In today’s gospel passage, we hear Jesus speaking in parables. As we have come to understand Jesus frequently uses this particular literary device to get his point across. And in this passage from Mark’s gospel, we hear that Jesus preached only in parables, “as they were able to hear.”
Mark 4 interrupts this gospel’s focus on the actions of Jesus with a series of teachings using a method known as “parables”. To remind us Parable can refer to stories or sayings involving metaphors, riddles, or proverbs. Jesus’ parables tend to be short narratives that reveal something of the “kingdom” or realm of God. The conclusion to this chapter’s opening parable of the sower and the seed states the basic invitation of Mark’s gospel: “Let anyone with ears to listen, hear” (Mark 4:9). The words and actions of Jesus invite hearing with the hope that the people will make a decision about God’s realm .
Eugene Peterson’s “The Message”, a contemporary interpretation of the Bible, interprets Mark 4 in this way:
It begins with the title; “Never Without A Story”: Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows – he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps – harvest time!
“How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”
With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.” [1] I often find that the Message’s interpretation, for me, is helpful in sorting out the tangles.
We are to understand that the hope within this “story” is that through the “hearing” of these parables people will choose God and God’s realm, however, God does not interfere we have the freedom of personal choice. We can choose whether we will follow God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit or we can choose to forge our own path. And God, who is beyond all time, beyond anything that we can ever understand, waits. Even though God knows our hearts, God does not interfere, God waits.
As I thought about the readings for this week I spent some time reflecting on my own life choices. I thought about how there have been times when I did not choose the path that perhaps God would have chosen for me instead I set off on a path that perhaps was the easier of the choices, there were those times when I would reason that simple is better and I would choose to jump into my decision without praying about it, without considering what it would mean not only to me but others as well, I would ignore warning signs until realized that simple is not always better and that jumping in with both feet can land me into a very deep mud hole which can be difficult to climb back out from.
In 1 Samuel we are told that God was sorry Saul had been divinely called to be king. The context of how God reached the point of being sorry follows: God had commanded Saul to go to war with Amaleks. There was a holy ban on them which meant that Saul was to wipe out every living breathing human and creature connected to the Amaleks. But Saul chose to save for himself the fattest sheep and cattle to offer as sacrifices to God. Saul had chosen not to listen, therefore, God told Samuel “I’m sorry I never should have made Saul king. He’s turned his back on me. He refuses to do what I tell him.” [2] God sent Samuel to tell Saul that God had rejected him as king over Israel. Did God make a mistake in making Saul king over Israel? No, God did not make a mistake rather Saul chose his own path, leaving God no choice but to find another more suitable king for Israel.
And so God sent Samuel on his way to find the king among Jesse’s sons. Jesse presented 7 sons to Samuel and none of them were to be crowned. God told Samuel that “looks aren’t everything”. Rather what is on the outside is considered by men and women God looks into our hearts.
Once Samuel pressed Jesse he called upon the “runt”, the eighth son, to leave the sheep he was tending. David was considered by his father to be the least among his brothers. But God saw David’s heart and so it was David who was anointed with oil becoming king of Israel.
David’s delivery into royalty was not to be an easy transition. Saul who had lost the crown and the Holy Spirit became David’s enemy. As life sometimes works out Saul’s son Jonathon became David’s dearest friend. Jonathon had tried to turn his father’s heart in favor of David but Saul would have none of it, leaving Jonathon and David to grow their friendship in secret. Eventually Saul was defeated and was killed along with his son Jonathon. David was devastated at loosing his friend, someone whom he had loved very much. In lamenting his friend’s loss David said; “greatly beloved were you to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women”. (2 Samuel 1: 26b)
David went on to assume the kingship given him by God. However, during his life as king, he, too, made choices that displeased God.
So often we understand “gut instinct” as the leading of God. However, as Christians, we are called to a time of discernment, a time of study, to pray, and to consider how best to make a choice that is in keeping with God’s hope for us.
We’ve all heard the excuses: It’s wrong to lie, but I was under such pressure! I shouldn’t have said those things, but I was angry! There is no need for excuses when we take the time to listen and truly hear God.
As it said according to the Message, from Mark chapter 4: the smallest of seeds becomes the greatest of Trees.
The tiniest of babes can become the greatest of all saints.
And even the nastiest of all Christians can become the greatest of all examples of what it is to choose to live in the realm of God.
Our choice comes not once in a lifetime, not ever so rarely, not only now and again; that choice to live in the kin-dom of God comes to each of us every hour of every day. That’s the point here folks, God knows our hearts and is beyond all time, but we have free will, we can chose the path that ultimately leads us to living in the way of God or we can choose to live our way. We can choose to hear the stories or the parables that Christ shares. We can embrace them do our best to live a Christ like life or we can chose to close our ears. And in those times, when you or I choose our own path God is still there waiting patiently for us to “make a u-turn” when it is safe to do so.
So may we walk by faith embracing the love of Christ. For in that love everything old has passed away, and with the love of Christ there is a new creation.
That new creation is us. And it is up to us to make the choice: God or…………………….
[1] Peterson,
[2] Peterson,