Mark

The purpose of kingdom parables, 4:10-12, 21-25

Jesus has just finished telling the parable of the sower to a gathered crowd and would soon explain its meaning to his disciples. The disciples ask Jesus why he now speaks in parables which are more like riddles than illustrations. Jesus explains it is so that those who "listen may not understand." Jesus then goes on to reinforce the story of the sower with the sayings of the lamp and the measure. Jesus wants to make the point that although the secret of the coming kingdom is hidden from the unbelieving crowd, it it not God's intention to hide this truth from those who seek after it.

v10. Jesus had often used parables as little stories, or illustrations, to reinforce a truth, but now he uses them as riddles to hide the truth. Having preached to the crowd in parables Jesus later meets with some of his disciples, including the twelve, and they ask him why he now preaches in riddles.

v11-12. Referring to Isaiah 6:9 Jesus makes the point that the secrets of the kingdom of God are given to the disciples, but for the rest, the message is a riddle so that hearing they may not understand. The disciples had heard the message of the gospel, received it and so like seeds sown in good soil, they now bear the fruit of faith. As for the crowds, they had heard, but had either ignored the message or only responded in a limited way - they chased after miracles rather than faith. So, in an act of divine judgment Jesus now preaches in riddles, enigmas. It is not so much "in order that" they may not perceive, but that the inevitable consequence should rightly follow their unwillingness to see, namely, that the truth be hidden from them.

v21-22. Jesus may well leave the crowds confused by riddles, but God's intention is not to hide divine knowledge. A person doesn't turn on a torch in dark room and then put their hand over it; they let it shine out so that all can see. It is not God's intention to hide the secrets of the kingdom. Those who seek after the truth will find the truth in much the same way as those disciples, who came to Jesus after preaching to crowds, found out the secret of the sower. For them, the secret came to light.

v23. "Are you listening? Really listening?"

v24-25. If so, pay attention! As Billy Holiday put it "Them that's got shall get. Them that's not shall lose." When we apply ourselves to God's revealed word we will get understanding, and then some. The Qumran devotees understood the same truth; "people will receive insight according to the measure of their attentiveness", or if you like, "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Peter Cundall is an Australian institution. After serving in the British and Australian military forces and fighting in three wars, he settled in Australia to become our garden guru. Through books, magazine articles, radio and television, Peter, along with his broad Manchester accent, guided us in the art of home gardening and his philosophy of burying all our worries in the soil. Now, living in the Upper Tamar valley in northern Tasmania, he still gives us the benefit of his knowledge.

I grew my first vegetables in primary school, pushing some bean seeds into the ground and watching them grow and fruit. My mother kindly purchased my produce. In later years, whenever I moved, if there was space there was a vegetable garden. Soon I discovered Peter and hung onto every secret he revealed. As the years passed so my knowledge expanded and I slowly acquired the art of growing vegetables. Now retired, I have a fully enclosed vegetable patch and open orchard supplying the dinner plate and fruit bowl from our own land. And of course, it's all down to my guru.

We can well understand why the disciples were somewhat confused when Jesus changed his preaching style in the latter part of his ministry. Jesus would often use illustrations to explain an important truth, but now he used them as riddles with no apparent meaning. Some sermons are like that, although it is unlikely the preacher intends them as enigma; Jesus did intent his parables as enigmas. Jesus' riddle parables are easy to pick because they usually begin "the kingdom of heaven is like ....." They simply contain the secret that the kingdom of God is upon us, the day of God's eternal reign has begun. The parable of the sower, although a riddle, doesn't tell us about the coming kingdom, but does tell us that people who hear of the riddle of the coming kingdom respond to it in different ways. Like the seed that fell in good soil, the disciples came to Jesus and found in him not only the secret message of the parable of the sower, but the secret of the kingdom parables as well. For the rest, for those who didn't bother searching out the truth, they were left with riddles, hearing but not understanding.

Now here's the lesson for us. God does not willy-nilly hide the knowledge of him; he intentionally shines it out like a lamp on a lampstand - "nothing is hidden except to be made manifest." Yet, are we willing to pay attention to what we hear, for in the end, our insight into God's word is according to the measure of our attentiveness. Take no care of God's word and we end up like the crowds who were attracted to Jesus because of his miracles. We will be left with riddles, and even these will drift from our consciousness.

From Peter, the guru, I am constantly learning the secrets of growing vegetables; spotting the aphids early in the season, stifling the powdery mildew with a coating of milk, squashing the snails before they can get at my seedlings ...... And what of the secrets of the kingdom of God; are you seeking the answers, unravelling the secrets? "Consider carefully what you hear."

1. What is the point of Jesus' quotation from Isaiah 6:9.

2. There are five sayings sayings in v21-25. Consider each one and discuss the point of each.

3. How do you think your fellowship can improve the measure of its attentiveness?