MPC, 27th August 2000.Mark 4 - Riddles of the Kingdom
Phil Campbell MPC, 27th August 2000.
It's been another bad week for FLYING. Along with that Gulf Air disaster on Thursday morning, there was another close call with a Continental Airlines flight to NEW YORK. With a pilot who needs to learn to LISTEN A BIT MORE CAREFULLY. With 132 people on board, the pilot of Continental Flight 1-5-0 was told to land on Runway 22-RIGHT. Instead of that, he nearly came down on top of a maintenance truck... parked in the middle of RUNWAY 22 LEFT.
There were no injuries. But officials have said it was a very UNUSUAL INCIDENT. With a pilot who apparently couldn't tell RIGHT ... FROM LEFT. Or else JUST WASN'T LISTENING.
Sometimes, it's important HOW YOU LISTEN, isn't it. And as we come to the first major section of the TEACHING of Jesus in Mark's gospel, that's a key point. The heading in the first section here in Mark 4 in our NIV bibles, and it's sort of a traditional title - it's THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER. But we're going to see the story's not so much about THE SOWER - but about the SOILS. And we're going to see the SOILS are about different ways of LISTENING. Listening TO THE WORD OF GOD.
It's EASY not to listen, isn't it. To your wife when she's asking you to do the same thing for the five hundredth time. Easy not to listen to your mum or dad when they're asking you to take the rubbish out to the bin for the seven millionth time. And then like the ad on TV you have to race after the garbage truck when it comes in the middle of the night and you haven't taken any notice. Easy not to listen when something gets a bit too COMPLICATED - and you just glaze over. Phase out. Easy not to listen when YOU WANT TO TALK INSTEAD... easy not to listen when YOU KNOW BETTER. Easy not to listen when you just COULDN'T BE BOTHERED.
And for the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL as Jesus stands in the wilderness and CALLS THEM TO COME BACK TO GOD... easy not to listen because their hearts are just too darn hard.
PARABLES ARE RIDDLES
And the strange thing is, what Jesus does here in Mark 4 turns what we're expecting RIGHT ON IT'S HEAD. You've probably heard the definition, parables are AN EARTHLY STORY with a HEAVENLY MEANING. If you've heard that definition, you can FORGET IT. You've probably heard people say, Jesus was a GREAT SPIRITUAL TEACHER who used parables to make it EASY FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND. If you've heard people say that, you can FORGET IT. You've probably had in the back of your mind that parables are SIMPLE LITTLE STORIES WITH A MORAL. If you've had that idea in the back of your mind, it's TIME TO RETHINK IT. Because here in Mark 4 Jesus something that upsets the applecart. And it's the point where we're going to start. Maybe the words of the parables are pretty familiar to you. But before we take another look at them, start with verse 10 and 11. Because the DISCIPLES ARE CONFUSED. That's not unusual in itself, because when they're with Jesus the disciples are USUALLY about two steps behind the action trying to figure it out. But have a look here. He's just told the one about the SOWER AND THE SEED AND THE SOILS, and they come to him and in verse 10 they ASK HIM about the PARABLES. And he says this. Verse 11. The SECRET of the Kingdom of God has been given to YOU. But to those on the OUTSIDE, EVERYTHING IS SAID IN PARABLES... SO THAT they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding... OTHERWISE they might TURN... and BE FORGIVEN."
You know what a parable is? It's not a SIMPLE STORY to make things EASY at all. It's not a little MORAL FABLE. You know what a parable is? A parable is a RIDDLE. And the disciples are saying to him, HOW COME YOU'RE TALKING IN RIDDLES ALL THE TIME? They're not coming to him saying, why are you talking in simple little stories with a moral ending. They're saying, how come you're MAKING THINGS TOUGH TO CATCH ON TO? And the answer is... to SET THE BAR HIGH. To TEST HOW ISRAEL'S GOING TO LISTEN. To SORT OUT the ones who are going to LISTEN... like you guys ... from THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE.
So it's IMPORTANT HOW YOU LISTEN. Because according to Jesus, here's what you're going to have. You're going to have those who are ALWAYS SEEING and yet never really COTTONING ON... those who are always hearing, the sound waves are making their way into the ears just fine... and yet NEVER GETTING IT. And according to Isaiah 6, where Jesus is quoting from, it's BECAUSE OF THEIR HARDNESS OF HEART. Because their hearts are calloused.
And so Jesus says, I'm talking in RIDDLES... and if you want to listen carefully, it's the secret of the kingdom. But the hard hearts, the unlistening hearts... they'll hear me, they'll ignore me... and they'll bring JUDGEMENT ON THEMSELVES. Hard words. Not what we're expecting Jesus to say. But if you're keeping your eye on the BIG PICTURE, Jesus is bringing a TURNING POINT in the history of the nation of Israel. Drawing a line. What it means to be INSIDE THE KINGDOM. And OUTSIDE IT. And it's all got to do with how you listen TO HIM.
So let's backtrack a little, and have a listen... to the RIDDLE... about the sower and the soils.
