Mark 4:26-34
Gospel according to Mark 4:26-34
Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that he got into a boat and began to teach them using many parables. Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is as if a man would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, without his knowing how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables Jesus spoke toward them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
Reflections
A parable is a form of expression which uses familiar terms to explain something that is extraordinary. It requires the audience to use their cognitive faculties such as imagination, extrapolation, induction and deduction to reach a new understanding of a concept that is less familiar. It relies on everyday images to transmit ideas that are complex, abstract or remarkable. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a parable is “a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson.” (1)
There are no exact words for conceptualizing what the kingdom of God is like. Language is insufficient because all our words are derived from lived experience and thus lacking in precision or detail to cover something as incomprehensible as the kingdom of God. What is abstract, however, does not need to be distant, or alien. Especially when it is an ideal, a goal, or a destination, that has bearing on the step of the direction that we take. So, it is necessary to understand what is meant by the kingdom of God. To bring it concrete and comprehensible, Jesus uses the method of parables.
Parables do not right away reveal the nature of their object to the subject, but they presuppose that by relating to the other under the lens, the microscope, or in focus, the subject is able to discern and understand an interpretation that is feasible, plausible, and accurate. This means that there is no exact interpretation of a parable, but there are right and wrong conclusions that we can draw from it, depending on the framework or the frame of mind, the mindset, or the position that we adopt toward it. We see this from last week’s Gospel, where those who opposed Jesus' message interpreted his miracles as “the work of the devil,” while those who were cured gave glory to God for the miracle of healing (Mark 3:20).
Jesus spoke in parables so that the meaning of the parables was not immediately revealed to those who did not approach them the right way. With some parables, he intentionally spoke in coded language, so that those for whom it was intended could appreciate it. Likewise, with the parable about the kingdom of God, we see that he explained to his disciples everything in private.
Parables invite the listener to engage with the images. Think, ponder, imagine, and envision what could be their message. As with every story or metaphor, we can approach it superficially, focusing on what is readily available or known to us, or go a bit deeper to see what else could come to our awareness by examining a topic from different angles, different perspectives, and different viewpoints that broaden our understanding.
The “trick” of finding an appropriate interpretation of a parable is when we link its meaning with Meaning, that is, we connect its literal message with a meaningful hint from heaven. What is not meaningful, what is “contra meaning,” is not the right interpretation. Usually, such interpretations come about because of reducing and projecting higher level phenomena to lower levels, such as ignoring the realm of the spirit and reducing it to the level of the psyche or the body. The meaning of the spiritual teaching is thus ignored, denied, looked over, and eventually, lost.
While it is true that every human interpretation comes short of God’s greatness, at least God gave a likeness and approximation can be achieved through a holistic view of the person, allowing God’s word to sound through (per-sonat, in Latin means sounding through). Thus, throughout the interpretation, by letting the word of God sound through.
Let us take these two images, the kingdom of God compared with the seed and the birds and the mustard seed and meditate on these images as long as we feel that a picture emerges, and from there, we gain understanding about what is meant for us to understand from these images today. Again, as we said, interpretations may vary as the Spirit reveals an aspect of truth to one person and to another. However, these different interpretations do not take away from the reality of the message but enrich it.
The seed that became the wheat and the harvest starts with a man sowing the seeds. The painting of Van Gogh comes to mind, The Sower, the silhouette of a person working in the fields. The Sower is painted with dark colors against a bright background, with a tree with leaves partially blocking the full view. The tree is at the center, drawing attention to the left corner of the picture. The contrast of colors conveys action, “emotion, and passion.” (2) The man’s gaze is on the seeds that are scattered in the field, presumably at dawn, symbolizing new life and new beginning. The painting represents the “eternal cycle of existence,” from birth to death, and new life. (2) There are several sketches that Van Gogh drew with ink and pencil starting in 1885 before he painted the final version with oil on canvas in the autumn of 1888. To the viewer, the painting shows a man sowing seeds in autumn in preparation for next year’s harvest.
Ponder this image: After autumn, winter will come. After winter, the seeds will sprout, leaves will appear and the grains will be ripe for a harvest by the end of summer, beginning of autumn. The cycle will repeat again. Creation, the Creator, and collaborating with God’s plan according to the cycle of times are all part of this painting. Extrapolating from the concrete to the abstract, the image suggests that God is at work all the time to make his works manifested in the world. People should, likewise, work wisely with the seasons to reap the benefit of their efforts.
In between times of work, there is rest. While the man sleeps, the seeds sprout and grow. Nature functions according to its laws, that have been ingrained into it. Whoever has done their part, whoever worked hard can rest and wait for God to bring to fruition all the results of hard labor. But even while we sleep, God is not asleep and not idle. The miracle of creation and re-creation, or renewal, is a dynamic force.
The second parable is about mustard seeds. This is the smallest seed, says Jesus, and it grows enormously. Extrapolating from the concrete to the abstract level of understanding, the parable suggests that God can bring about great things from a small potential; from even the smallest good. Another way of looking at the meaning of this parable is that great things start with small steps. If one is ready to make even the smallest step, God profits and multiplies that outcome, and, in time, the results can be surprising.
What this parable also tells us is that the elements that make up the kingdom of God all fit into a large plan, God’s design. Kindness, faithfulness, humility, compassion and love may not always leave a visible trace, but in time, they have their impact. In Frankl’s words, whatever is worthwhile, that potential which has been actualized, is like the good seed, brought into the silos like grain from the harvest. Each such deed is its own monument and becomes eternal. (3)
Alexander Batthyány pointed out that the “economy of love” does not follow the mathematical rules of addition and subtraction. It is not the more we give away, the poorer we become, but rather, the other way, the more we give, the richer we become--the richer our world becomes. (4)
What kind of kingdom is the kingdom of God? A Kingdom of care and love. How do we become its citizens? By letting the seeds of this parable take root in our hearts and acting accordingly.
--Dare to spend love that was bestowed on us, lavishly.
Resources
The Britannica Dictionary (2024). Parable. Britannica.com/dictionary/parable
Van Gogh Museum (2024). The Sower, by Van Gogh, 1888. www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Frankl, V. E. (2014). Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
Batthyány, A. (2024). The world is not well, but healable.” Veronica Bonelli’s interview with Alexander Batthyány, February 21, 2024. Translated and summarized by Maria Marshall. Ottawa Institute of Logotherapy, www.logotherapy.ca