The Gospel of Mark/Chapter 4:21-41/Commentary

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 4:21-41 4:21-22 “And He was saying to them, ‘A lamp is not brought to be put under a peck-measure, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, expect to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light” Jesus is reminding us that His teaching in parables was never intended as a method of keeping truth hidden. He is telling the disciples the interpretation, but it would not remain hidden with them, it was intended to be shared with the entire world. “The truth of the Gospel—was the lamp; this lamp of truth He intended not for a corner of the world, or for a select few, but for all men of all nations…and so He gave it now to the Apostles, who, after Pentecost, were to make it known to all nations” (Bible Study Textbook, p. 125). I find the above verses contradicting all those who claim that there is some secret or hidden code in the Bible or that the Bible can only be understood by a certain elite. Jesus will use the lamp illustration again (Matthew 5:15-16), yet with a different twist. As individuals we need to share our faith and convictions to the world. God’s truth will not remain hidden and individual believers cannot remain hidden.

4:23 “If any man has ears to hear, let him hear”: Jesus has already stressed the importance of really listening (4:9).

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4:24 “And He was saying to them, ‘Take care what you listen to’”: Luke will add, “Take care how you listen” (8:18). Am I the type of person that tunes out everything that would require serious change? Do I refuse to listen to anything that sounds uncomfortable, such just criticisms and topics such as death and the after-life? It is always healthy to examine our listening habits. Do I listen only to what sounds good to me or am I open to all truth? And, what is often the content? Am I spending my time listening to things that will not profit or to God’s truth?

4:24 “By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides”: Jesus uses this illustration in other contexts, such as, the way in which we judge others, we will be judged (Matthew 7:2). It is much like the sowing and reaping principle. The more that one really listens to the word of God, the more one will understand. The more you put effort into it the more you will get out of it.

4:25 “For whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him”: Use it or lose it! Good Bible students will gain more insight. By coming to Jesus and asking Him questions now at this stage, the apostles would gain and be ready for the next round of spiritual lessons. But the person who ignores God---even the little spiritual perception that he has gained or was given---will be lost. I often see this with people who fall away. Years later when you talk to them, they are far from the kingdom of God in their thinking, all the progress that they made—they forfeited.

The Parable of the Seed 4:26-29 “And He was saying, ‘The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts up and grows---how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come”

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Only Mark records this particular parable. The emphasis here is somewhat different from the parable of the Sower. The idea is that often the kingdom of God grows—yet we don’t immediately see such growth. “All the farmer can do is plant the seed on suitable ground. He cannot make the seed grow” (Gaebelein p.

652).

Application We cannot force anyone to obey the gospel, all we can do is preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2). When we preach, nothing may happen. Like farming, the results take time. We might have a bible study with someone and they are not baptized, and yet years later they might obey the gospel. Therefore, like the farmer, we need to be patient, do our job, sow the seed, and then allow the seed to do it’s work. Never get discouraged when the results are not instant.

The Mustard Seed “The connection between this parable and all that has gone before, in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-23), the disciples had heard that only a fourth part of the seed sown had prospered; in the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), they had heard of the hindrances which beset even the part that remained. Lest they should be tempted to despair, our Lord speaks these two parables...for their encouragement” (Trench p. 391).

4:30 “And He said, ‘How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is grown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade” Mustard trees have been known to grow as tall as 15 feet. “So that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches”: “It was a common sight to see such mustard bushes or trees surrounded with a cloud of birds, for the birds love the little black seeds of the tree, and settle on the tree to eat them” (Barclay pp. 8485).

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Lessons  Growth beyond expectation: Who would expect such growth from such a small beginning? “The Lord wishes to set before His disciples the fact that His kingdom should be glorious in spite of its weak and despised (in the eyes of man) beginning” (Trench p. 40).  Growth after a very small beginning: From a human standpoint the beginning of Christianity was small and insignificant. “Its King did not appear in public until His thirtieth year and then taught only two or three years occasionally in the capital, but more often in the provincial villages.

The Kingdom began among the Jews, a subject people...It began as the smallest sect among this people in a despised province of the Roman Empire. Its leader contradicted the cherished notions of His own people and, consequently, was rejected by them. He made only a few real followers (which were men of small influence). He had no political power in His own homeland and no hope from abroad. His own people shamefully executed the founder of this Kingdom. Even after the day of Pentecost, the Kingdom seemed to its enemies a struggling movement crying for elimination through persecution and death…And yet it grew and became a force to be dealt with in the world (Col. 1:6,23; 1 Thess. 1:6-10; Acts 17:6; 28:22)” (Fowler pp. 91-92).  Everything seemed stacked against Christianity ever succeeding. Its king came to earth as a baby, was reared in an obscure place (John 1:46); had no formal training (John 7:15); limited financial resources (Luke 9:57). Jesus had little of His own. He used a borrowed manger, boat, loaves and fishes, donkey, upper room and tomb! Even His own family didn’t support Him at first (John 7:5). The founder was put to death in the prime of His life. With the apostles, the same is true. For the most part they were working men and not theologians (Acts 4:13).  “How different His idea of the coming kingdom from the current one among the Jews of a glorious, mighty empire coming suddenly, full grown” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 201). This teaching was needed! The thought that the Kingdom would begin small and arrive at greatness only through gradual growth is 4

always a view totally unacceptable to people “itching to get where the action is”…Realistic observers could sense that Jesus had no intention of setting up a military kingdom with a fully developed power structure which would usher in a paradise of prosperity for all. And it was this very reluctance of His that would deeply trouble those who had high hopes of making a fortune in that Kingdom” (Fowler p. 90).  The Kingdom will grow! Despite such apparent handicaps, the Church grew!

