Friday: 3^rd Week in Ordinary Time-C

I Reading: Hebrews 10:32-39: Remember all the sufferings you had to meet. Be as confident now.

Gospel: Mark 4:26-34: A man throws seed on the land. While he sleeps the seed is growing: How, he does not know.

The Parable of the Growing Seed: The Growth of Believers (Mk 4:26-29)

This parable describes how the seed goes about growing, and the process through which it passes. The seed is the gospel and the ground is the good soil, either the believer individually or the church collectively. Once the gospel has taken root in the heart of a believer, growth will take pace. The believer will grow spiritually. This is the greatest promise of God, the greatest assurance and confidence, the great hope and encouragement to every believer.

1.    The parable describes the kingdom (v.26)

2.    The seed is sown by a man (v.26)

3.    The growth is not of man (v.27)

4.    The growth is sure and constant, but gradual (v.28)

5.    The growth is consummated and harvested (v.29)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed: The Growth of God’s Kingdom (Mk 4:30-32)

Jesus is describing the growth and greatness of his kingdom, that is of Christianity. He shows how the Christianity begins as the smallest of seeds and grows into the greatest of movement.

The message of the parable is a powerful message to individual believers and congregations as well as to the world wide church. The seed of faith ever begins ever so small, but it grows into the greatest of bushes as it nourishes itself day by day. Mature (grown v.32) believers and congregation alike provide shelter for the people of a turbulent world.

1.    The parable describes the kingdom (Christianity) (v.30)

2.    The seed is sown (v.31)

a.    It is sown in the ground

b.    It is the smallest of all seeds

3.    The seed does grow (v.32)

a.    The reason: it is sown

b.    The result: it is larger than all the plant

4.    The birds do nest under its shade (v.32)

The Use of Parables by Jesus: Why Christ used Illustrations, (Mk 4:33-34)

The wisest of all teachers used illustrations, more specifically, he used parables (Mk 4:2- for more discussion). This passage gives three very practical reasons why Jesus used illustrations in his teaching (Mt 13:10-17 for a detailed discussions).

1.    To illustrate the Word (v.33)

2.    To teach step by step (v.33)

3.    To enforce the lesson in private (v.34)

Thought: The growth of a tree from a small seed is nothing compared to the growth of a person who truly comes to know Jesus Christ nor to the growth of a Church that is truly committed to the mission of Christ (Jn 12:24).

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