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Choice of Parables

Text: Mark 4:26-34
29 December 2013

CHOICE OF PARABLES

1. Unique to the Gospel of Mark

2. Not all the Gospels record the same parables

3. Each author chooses his material to suit his authorial intentions

KINGDOM PARABLES

1. The Kingdom of God          Mark 4:26

2. The Parable of the Growing Seed is an extension of The Parable of the Sower and The Soils

THE PARABLE OF THE GROWING SEED

1. A man scatters seed on the ground          Mark 4:26

2. The seed sprouts          Mark 4:27

3. It grows          Mark 4:27

OBSERVATIONS MADE

1. The growth of the seed is not dependent on the knowledge of the sower

2. The earth yields crops by itself          Mark 4:28

3. Process

a) The blade
b) The head
c) The full grain in the head
d) Ripening of the grain
e) The sickle is used to bring in the harvest          Mark 4:29

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

1. Paul’s teaching on sowing/watering          1 Corinthians 3

a) One sows
b) Another waters
c) God gives the increase

2. The growth of plant from seed to harvest is an awesome thing to ponder over

3. The Kingdom of God is a profound doctrine that defies any attempt to offer an easy explanation

POEMS CT

PARABLE OF THE GROWING SEED

The Kingdom of God was not easily understood by just anyone,
Even though Jesus explained it in many ways to everyone.
Few seemed to comprehend its essential significance,
Many took His life’s ministry as mere happenstance.

The parable of “he Sower” was a parable well-told,
The significance of The Growing Seed, Jesus needed to unfold.
Growth is not easily understood, thus few think about it much,
All too quickly time passes by, and it is too late to correct, as such.

The pattern of growth for every seed is not difficult to state,
First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
And when the grain is ripened the harvest comes apace,
The earth will yield its fruit by itself, given time and space.

What would the harvest be like at the end of life’s day?
Neglect of the Kingdom of God would lead to regret and great dismay.
Paying attention to the seed from the planting to the harvest is wisdom indeed,
To all who give attention to growth of faith, they receive blessings God has decreed.

Inspiration: Mark 4:26-29