Mark

4:26-34

The journey begins, 1:1-5:43

5. The Word - the good news of the kingdom, 4:1-34

iii] The parable of the growing seed and mustard seed

The parables of the kingdom fall within the first major section of the gospel of Mark. This is quite a large teaching unit in the gospel. Our particular passage looks at two of these parables, The Growing Seed and The Mustard Seed.

The two parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed proclaim the reality of the incoming kingdom of God - now is the hour for the realization / inauguration of God's righteous reign.

Both these parables are often interpreted as if illustrating growth in the kingdom, the movement of time from small beginnings to ultimate fulfillment, but it is more likely that they proclaim the immediacy of the kingdom. See C.H. Dodd The Parables of the Kingdom, but note that Dodd's realized eschatology is best understood in terms of an inaugurated eschatology.

A parable is a form of extended simile. Jesus used two types of parables:

i] Teaching parables. These range from simple proverbs to complex illustrations designed to convey a truth. The truth is presented in story form to make it clearer, more easily understood.

ii] Kingdom parables. Although often treated as allegories, they are actually gospel presentations designed for a people with ears that do not hear. They serve to draw out the true seeker, while, in an act of judgment, confuse those who have chosen to reject a clear word from God. These parables usually begin with the phrase "the kingdom of God / heaven is like....." Such parables announce the righteous reign of God in the person of Jesus, whose coming has released mysterious forces which even now inaugurate that reign, a reign that will be realized at the return of Christ. In this sense kingdom parables are mysterious enigmatic utterances similar to an Old Testament riddle, a riddle which conceals its meaning from the hearer, eg. 2Sam.12:5f. It is within an environment of disbelief and opposition that Jesus uses such parables. In simple terms, they proclaim that "the kingdom of God is at hand (is bursting in upon us)."

The parable of the growing seed, v26-29.

elegen (legw) imperf. "he [also] said" - [and] he was saying. Used to introduce a new element in the episode. "Another saying of his was this", Weymouth.

hJ basileia (oV) "the kingdom [of God]" - This signature ("the kingdom of heaven" in Matthew) servers to identify a particular type of parable, distinct from teaching parables which are more like sermon illustrations. See above. A descriptive like "the rule of God / the righteous reign of God" may better convey meaning to we modern "Gentiles", although translators are loathe to move from a literal translation. Of course, to Jews, the term is highly charged. The kingdom of God references the messiah's establishment of the eschatological reign of God over Israel, in defiance of all secular powers, which powers bow in adoration before God's mighty intervention in human affairs.

tou qeou gen. "of God" - The genitive is adjectival, possessive, although it may be classed as verbal, subjective, of God's active reign.

ouJtwV adv. "this is what [the kingdom of God] is like" - thus, in this was, so [is the kingdom of God]. Comparative; "God's righteous reign may be compared with the situation ......"

wJV + subj. "[a man scatters seed]" - as, like [a man might throw the seed]. This construction is often regarded as faulty, either bad grammar or a textual error, cf. Gundry, p223. Possibly conditional, "as if a man scatters", although comparative seems best. "Where a man, as it were might sow a field."

anqrwpoV (oV) "a man" - Often Jesus is identified with the sower, although this sower "does not know." The image of an ignorant Jesus is unlikely, and in any case, kingdom parables are not allegories where each element requires interpretation.

balh/ (ballw) aor. subj. "scatters" - might throw. The aorist subjunctive may be futuristic, "as a man will sow", Moulton, (the aorist subjunctive does function, at times, as if it were a future indicative), but it is more likely that the subjunctive is a product of narrative style used for a hypothetical situation. Note the flurry of subjunctives that follow. The aorist tense is punctiliar, here describing the act of sowing a field, while in the following verses the present tense dominates, being durative, the ongoing action of growth.

