Category: Mark 4

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Our faith

The gospels

I look at Jesus’ words, “O you of little faith,” and I can’t help but think that if he were to see me now, he would say the same thing. “O Bruce, why do you have so little faith?”

Think for a bit about the circumstances the disciples faced. They’re taking the boat across the lake just as Jesus told them to.

At first, things are calm, but suddenly, as is often the case in that region, a sudden squall comes in. Now, waves are crashing in the boat, and row as they might against the wind and the waves, they’re not getting anywhere.

Suddenly the thought comes, “Why doesn’t Jesus do something?” They look down and find him fast asleep in the boat. Here they are about to die, and Jesus is sleeping?

So they wake him up and shout, “Master! Master! Save us! Don’t you care we’re about to drown?”

I wonder at that point, what exactly they expected Jesus to do? From their reaction at the end of the story, they certainly didn’t expect him to do what he did. So what then?

My guess, is they had no clue. They asked not truly believing that Jesus could do anything, but at the same time thinking that if there was anyone who could save them, it was him. A strange mixture of faith and unbelief.

How often are we the same?

We’re drowning in our circumstances. We’ve exhausted all efforts trying to keep our boat afloat, and now, we cry out to Jesus, not because we truly believe he can help us, but because we have no other options. We cry, not in faith, but in desperation.

In our panic, we even wonder if he’s asleep on the job. If he really cares.

Yet Jesus in his grace, brings us through the storm as he gently chides, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Which brings me back to my original question. How often does Jesus ask that of me? Why would I doubt that he cares, and why would I doubt that he is in control when he has proven himself time and time again? And yet I do.

Would that I could completely trust him. To not let anxiety take over me when I lose control of a situation (as if I ever were in control?).

To ask of him not in panic or fear, but in faith, fully believing that he does care for me, and will meet my needs.

How about you? Is that your heart’s cry?

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Mark Mark 4 Matthew Matthew 13

The qualities of a good teacher: What made Jesus the master teacher

The gospels

I have been teaching English for the last 19 years, and have been teaching the Bible in some way, shape, or form for the last 27, going back to my high school days.

But as long as I have been teaching, I doubt I’ll ever match the greatness of Jesus as a teacher. He was the true master teacher.

What made him so great? It was the way he taught. How did he teach?

According to this passage, he taught through parables. Why did he use parables?

I’ve mentioned this before, but one reason was to see who really wanted to learn. Those who did asked questions. Those who didn’t may have been entertained, but remained blind to the truth.

But for those who asked, the stories were something that people could easily understand and remember, because Jesus took stories from everyday life and applied them to spiritual truths.

That’s one of the marks of a good teacher. They take a spiritual truth and put it in a way that anyone can understand.

Some teachers are more interested in impressing their audience with their education or spiritual knowledge and use a number of theological words that no one understands.

Or they introduce all these Greek or Hebrew words that no one has heard of before.

At the end of the day, people are indeed impressed, but they end up saying things like, “That was a very deep message. Very scholarly. I wish I knew what it meant.”

But Jesus kept his language simple and basic so that anyone could understand it.

Because of this, and because of the stories he told, he did something else important that a good teacher does. He kept his audience interested.

There are few things more painful in a classroom than a teacher that bores his students to tears. Jesus never did that.

Jesus also understood his audience’s level. It says in Mark that Jesus spoke the word to them as much as they could understand. (Mark 4:33)

He didn’t give them more than they could handle.

In short, as the writer of Hebrews put it, you can’t give solid food to babies. You give them milk until they can handle solid food. Then when they are mature enough, you give them more. (Hebrews 5:11-14)

Finally, he answered questions. Again in Mark, it says that when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything in more detail. (Mark 4:34)

You see in other passages that he generally did this in response to their questions. Unlike Jesus, we may not have all the answers. But it gives us the opportunity for us ourselves to learn more when we allow people to ask us questions.

You may or may not be a teacher in the church. But all of us have teaching opportunities, with our children especially, but also with the people God brings into our path.

So let us all strive to be teachers like our Master.

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Parable of the mustard seed: Starting small

The gospels

I love the vividness of the pictures Jesus paints as he tells stories.

As he talks about God’s kingdom, he talks about how the mustard seed, though it is extremely small, grows into a tree in which birds can find shade from the sun.

What is Jesus’ point? The kingdom of God doesn’t usually start with a bang, it usually starts with something small.

This is especially true in terms of the kinds of people that God uses for his kingdom. Think of Mary, a simple, poor, teenage girl. Think of Joseph, an ordinary carpenter.

