The passage
      v26. Mark's "he also said" introduces another unit of teaching, here another kingdom parable. Unlike teaching parables, which are like sermon illustrations, kingdom parables are the gospel hidden in a story. The gospel announces the important news that God is even now gathering a people to share his eternal reign and that he is doing this through Jesus. So, now is the time to believe. The kingdom parables proclaim this truth, but do so in a hidden way to draw out the true seeker. For the rest, it's just a funny little story. The introductory phrase "the kingdom of God" clues us to the fact that this story is a riddle; it tells us a secret about the kingdom. "God's cosmic intrusion into human affairs may be compared with the situation where a person, as it were, might sow a field."
      v27-28. This person slaves all day and by nightfall, flops into bed for a good night's sleep. As the days go by, the seed sprouts and grows. Other than tilling the soil and applying nutrients and water, it all just happens. First, the green leaf, through to a full grown plant that produces grain.
      v29. Then comes the harvest. At this point Jesus alludes to Joel 3:13 and the coming of the grim reaper. The verse is strongly contrasted with the previous verse, "but no sooner is the crop ripe", and is also flavoured with immediacy, "he sends his reapers in without delay." Finally, we are given the punch line, "the harvest is come." So, the parable proclaims the gospel, but only for those with ears to hear. The kingdom is come, God is even now gathering a people to be with him for eternity, so now is the day of decision.
      v30. In another kingdom parable Jesus begins by asking what picture he can use to represent the kingdom of God. The picture he uses is that of a mustard seed, a very small seed, yet a seed that grows into a mighty bush.
      v31-32. The kingdom of God may be compared to the situation where a small mustard seed is planted and grows into a tree large enough for birds to find shade under its branches. As with the parable of the growing seed, we are tempted to understand this parable in terms of the growth of the kingdom, but its focus is actually on the completion of a process. The kingdom promised long ago has found its fulfilment in Jesus. The clue to the riddle is there for those with eyes to see. Jesus takes imagery depicting the restoration of Israel, for example, Ezekiel 17:22-24, and presents it as if fulfilled. The tree is now full-grown and Israel may rest in its shade; "the kingdom of God is at hand."

The Inauguration of the Kingdom
      C.H. Dodd in his book "The Parables of the Kingdom" argued for his theory of realized eschatology. As far as he was concerned, the parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed are not parables of growth, but rather an announcement that the day of harvest has arrived. The seed planted long ago was now ripe for harvest, it was now the great tree giving shade and rest. The day of the Lord has arrived, the kingdom is come.
      Unlike Albert Schweitzer, Dodd didn't then argue that Jesus got it wrong; that Jesus thought the kingdom would immediately come through his ministry, but was mistaken. For Dodd, the coming kingdom is indeed "now", but spiritually discerned.
      Although Dodd's interpretation of the kingdom parables is still not widely accepted, he has actually performed a wonderful service for us when it comes to interpreting the kingdom parables. When following Dodd's lead today we often say of the kingdom parables that they proclaim that the kingdom is "now", but also "not yet"; it is both here and coming. Inaugurated eschatology is probably a better term to use when explaining the idea of a kingdom that is "at hand." Jesus proclaims the coming kingdom, which does indeed come, in and through his ministry. Yet, at another level, it is still coming. The kingdom today is realized in the life of believers and in the church, while at another level, we await the day of glory when the kingdom will come in power.
      Without a doubt, this is the best way to view the coming kingdom. God's rule (the kingdom) witnessed in calling out a people to be with him for eternity, is seen in the life of Jesus, in the life of his disciples today, and in his glorious coming in the last day.
      The kingdom parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed, proclaim that the kingdom of God has burst in upon is; it is "now" and yes, it is "not yet", but it "is". Faced with this reality we are bound to ask how well our ears hear, for if God's mysterious reign is indeed intruding into human affairs, then it is also intruding into our affairs. So, do we "repent and believe", or do we ignore the fact that "the harvest is come" and that the mustard bush is sharing its shade?

v26
      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 tou qeou "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" 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 messianic 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. "God's cosmic intrusion into human affairs."
      ouJtwV adv. "[this is what the Kingdom of God is] like" - thus, in this was, so [is the kingdom of God]. "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. Probably best understood as forming a conditional clause, "as if a man scatters seed". "Where a man, as it were might sow a field."
      anqrwpoV (oV) "a man" - Often Jesus is identified as 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, which function is exactly the same for the gospel. This fact gives us a clue to the meaning of the kingdom parables, namely, that they are the gospel in riddle form (Heb. a masal). Such riddles are for those who reject a clear word from God, v11-12. Kingdom parables have one message, "the kingdom of God is at hand."

v27
      kaqeudh/ kai egeirhtai pres. subj. "[night and day], whether he sleeps or gets up" - he might continue sleeping and rising [night and day]. 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 oJ sporoV Blasta/ "the seed sprouts" - and the seed sprouts. Possibly forming a circumstantial 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. 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. "He has no idea how it happens", Phillips.

v28
      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" - 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 in the head]" - full [wheat in the head]. "Full" in the sense of "ripe". They "grow into plants that produce grain", CEV.

v29
      The language of the verse reflects Joel 3:13 and is shaped to serve as the punch line. The parable is not about growth, but about harvest, and so announces that "the kingdom of God is at hand" - "the harvest is come."
      de "-" - but. Establishing 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 on 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.

v30
      kai elegen "again he said" - Another new element.
      pwV "what" - how, in what way. A textual variant has "with what."
      oJmoiwswmen (oJmoiow) aor. subj. "shall we say [the kingdom of God] is like" - shall we compare. Obviously a deliberative subjunctive, as NIV, "how shall we ...?". "To what shall we compare", Moffatt.
      h "or" - The tautology, restated idea, is Semitic.
      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. 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.

v31
      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 and has prompted textual variations aimed at repairing it.
      wJV + dat. "it is like [a mustard seed] - as [a seed of mustard].
      kokkw/ (oV) dat. "seed" - grain. Dative of comparison.
      on (eimi) pres. neut. part. of verb to-be. "which is" - being. Since the participle agrees with "grain" it should be masculine, but has been attracted to "offspring" which is neuter. "Being smallest."
      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.