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Daily Devotions

Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 101

1 Peter 3:21 "There is also an antitype which now saves us- baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Day 101 – Mark 4

DIFFICULTY IN COMPREHENDING “THE KINGDOM OF GOD”

To many, comprehension of the Kingdom of God did not come readily or easily. It had to be revealed as a mystery is unraveled (Cf. Mark 4:11). But even as Jesus sought to teach the multitudes (and His disciples) about the kingdom of God, He knew that few truly comprehended and appreciated what He had taught.

MANY ILLUSTRATIONS GIVEN

Understanding their difficulties, Jesus sought to give illustration after illustration. He could not oversimplify the deep truths about the kingdom of God. To do that was to face the danger of diluting the truth.

The best approach was to resort to parabolic teaching. The illustration would be both simple and yet most profound. To the simple, the parables would be easily comprehended. But even the wisest would have things to appreciate if he thought hard on the parables Jesus taught the multitudes.

THREE SIMILAR PARABLES

Mark listed three Kingdom parables Jesus spoke. All of them shared a similar backdropâ?¦ there was the sowing of the seed upon the ground.

1. Parable of the Sower Mark 4:3-9

2. Parable of the Growing Seed Mark 4:26-29

3. Parable of the Mustard Seed Mark 4:30-32

PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

One of the most encouraging parables must be that of The Mustard Seed.

“Then He said,
‘To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?
Or with what parable shall we picture it?
It is like a mustard seed which when it is sown on the ground,
is smaller than all seeds in earth; but when it is sown, it grows up
and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches
so that the birds of the air may rest under its shade.'”
MARK 4:30-32

1. Growth is one of the main lessons in this parable (also in the other two).

2. The Kingdom of God ought never to be despised.

The kingdom that Jesus espouses is just like that mustard seed!