Jesus is in a boat just off the shore. The crowds are pushing up to the waters edge; I guess some have rolled their jeans up a bit and they're standing up to their ankles. It's a still day; and Jesus is sitting there TALKING while the people crowd round to listen. Verse 2; he taught them many things IN RIDDLES... and in his teaching said this... He said, LISTEN! MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN! A farmer went out to sow his seed; verse 4; as he's scattering the seed, some falls on the path and the birds come and peck it up almost as soon as it hits the dirt. Some falls on rocky places where it doesn't have much soil and it springs up quickly; but the sun soon scorches it. And it withers because it's got no root.
Verse 7; Jesus says, "Other seed, it falls among thorns, which grow up and choke the plants so they don't bear any grain." And finally, some good news... I mean, all the sowings been wasted so far... Verse 8. Still other seed fell on GOOD SOIL... It came up, it grew; it produced a CROP, multiplying thirty, sixty, even a hundred times. End of the riddle. At which point Jesus says the words there in verse 9. Important words. Words which in a way might be saying, SORT YOURSELVES OUT ACCORDING TO THAT! "He who has EARS... LET HIM HEAR." Saying to the crowd of Israelites on the banks of Lake Galilee, "Is there ANYBODY OUT THERE... with ears that wants to HEAR THIS STUFF?" Or are your hearts just going to stay hard?
Well, do you notice it seems to thin out the ranks. Because in verse 10, most of the crowd's gone. The twelve are left. And some others as well. Like the little cluster that stays back after a concert and hangs around the stage door. And these are the ones who want to ask him, WHY ARE YOU TALKING IN RIDDLES. These are the ones who don't want RIDDLES... they want ANSWERS. And maybe if you're a long time Christian, you're someone who heard this stuff in Sunday School and it's all sounding SO VERY FAMILIAR, and you KNOW what the seed is and the sower is and the soil is, ASK YOURSELF how you would have gone if it was the first time anyone ever heard it. You GET IT? Or not? You walk away shaking your head saying, I'VE GOT NO IDEA WHAT HE'S ON ABOUT? Or you stay back... hungry for ANSWERS? That's who's left.
And so Jesus says the words we began with. I'm speaking in RIDDLES to find out WHO REALLY WANTS TO LISTEN. To DRAW A LINE. He says, to YOU... the secret of the Kingdom. But to those on the outside. Words they don't understand. Like Isaiah said... because of their hardness of heart. And that's what's going to CONDEMN THEM. The WAY YOU LISTEN TO JESUS... even MORE IMPORTANT than landing instructions from the control tower. Because here's the SECRET OF THE KINGDOM.
And he goes on to explain it, step by step. In words I guess we've heard before, but need to LISTEN TO AGAIN. And keep in mind, most of the crowd's gone home without ever HEARING this bit. Verse 13, Jesus says to them, "Don't you understand this riddle? How are you going to understand anything else? This one's FUNDAMENTAL." Because the farmer, he says, IS SOWING THE WORD. That's what the SEED IS. It's the WORD I'VE BEEN PREACHING. That the way into the Kingdom is to REPENT. And BELIEVE. And get SERIOUS ABOUT DOING THE WILL OF GOD. Which is what the people of Israel were MEANT TO BE DOING ALL ALONG; and all they're doing is being SELF RIGHTEOUS and LEGALISTIC and arguing about SABBATH DAYS. The SEED... is the WORD. So what happens when the FARMER SOWS THE SEED?
If you've been reading through the first three chapters of Mark you'll know already. So far the Pharisees have accused him of breaking their law for healing on the sabbath, they've accused him of being in league with the devil, his mum and his brothers have come to take him home because they reckon he's out of his mind. What happens when the SOWER SOWS THE WORD?
HARD PATH
Well, some people are like seed along the path, verse 15; as soon as they hear it, SATAN comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Have you see that? You try to share your faith with someone, you drop the seed; and boy, it hits ground for about a millisecond. Before it's brushed away. Gone. Jesus says, that's SATAN at work.
ROCKY SOIL
Sometimes, though, you might think you're getting a bit further. Others, like seed sown in rocky places - this is verse 16 - they hear the word, and they say, That's TERRIFIC. Straight away, they receive it with JOY. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. And when things get tough, when the sun comes out, you find out they've got no roots. So when trouble comes, he says, or any sort of persecution because of the word, they're out of here. Jesus says, that's the way it is.
THORNY SOIL
Two more categories. Verse 18; still others, like seed sown among THORNS... they hear the word; it takes root; even grows. But it's growing up in the middle of a whole lot of other COMPETING THINGS. Thorn bushes. And you know what they are? Be careful how you listen here. Because they're deceptive. Things that CAN CRUSH ALL THE FRUITFULNESS out of the word that's been sown in you. And you won't really notice. Jesus says THE WORRIES OF THIS LIFE... like the mortgage that's actually way more than you could really afford, but you NEEDED the bigger house. Like the PROMOTION that means you've got no time for anything else anymore but you've got to get ahead. Jesus says, the DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH and the DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS... they come in and CHOKE THE WORD, making it unfruitful.
