in your life!
My second-grade class did it.
My children's classes did it.
I assume, no matter your age, you too participated in a similar project.
When I was a kid, we were told to keep our milk cartons one day at lunch. When we returned from lunch, we took turns rinsing the cartons out in the class sink.
The next day, the teacher had a large bag of soil and we each put a cup of soil in the milk carton after we skillfully cut the top.
Then, each student was given a seed to plant in their little carton of soil. The cartons were placed in the window and we eagerly waited for a green shoot to break the black soil.
Every class had that kid- the one who cannot wait for the green leaf to appear. Two days into the project, he goes to the window while no one is paying attention and digs into the soil to see what he finds (I use the male pronoun because it always seems to be a boy!).
In the days of the New Testament, a farmer sowed a seed for one reason- to produce fruit. Without the resulting fruit, plants were good for nothing. They were as worthless as the seed pulled out of the milk carton.
Mark 4:3-7 reads, "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain."
This imagery in this parable is one that would have been common to the original audience. The explanation that Jesus gives a few verses later seems only natural, "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful" (Mark 4:14-19).
The symbolism in this parable is clear. There are people, in whom, the word of God is planted. This word grows and for whatever reason, this word does not take root. Some people might even sprout roots, but pressures of this world (the literal meaning of tribulation) do not allow the roots to delve into the soil.
Discipleship is hard.
Following Jesus is difficult.
I hope this parable challenges you. I hope it reminds us that there are plenty of ways for our faith to be choked out. There are days that the pressure seems too great.
There is hope.
Seeds are beautiful things. Their size is deceiving. They seem too small, but great things can come from the smallest seed.
They open and send a sprout up through the soil and roots deep into the soil.
A seed is transformed. If a seed stays the same, it cannot produce fruit.
It is only through transformation that a seed can produce fruit.
The question is– Are you willing to be transformed?
May you allow God to do the miraculous in your life!
Praying with Hutzpah
Friday- 03.11.2016
Today's parable is a short parable. Many of us might not know this parable, but most of us will be familiar with Jesus' statement at the parable's conclusion. It follows immediately after the Lord's Prayer in Luke's gospel. Let's look at the parable together (I have chosen Eugene Peterson's translation):
Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors,
he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open."
–Luke 11:5-9 (The Message)
Most of the writing concerning this parable revolves around one Greek word 'anaideia'. In the above translation, Peterson translates this word as 'stand your ground.' Traditionally, this word has been translated as 'importunity'. One of the best translations of this word is found in the Complete Jewish Bible, where it is translated using the Yiddish word 'if you show hutzpah'.
Why is this such an important word in this parable? Jesus is telling his apostles that believers are to boldly pray for the things that God has promised. Notice the way I said that- I don't think Jesus is telling us to pray for whatever we want. In the context of the Lord's Prayer, I believe Jesus is telling us to be bold when it comes to the things His Father has promised.
At times, we seem afraid to pray to God as an intimate friend- much less to pray with hutzpah, nerve, or boldness. However, if you read through the lament Psalms or the book of Job, you will see great biblical examples of this type of prayer (Psalm 5 is a great example).
I hope we read this parable and are encouraged. Encouraged to pray with boldness. Encouraged to know that God does hear our prayers. Encouraged to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors,
he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get;
Seek and you’ll find;
Knock and the door will open."
–Luke 11:5-9 (The Message)
Most of the writing concerning this parable revolves around one Greek word 'anaideia'. In the above translation, Peterson translates this word as 'stand your ground.' Traditionally, this word has been translated as 'importunity'. One of the best translations of this word is found in the Complete Jewish Bible, where it is translated using the Yiddish word 'if you show hutzpah'.
Why is this such an important word in this parable? Jesus is telling his apostles that believers are to boldly pray for the things that God has promised. Notice the way I said that- I don't think Jesus is telling us to pray for whatever we want. In the context of the Lord's Prayer, I believe Jesus is telling us to be bold when it comes to the things His Father has promised.
At times, we seem afraid to pray to God as an intimate friend- much less to pray with hutzpah, nerve, or boldness. However, if you read through the lament Psalms or the book of Job, you will see great biblical examples of this type of prayer (Psalm 5 is a great example).
I hope we read this parable and are encouraged. Encouraged to pray with boldness. Encouraged to know that God does hear our prayers. Encouraged to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
New Wine into Old Wineskins
Friday- 03.18.2016
No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
What does all this mean? This parable is answering the question, "Why don't your disciples keep the full Law?" As we will see in the story of Jesus, this will continually be an area of conflict for Jesus and the Pharisees.
Enter the old garment and the wineskins. The Law is the old garment/old wineskin. The new covenant that Jesus is bringing is the unshrunk cloth/new wine. Jesus is giving the Pharisees (and us) an important warning- Do not stick this new covenant into your understanding of the old covenant. Jesus was doing something completely new!
When you read through Galatians, you can't help but think Paul had this parable in mind has he wrote to the Galatian Christians.
Listen to what Paul writes in Romans, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4 ESV)
One note before I wrap up- Jesus is clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the Law is still important. He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17).
One week from Good Friday, this little two verse parable reminds us of something wonderful and beautiful- In Christ, God did something completely new. Holy Week is a week of our Savior redefining life- where once there was death, now there is life.
–Mark 2:21-22 ESV
We have two mini-parables here. First, there is an old garment with a hole in it. Would one mend the garment with a piece of new cloth, only to have the new cloth shrink when it is washed and tear away from the garment?
Second, would you put new wine into a wineskin that has been used? As the new wine ferments, the old skin would not be able to expand with the fermenting wine and eventually burst the wineskin.
To understand this parable, we must first look at little context. Let's look at a few points of context:
- This parable is found at the beginning of Mark's gospel/Jesus' ministry.
- The larger passage is an A-B-A pattern. If you read the passage prior to this passage and the passage following this passage you will see there are two questions asked ("For what reason do...your disciples not fast" and "Why do [your disciples] do on the Sabbath that which is not lawful?")
- This A-B-A pattern uses B to bring insight to the two A sections.
What does all this mean? This parable is answering the question, "Why don't your disciples keep the full Law?" As we will see in the story of Jesus, this will continually be an area of conflict for Jesus and the Pharisees.
Enter the old garment and the wineskins. The Law is the old garment/old wineskin. The new covenant that Jesus is bringing is the unshrunk cloth/new wine. Jesus is giving the Pharisees (and us) an important warning- Do not stick this new covenant into your understanding of the old covenant. Jesus was doing something completely new!
When you read through Galatians, you can't help but think Paul had this parable in mind has he wrote to the Galatian Christians.
- So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 ESV)
- For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6 ESV)
Listen to what Paul writes in Romans, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4 ESV)
One note before I wrap up- Jesus is clear in the Sermon on the Mount that the Law is still important. He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5:17).
One week from Good Friday, this little two verse parable reminds us of something wonderful and beautiful- In Christ, God did something completely new. Holy Week is a week of our Savior redefining life- where once there was death, now there is life.