And when Jesus came, he didn’t come as a great king surrounded by his armies. He, like Joseph, was a carpenter.

When Jesus chose his disciples, he chose ordinary fishermen, a hated tax collector, and a political radical.

When the Christian movement started, it started in a relatively insignificant city, at least compared to the other great cities of the world.

And yet, through these people in this insignificant city, the gospel spread to the very ends of the earth.

What can we get from this?

You may feel insignificant. Small. Useless to the kingdom of God.

Yet it is because of this very fact that God is so eager to use you. The kingdom of God is filled with such “insignificant” people that others are quick to look down on.

But it is through people like you and me that the kingdom spreads and touches the people around us.

Paul puts it this way,

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Never think that you are insignificant concerning God’s kingdom. It is through the small that God’s great work is accomplished.

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Mark Mark 4

Parable of the growing seed

growing seed

I think this parable is very similar in meaning to the last one.

As I said before, while we may plant the word of God in people’s hearts, only God can make it grow. Many times, the growth is happening, and we don’t even notice.

For example, we share the gospel, and the person seems indifferent or even hostile. But unbeknownst to us, the seed takes root.

Through no power of our own, God through his Holy Spirit starts working in that person’s heart, using circumstances, other people, and the word you planted to start pulling that person to himself.

The next thing you know, the person who was so indifferent or so hostile to the gospel comes up to you smiling and says, “Thank you. Thank you for sharing Jesus with me. It was because of you that I am now a Christian.”

But I think we can take this parable another way. Sometimes we get frustrated by this world, and we wonder, “Is God’s kingdom really coming? It sure doesn’t seem like it. Things just keep getting worse.”

But in this parable we see several things.

The seeds of the kingdom have already been planted through Jesus and the apostles. Even to this day, seeds are being planted in the hearts of the people around us. And those seeds are growing. Most times, we don’t even notice it.

But as with a plant that slowly grows over time, we can see just how much it has grown when we look back to its beginning.

Think of how the gospel has spread in 2000 years. From one city, it has spread throughout the whole world. And it is continuing to spread to this very day.

Moreover, the kingdom of God is inevitable. No one can stop its growth completely. Sometimes it can be hindered, but it can’t be stopped.

The U.S.S.R. learned that, as have many other countries that have tried to stamp out the gospel.

Because of this, a time is coming when the kingdom of God will be here for all to see, and Christ will reign.

A day of judgment will come when those who follow Christ will be rewarded, and those who went their own way will be condemned.

So what can we take from this?

First, wait patiently in hope. It’s easy to get discouraged when we see all the evil around us. But take heart. God’s kingdom is coming. It is growing even now, and it can’t be stopped.

So in your frustrations, through your afflictions, wait patiently. It won’t last forever. Know that you will be rewarded.

Second, be prepared. We don’t know when Jesus will come back, but until that day, let us be about our Father’s business.

The key issue is not when Jesus will come back. The key issue is to be ready whenever he comes back.

How about you? Are you ready?

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Parable of the sower: Planting the seed

The gospels

As I looked back on the last blog, there was one last point that occurred to me that I want to put here.

So often, I think of the farmer as Jesus. But I think it’s equally if not even more valid to think of the farmer as Christians.

Because while Jesus was here for a short time, planting the words of God in the hearts of people, it is we, here and now, who are planting the seeds in the hearts of people today.

Taken that way, I think there’s one more valuable lesson to take from this parable.

Sometimes, as we plant the word of God in people’s hearts, as we scatter the seed, some seeds fall on hardened hearts. People hear us, but they don’t understand, and Satan quickly snatches that seed away.

Other people hear it, and we’re encouraged because they get excited. Perhaps, they even make a profession of faith. But then trouble or persecution comes, they get discouraged, and they fall away.

In other cases, people receive the word and start to grow. But then work starts to get in the way of their relationship with God. Or they start getting too wrapped up in money or possessions.

Maybe they still go to church every Sunday, but they no longer grow. They bear no fruit.

But for other people, they hear the word of God, and in their lives, they produce the fruit of God, making an impact for his kingdom.

What’s my point? We are not responsible for the results. We cannot shape people’s hearts. What can we do?

Plant the seed. Water it. And then pray. Paul put it this way: one person plants, another person waters, but only God can make the seed grow. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

Do you get discouraged because the seeds you plant don’t seem to bear fruit? You can’t control that. All you can do is keep planting the seed. Keep watering it. And leave the rest to God.

How about you? Are you planting the seed in the hearts of the people around you?

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Parable of the four soils: The state of our hearts

The gospels

This is the first full on parable we hear from Jesus, although he did give numerous illustrations to explain his points on previous occasions.