Hear it again. The DECEITFULNESS of wealth. See the problem. If you've been DECEIVED BY IT, you'll be sitting here thinking, NO I HAVEN'T. You'll be thinking, I'M OKAY WITH IT. And yet Jesus says take stock; make sure chasing after wealth, chasing after prosperity, chasing after all the stuff everyone else in your office is chasing after - isn't CHOKING THE WORD. How do you check that? How do you check out whether you've been deceived or not? I guess maybe HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR MASTERCARD STATEMENT. Go back through your check butts. Ask yourself where your TIME AND ATTENTION has been going this week. Measure what's IMPORTANT. Jesus says, LISTEN CAREFULLY. The word of the Kingdom gets sown, it can easily get CHOKED OUT by the other stuff you're chasing.
GOOD SOIL
And then there's the REAL LISTENERS. Verse 20. Others. Like seed sown on GOOD SOIL... will hear the word, accept it. And be very, very fruitful. Producing thirty, sixty, a hundred times what was sown. Seed producing seed. The word sown in you producing the word sown in someone else. Over and over again.
Riddle answered. For those who wanted to listen.
Which leads on to a few more riddles on a similar theme. See how you go with these. Follow from verse 21.
LAMP ON A STAND
He says, Do you bring in a lamp and put it under a bowl? Or stick it under your bed? That would be stupid. Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is HIDDEN is MEANT to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is MEANT to be brought out in the open. IF ANYONE HAS EARS TO HEAR... LET HIM HEAR.
And if there's anything that's going to convince you that these are RIDDLES and not simple little stories that are easy to understand, have a go at that one. People have been arguing about what it means for 2000 years. Because he could either be talking about HIMSELF... and the fact that so far he's HIDDEN who he is but it's soon going to be CLEAR. Or else he's talking about ISRAEL that was meant to be the light of the nations and hid their light under a bed, and THAT'S WHY GOD'S STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN... or else maybe he's just talking about the PARABLES... and saying, what's MEANT TO HAPPEN is you're MEANT TO keep working at them til you get them. That the ONES WHO LISTEN are doing what's MEANT TO HAPPEN. The things that for so long haven't been PERCEIVED, that haven't been UNDERSTOOD... it's time for it all to be DISCLOSED. Brought out in the open. And then the same words again... IF ANYONE HAS EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. He says, "Is there anyone out there LISTENING?"
Because it's important that you chew over what you're hearing. That you work at it. Verse 24. And it flows on from everything he's been saying. "Consider CAREFULLY what you hear." Because if you listen in big truckloads, you'll RECEIVE in big truckloads. If you listen in TEASPOONFULS you'll receive in TEASPOONFULS. He says "With the measure you use when you're listening, it will be measured out to you. And even more. Whoever has - whoever HAS LISTENED AND CONSIDERED CAREFULLY... you'll be given more. Whoever does not have, even what you have will be taken from you."
In other words, the way you listen and consider; they way you take on board the word; it's the measure of how much good it's going to do you. So CONSIDER CAREFULLY. Your place in the Kingdom DEPENDS ON IT.
Ahh, but that stuff takes up too much time. Too busy. I've got work every day, then on the weekend there's sport, then I mean, you've got to have time to RELAX on top of that. See, Jesus says that sort of attitude is going to be exactly the attitude that gets dished back to YOU. A teaspoon of interest in Jesus and the Kingdom, a TEASPOON of listening; you're actually choosing the spoon that's going to be used to dish up GOOD THINGS for you.
TWO MORE RIDDLES...
Two more riddles, verse 26 to 29; verse 30 to 34. Both about seeds; both about the KINGDOM. Both maybe addressed to the sort of people who want to say, why all this FUSS about THE WORD. Remember a couple of weeks back, chapter 1 verse 38, Jesus says, the thing I came for, I CAME TO PREACH? He's come to SOW THE WORD.
Because it's the WORD that GROWS THE KINGDOM. Funny thing; just that simple message, turn around, turn to Jesus as your KING - that's the SEED the Kingdom of God grows from. Always was. Always will be. And so you get the story of the GROWING SEED. Farmer sows it. Sows the WORD. It grows. One day, the harvest. The story of the MUSTARD SEED. Farmer sows it. It grows BIG. And so that's what Jesus kept doing. That's what WE KEEP DOING.
The question is, ARE YOU LISTENING? Because the sort of attention you're giving to God's kingdom is the sort of attention God's got lined up for you. Which might be a very SCAREY THOUGHT. Consider CAREFULLY how you hear this. And how the seed's growing in the soil that's YOU. Especially if you're one of those people in danger of being deceived by the thorns growing up around you; and you haven't even realised. Keep on making it a priority to be in church; HEARING THE WORD. Because it's the SEED the Kingdom Grows From. Keep on SOWING THE WORD; every time you get the chance. Tell people who your king is; scatter a seed. Sure, three quarters of it's going to get eaten by the birds or get burned off by the sun or get choked out by the weeds. But keep sowing anyway. Because that's the way the Kingdom grows. And one day comes the harvest.