Thursday 31 October 2024
And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (v. 9)
Background
Up until this point in Mark’s Gospel the writer has largely focused on some of the miraculous events in Jesus’ ministry, the followers he attracted, and the resulting conflicts with the religious authorities. Now we hear more of Jesus’ teaching, particularly through the use of parables. And this first is a parable about parables, almost an introduction to the others that follow.
As before, the crowd around Jesus remains large (v. 1), so much so that he gets into a boat to create a little distance so he can be seen more easily. Perhaps he also does this to give himself some protection from them. Jesus effectively uses the boat as his pulpit. He begins his teaching with a clear command to listen (v. 3). This may be more than a request to stop talking and be quiet, emphasising the importance of the teaching that is to come. It echoes the words “Hear, O Israel” and subsequent commandments (Deuteronomy 6:4) which were recited daily by many Jews as a reminder of their central beliefs.
For this first parable, Jesus uses a situation all those listening would be very familiar with. The description of a farmer sowing seeds was part of the natural annual rhythm of subsistence farming. The crowd would know that not all the seed thrown on the ground would successfully germinate into corn. They also knew that the fields in Galilee often had thin soil barely covering the underlying rock, making establishing healthy roots very difficult. Farming was then, as it is now, a risky business. Seed and emerging plants could both be lost as a result of environmental factors outside the farmer’s control. However their lives and livelihoods depended on sufficient seed germinating and thriving so the resulting harvest might feed both them and their families for the year to come.
However Jesus is not giving a farming seminar. His purpose is not to provide food for the coming months. He is in the business of changing lives for eternity and establishing the Kingdom of God. With the right conditions, and commitment of his followers, this spiritual harvest will be a bumper one. And so he ends as he began: "Listen!" (v. 9)
To Ponder:
- What seeds did your faith grow from? Give thanks for those who planted them for you.
- Consider environmental issues and the impact of climate change on farming around the world. What can we do to help address this?
Prayer
Creator God, we pray for all those who work and take risks so that we have food to eat. We pray for the farming community, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and all the others involved in the production of food. Help us to play our part so that this is done in as sustainable way as possible. 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.