Here he gives a picture of a farmer scattering his seed along the ground. It wasn’t, perhaps, the most efficient way of doing things by modern standards, but it was how things were done in those days.

Some of the seed fell on hard ground, and Jesus said that these are the people that hear God’s word but don’t understand it. I think we can add another point here: they make no effort to understand it.

As I mentioned before, the parables distinguished the people who really wanted to learn from those who simply wanted to be entertained.

The ones who really wanted to learn, like Jesus’ disciples, asked questions. Those who didn’t, just went home.

Perhaps they enjoyed their time listening to Jesus, but because they didn’t understand the true message, nor did they try, Satan quickly took those seeds Jesus had planted and they forgot what they heard.

Others fell on rocky ground.

The picture here is not a bunch of rocks on the ground, rather it was a thin layer of dirt on limestone. Because the dirt was so shallow, the seeds quickly sprouted, but because there was no root, they died in the heat of the day.

Jesus said that these were people who heard his words and received them with great joy, even believing them for a short time, but when persecution or trouble came, they fell away.

Were these ever true Christians? Probably not, since they “had no root.”

It’s possible that all they had was an emotional experience. But when the emotion wore off, and trouble came because of their “faith,” they quickly fell away.

Still other seeds fell on thorny ground, and when they grew up, they were choked out by the thorns.

Jesus said these were those whose faith was choked out by the worries of life, and the desire for wealth, pleasure, and possessions.

Too many Christians are like this today. They are so in love with the world, they’ve forgotten their love for Jesus.

Finally, there are those who fell on the good ground, and produced great fruit.

Jesus says these are those who hear God’s word, understand it, accept it, and retain it. Such people bear great fruit for the kingdom of God.

What kind of heart do you have?

When you hear God’s word and don’t understand it, do you just leave it to the side, or do you seek to understand? Do you ask questions?

It’s through questions that we grow. But if we never ask, we never grow, and Satan takes away the seed God wants to plant in your heart.

When you go to church, are you just seeking an emotional experience?

Emotions come and go. They go up and down according to our circumstances. And if you try to build your faith on your emotions, it will not last. Are you instead building your faith on Christ and his Word?

What are you seeking in your life? Is God above all? Or are you so busy seeking money, pleasure, and things, that you don’t have time for God anymore? That you no longer seek his will in your life? That you no longer pursue his kingdom?

Or are you a person that hears God’s word and pursues understanding? Do you accept God’s word, trusting that it is true, and retain it in your heart and mind, bearing fruit as a result?

What is the state of your heart?

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Parables of Jesus: Eyes to see, ears to hear

The gospels

One of Jesus’ favorite phrases was,

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 8:8)

You see this admonition in the gospels, and you also see it in Revelation.

What did Jesus mean?

When Jesus told his parables, his disciples asked, “Why do you speak this way?” And Jesus answered,

The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Matthew 13:11-15)

It seems a bit unfair for Jesus to say, “I’m giving you the secrets of the kingdom, but not them.”

But here are some things to consider.

First, anyone who wanted to could hear the parables. And while Jesus says that the meanings of these stories were concealed from many, it was not meant to be so in perpetuity.

Rather, Jesus set out these stories to ultimately give light, not to hide the truth. And anything that was hidden from the people would eventually be disclosed and brought into the open. (Luke 8:16-17)

Therefore, whenever anyone asked him the explanations to his parables, he would give them, and the apostles eventually passed these teachings on to everyone they taught.

The question, however, is do people want to know the truth? Are they seeking answers? Or do they just want to be entertained?

That’s what the parables did. It separated those who really wanted to see and hear God’s truth from those who were just caught up in the popularity of Jesus.

The trouble with so many church-going people today is that they’re more interested in being entertained than in hearing God’s truth.

Therefore, though they hear the things the pastor preaches, and sing the songs, the words may “tickle their ears” but never penetrate their hearts.

And when something does strike their hearts and God speaks, they get uncomfortable and stop listening.

Unfortunately, as I’ve mentioned before, if they do this long enough, they’ll stop hearing God entirely, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus quoted in Matthew.

They see but don’t really see. They hear, but don’t really hear. Rather, they close their eyes (and ears) to God’s truth.

So Jesus warns, “Consider carefully how you listen. Think carefully about what you hear from God.” (Mark 4:24; Luke 8:18).

If you listen carefully and act on it, God will give you more. But if you don’t, not only won’t you be able to hear God’s voice anymore, you’ll forget what things he’s already taught you.

But Jesus told his disciples,

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17)

How about you? Do you have eyes that see and ears that hear what God is teaching you?