ton sporon (oV) sing. "seed" - A singular collective seed is described, unlike the parable of the sower. The parable of the sower is often regarded as a "type" parable providing the clues to the interpretation of the kingdom parables. It is on this basis that the "seed" is often regarded as the word of God, the gospel. Yet, this assumes again that the kingdom parables are allegories where individual elements are assigned a meaning. It is more likely that the parable of the sower is a teaching parable about parables (note, it does not begin with the phrase "the kingdom of God/heaven is like"). The parable of the sower explains the function of kingdom parables, namely that they are gospel presentations, and as such prompt a varied response. The literary form of kingdom parables is that of a Hebrew masal, or riddle, which form suits those who reject a clear word from God, v11-12. Kingdom parables have one message, "the kingdom of God is at hand."

kai ..... kai .... pres. subj. "whether [he sleeps] or [gets up]" - and [he might continue sleeping] and [rising]. Correlative use of the conjunction; "both .... and ..." Expressing the ongoing business of working each day and sleeping each night. "He wakens in the morning and he goes to sleep at night", Barclay.

kai .... kai .... "[the seed sprouts] and"" - and [the seed sprouts] and. Possibly forming a temporal clause; "while the seed sprouts ...", Torrey.

mhkunhtai (mhkunw) aor. subj. "grows" - it becomes long. This descriptive of growth, expressed also in v28, naturally prompts the idea that the parable is about the growth of the kingdom - it starts out small in the ministry of Jesus and ends up with the heavenly assembly in the last day, or even the growth of the church. The parable of the Mustard Seed is also often understood as a parable of growth. Yet, rather than growth, we are best to view these parables as describing the completion of a process. "The time is fulfilled", for the kingdom promised long ago has burst in upon us in the person of Jesus. "Yet the seed keeps sprouting and growing", CEV.

wJV "how" - as, like / while. "How" after verbs of saying or thinking, although a temporal sense is possible; "while it happens." "He has no idea how it happens", Phillips.

automath adj. "all by itself" - on its own, by itself. Functioning as an adverb, "spontaneously". Referring to something which happens without visible cause, BAGD. "With no help from anyone", Barclay.

carton (oV) "stalk" - grass. Here "the green shoot", Taylor.

eiten "then" - Temporal adverb. Ionic form of eita used only here in the NT, but common in papyri of the time.

karpoforei (karpoforew) pres. "produces grain" - it bears fruit, yields a crop.

plhrhV adj. "full [kernel]" - full [wheat]. "Full" in the sense of "ripe". They "grow into plants that produce grain", CEV.

en dat. "in [the head]" - Expressing space/sphere.

The language of this verse reflects Joel 3:13 and is shaped to serve as the punch line. This verse reinforces the view that the parable is not about growth, but about harvest, a harvest which announces that "the kingdom of God is at hand" - "the harvest is come."

de "-" - but, and. Here establishing a contrast and therefore, a climax in the story. "But no sooner is the crop ready", Weymouth.

oJtan + subj. "as soon as [the grain is ripe]" - when [the crop permits]. Forming an indefinite temporal clause as NIV; "but whenever the crop is ready", Moffatt.

paradoi (paradidwmi) aor. subj. "is ripe" - permits, allows / hand over. Here the classical usage, "permits" = "ready." Possibly "is fully mature", Manson, or "when its crop is ready", Black; both suggestions are based upon a possible Aramaic source.

euquV "-" - immediately. Serving to compress time, underlining urgency. "He sends his reapers in without delay", Phillips.

apostellei (apostellw) pres. "he puts [the sickle to it]" - he sends. "He sends forth / puts forth the sickle", although more likely reflecting the Joel source, "wields / applies the sickle." Certainly imaging the letting loose of the reapers and so "send" can be rendered "then he sends the reapers", Weymouth.

oJti "because" - that. Here causal, as NIV.

paresthken (paristhmi) perf. "[the harvest] has come" - has caused to be, come into existence, arrived. Here the perfect underlines a point of time; "is here", Cranfield.