Such was predicted by the prophets (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 2:35,44). And such is chronicled in the book of Acts (2:41,44; 4:4; 5:14,28,42; 6:7; 8:1,4…).  The power of the gospel: God has given us a message, which can overcome any odds (Romans 1:16). Often we become too preoccupied with the great schemes of the world, which have proud beginnings. We think, “Why can’t the Church be like that?” But we often forget that such great schemes often have miserable endings (i.e. like the Tower of Babel).

4:33 “And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it”: Mark admits that he is not listing all the parables, there were others that Matthew records.

4:34 “And He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples”: On this occasion, Jesus was exclusively teaching in parables, but on other occasions He did not use the parables. At this moment, the interpretation of the parables was reserved for the disciples—but this would change. All this was done for the good of the audience.

For most people, He was gradually spoon-feeding them the truth, to stimulate their thinking, to awaken their concern for spiritual realities. By contrast, when He was alone with His disciples, He would speak more directly to them.

Jesus Stills the Sea 4:35 “And on that day, when evening had come, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side’”: Observe all the details in this account. The time of day (35), the reference to Jesus “just as He was” (36), the statement about the other boats, the position of Jesus in the boat (38), and the mention of the cushion.

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4:36 “And leaving the multitude, they took Him along with them, just as He was, in the boat; and other boats were with Him”: That is, Jesus had been teaching in a boat and wanted to leave directly in the same boat in which He had been teaching. We are not told what happened to the other boats, whether they were lost in the storm or driven back to the western shore of the lake.

4:37 “And there arose a fierce gale of wine, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filing up”: “The geographic location of the Sea of Galilee makes it particularly susceptible to sudden, violent storms. It is situated in a basin surrounded by mountains. Though at night and in the morning the sea is usually calm, when storms come at those times, they are all the more treacherous” (Gaebelein, p. 655). “A fact that arises out of the topography of the sea itself and the surrounding mountains. The sea, or better, lake, lying already 682 feet below sea level, is surrounded on the east and west by hills some rising as high as 2000 feet above sea level, intersected by plains and gorges.

These latter function as funnels concentrating any significant wind movement upon the surface of the lake, whipping the water into waves even six feet high” (Fowler pg. 82).

4:38 “And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’”: The most favorable location for rest as far as space was concerned. And the bow would be more likely to be showered by spray. How could Jesus remain asleep during all this confusion? He was utterly exhausted!

“The fact that these disciples should come to Jesus for help is astounding. A number of them were expert sailors who knew all about handling a boat, and who had been in many a violent storm on this lake. They appeal to Jesus who had never handled boats, but had worked as a carpenter with his father. How could a former carpenter help these expert sailors when all their skill was at an end, and death in the roaring waves was their certain fate?” (Lenski pg. 346). They come to Jesus after they have exhausted their alternatives. In the Greek the statement is in the present tense, admitting the disciples helplessness, the Lord alone could save. Remember, at least four of the men are veteran fishermen—they would not cry out unless things were really serious!

4:39 “And being aroused, He rebuke the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still’.

And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm” 6

Jesus needs no special instruments to calm the sea. The sea obeyed Jesus; it did not keep rolling after the wind died. “There was” means, there was immediately. And the term “calm” means, “tranquility”, “dead calm” (NEB). Luke says that the sea became “perfectly calm” (Luke 8:26).

“It is most important to see that Jesus spoke to the sea as well as the wind.

Sometimes winds cease suddenly over the Sea of Galilee, as suddenly as they descended upon the lake, but in no instance do wild waves instantly subside into a 'great calm'” (Foster pg. 589). “Even a sudden drop in the wind would not at once calm the sea” (Robertson pg. 69). This is a demonstration of Jesus' power over the powers of nature. This should not surprise us for He created this world and all the laws and forces that govern this creation, including the forces that create bad weather (John 1:1-3).

4:40 “And He said to them, ‘Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?’”

“They had enough faith to believe that if He was awake He could save them. They did not have faith enough to understand that there was no danger with Jesus in the midst asleep or awake” (Foster pg. 587). Not a trace of fear or even of startled surprise because of the terrible danger! The absolute serenity of Jesus. Jesus felt He had a right to expect more of these men.

While fear is important for self-preservation, it must never be allowed to destroy our confidence in God. They had depended on their own abilities of solving their own problems...they had tried to battle the storm by themselves and were not depending upon Him. They used Jesus as a last-ditch escape hatch. These would be the same men that will be going out and enduring persecution, their faith must grow.

Jesus clearly had expected these men to have developed a more mature faith by this time. They had seen a number of miracles, they should know who He is.

4:41 “And they became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’” They had seen other miracles, but this one scared them. I guess to men, it is one thing to heal, it is another to control the forces of nature! “How can Jesus be a man and have such incredible power? They had been afraid for their lives before in the midst of the storm. They are now afraid of being in the awesome presence of the 7

supernatural‌the presence of Jesus was even more awesome in the stillness of the calm� (Foster pg. 590). The answer to this question should have been---this is God in the flesh, this is the Strong Son of God (John 1:14).

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