Matthew 13-- Mustard Seed and yeast
Jesus told the disciples another story: "God's utopia is like a mustard seed, a tiny seed compared to most other seeds. But a man took that insignificant thing and planted it in his land and he let it grow. And when it grew up fully, it became a sturdy tree so strong that the birds rested in the branches. Even so, you, my disciples, are insignificant and the least. But when the Father and the Spirit are done with you, you shall be strong enough that the nations of heaven will rest comfortably within you."
God's utopia is like a small pinch of yeast which a woman carefully places into four gallons of dough. Then she mixes it all together so that the yeast cannot be seen anymore, yet it has permeated the whole of the flour, so that it has all been transformed.
Labels: Gospels, matthew 13, Parable, parable of the mustard seed, parable of yeast
Parable of the Lover
Based on the parable of the soils:A great lover travelled from town to town to court many women. He spoke words of love to all who would listen to him. He wrote notes of love to prudish women who, in their offense, dropped them immediately, and men of the town would pick them up and laugh at them, mocking him.
He spoke tender words to daughters of wealthy businessmen and they swooned and quickly agreed to meet him at night. However, when their fathers found out, they forbid their daughters to go. And because they agreed quickly and didn’t deeply love him, they remained at home.
Other women fell in love with him and promised their heart to him forever, but then they became focused on their families and jobs and so they never had the time to meet with him.
But sometimes his song of love strikes some women’s hearts and they meet with him night after night. And soon the countryside was filled with children of these women in love.
Let me explain to you the parable of the great lover: The lover is the speaker of God’s loving truth to all. When someone hears about God’s utopia, some don’t want to have anything to do with it and are immediately offended by it. Satan then takes God’s word from them and mocks it in their heart. These are the prudish women.
The daughters of businessmen are those who hear God’s truth and are immediately elated by it and accepts it without really considering it—but the word isn’t at the heart of their being. So when difficulties or suffering come to them because of accepting God’s truth, they quickly forget their elation and turn away.
The busy women are those who believe in God’s word with their whole heart, but their daily concerns distract them. Their jobs, their families, and a need for greater wealth and security distract them away from the word. Soon, the word becomes small in their heart and they never actually do what it says, although they had every intention to.
The women in love, though, are those who hear about God’s utopia and embrace the message fully. And then the world is full of the fruit of their love and obedience.
Labels: Jesus, mark 4, matthew 13, Parable, Parable of the Soils, Parable of the Sower
mark 4:1-20-- Parable of the Soils
And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd gathered to him so that he embarked on a boat to sit down in the sea and all the crowd was on the land by the sea. And he was teaching them with many parables and he said to them in his teaching,
"Listen! Behold a planter came out to plant. And as he was sowing, it so happened that some fell by the road and the birds came and ate them. And others fell upon the rocky place where it did not have much earth and it immediately sprouted up because it did not have deep earth. And when the sun had risen it was scorched and because it did not have root, it withered. And another fell in the thorns and the thorns came up and choked it and it gave no fruit. And others fell upon the good earth and coming up and growing, it gave fruit and brought in thirty and sixty and a hundred."
And he said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside everything is in parables, in order that seeing they may see and not see and hearing they hear and do not understand or else they might turn back and they are forgiven."
And he said to them, "Don't you know this parable? Then how will you know all the parables?
“The planter plants the word. And these are those by the road: where the word is sown and when they should hear immediately Satan comes and takes the word which was planted in them. And these are those planted upon the rocky places: who, when they should hear the word immediately they receive it with joy, and having no root in them but are not long, then there is suffering or persecution because of the word, immediately they are scandalized. And others are those planted in the thorn plants: These are those who hearing the word and the concerns of the age and the deception of wealth and the desires concerning other things enter in choke the word and they are without fruit. And those are those planted in the good soil: Who hear the word and receive and bear fruit in thirty and sixty and a hundred.”
SKV 1—
Pay attention now. There was a farmer who planted seed in the spring. Some of the seed was put by the roadside, where the ground was hard and the birds ate up all that seed. Other seed fell on rocky soil where the soil was shallow. Because of that shallow soil, the seed sprouted quickly, but when the heat of the sun beat against the plant, it weakened, and because the plant didn’t have deep roots, it withered and died. Some of the seed fell in the midst of dense weeds, which didn’t allow the seedlings enough water. The seedlings grew, but the lack of water didn’t allow them to become full plants and there was no produce. Other seeds reached good soil and when it grew, the produce multiplied thirty, sixty and a hundred times as much as the original seed. If you have working hears, pay attention!
His disciples and the twelve waited until he was on his own and then they asked, “Could you please explain your parable?”
He looked at them questioningly, “Don’t you understand this parable? If you don’t understand this one, how will you get any of them?
So, the farmer is the preacher, spreading out God’s word of repentance. There are four types of soil and so four kinds of response to God’s word. The seed by the road are those kinds of folks who have the possibility of hearing and doing something about God’s word, but Satan convinces them immediately that the word is wrong. Then there’s the rocky soil. The word is given to some people who accept it and have a positive, immediate, strong emotional reaction to it. But the word never gets deep in their lives, so their reaction is only temporary. So when suffering or negative reactions to the word come against them, then they turn away from the word. Then there’s the soil with weeds. Some people hear the word, and they accept it, but they are focused on their present needs and concerns—wealth, desires and lusts. So they never actually produce repentance. Then, finally, there are those planted in the good soil. They hear the word, accept it fully and then produce a great abundant life of obedience to the word.” Labels: Gospels, Jesus, Mark, Parable of the Soils, Parable of the Sower