The parable of the mustard seed, v30-32. This parable makes the same point as the parable of the growing seed. Of course, if the above interpretation is correct the traditional names for these parables is misleading. The parable of the mustard seed becomes the parable of mustard shrub/bush/tree and the parable of the growing seed becomes the parable of the seed ripe for harvest.

kai elegen "again he said" - Another new element.

pwV + subj. "what" - how, in what way. Deliberative particle. A textual variant has "with what."

oJmoiwswmen (oJmoiow) aor. subj. "shall we say [the kingdom of God] is like" - shall we compare. A deliberative subjunctive, as NIV, "how shall we ...?". "To what shall we compare", Moffatt.

h "or" - Introducing a tautology, restated idea, which is Semitic in form.

tina "what" - with what. A textual variant has "what kind."

en + dat. "-" - in, with, by. Here taking an instrumental sense, "by what parable."

parabolh/ (h) "parable" - proverb, parable, poem. Is Mark intending us to understand the word as a technical descriptive, thus "parable", so NIV, or is he just describing a parallelism between the kingdom and the story, "by what comparison ('similitude / figure', Taylor) can we represent it?"

qwmen (tiqhmi) aor. subj. "shall we use to describe it" - may we present. Again the subjunctive is deliberative. Here in the sense of presenting an idea. A variant exists which has "may we compare." "What picture can we use to represent it", Barclay.

Mark's parenthesis, "which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground", is regarded with suspicion by some commentators. It's originality is questioned, or at least is regarded as Mark's own comment concerning mustard seeds. The comment is actually wrong in that the mustard is a small seed, but not the smallest, and the grammar is faulty, prompting textual variations aimed at repairing it.

wJV + dat. "it is like [a mustard seed]" - as [a seed of mustard]. See above.

kokkw/ (oV) dat. "seed" - grain. Dative of comparison.

o]n (eimi) pres. neut. part. of verb to-be. "which is" - being. Since this adjectival participle agrees with "grain" it should be masculine, but has been attracted to "offspring" which is neuter.

mikroteron (mikroV) comp. adj. "the smallest" - smaller. The comparative here is used for the superlative. Although not the smallest seed, it was proverbially regarded as the smallest. Torrey suggests that an Aramaic original may have read "which is less than all the seeds."

spermatwn (a atoV) "seed" - offspring.

epi + gen. "on [earth]" - upon [the earth]. Spacial.

The riddle of the parable is deciphered by means of its Biblical precedence: Ps. 104:12, Ezk.17:23, 31:6, Dan.4:12, 14, 21 - that day, the day when Israel will find shelter, "is at hand."

kai "yet" - and. Here slightly adversative; "but / yet."

oJtan + subj. "when [planted]" - when [it is sown]. Forming an indefinite temporal clause.

meizon (megaV) comp. adj. "the largest" - larger, greater. The comparative used for the superlative. "It keeps on growing until it becomes the biggest of all kitchen herbs", Barclay.

pantwn gen. adj. "of all" - The genitive is ablative, of comparison; "greater than all ...."

twn lacanwn (on) gen. "the garden plants" - of the vegetables. The genitive is adjectival, partitive; "of garden herbs", Taylor.

poiei (poiew) pres. "with such [big branches]" - [and] makes [branches large].

wJste + inf. "that" - so that, in order that. Forming a consecutive clause expressing result; "with the result that."

tou ouranou (oV) gen. "-" - of heaven. The genitive is adjectival, attributive, limiting "birds", redundant.

dunasqai (dunamai) pres. inf. "can" - [that the birds of heaven] are able. "The birds of heaven" serve as the accusative subject of the infinitive "to be able."

kataskhnoun (kataskhnow) pres. inf. "can perch" - to nest, settle, live, dwell, camp. "Perch" is unlikely, "nest", Cranfield, but better, "rest under its shadow", Taylor.

uJpo + acc. "in [its shade]" - under [the shade of it]. Spacial.

Mark Introduction

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