Saturday 2 November 2024

Psalm 27

Background
On Thursday we studied the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9). Today we return to it, but now the crowd is no longer present and Jesus would appear to be in a quieter place with his disciples. It provides an opportunity for them to reflect on what they’ve seen and heard, but also to acknowledge that these new followers of Jesus need help in understanding what is really taking place.

Jesus tells them that they have been let into the secret of what he is saying and doing (v. 11) and yet in the next breath seems to criticise them for their lack of understanding of this parable (v. 13). This will become a recurrent issue as the gospel narrative progresses, with the disciples repeatedly showing their ignorance while others, who are often outsiders, such as Bartimaeus the blind beggar on the road to Jericho whom we met earlier this week (Mark 10:52), demonstrating that they know who Jesus is and what his mission is about.

To help both the disciples and the readers of the gospel, Mark spells out the meaning of this parable, perhaps in the hope it will help in the interpretation of those that follow. The true meaning, of course, has nothing to do with physical seeds or farming practices, but concerns how the word of God is received and acted on (v. 14).

Each of the situations of failure described would have been familiar to any new movement. There are those who listen and do nothing; those who initially seem enthusiastic but are quickly distracted by the next thing; and those who commit but as soon as the going gets tough simply fade away. Those in the Early Church would know this all too well, as they will have undoubtedly seen a mixed response from members of their community as they started to face persecution for their belief.

From this earliest teaching, Jesus pulls no punches and is clear that his message will not be accepted by everyone. It will be ignored, misunderstood or seen as too hard by many. But for those who do listen and persist in following him, the outcome will be a life-changing spiritual abundance. They will see the Kingdom of God.

To Ponder:

• Reflect on when you have heard sermons or teaching that you didn’t understand, or when you have been in situations when others did not understand what you were saying. How did you respond to try to address this?
• Pray for teachers, educators and all those working to help others learn.

Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for the opportunity to study your word. Open our minds as we listen to you speaking to us, nurture us as we grow in your love and strengthen us to respond to your call. Amen.

Bible notes author: Dr Richard Vautrey
Dr Richard Vautrey is a local preacher and church steward in Leeds, and a former Vice-President of the Methodist Conference. He works as a GP and is a former chair of the BMA's GP committee.