NOTES for Mar 4:21-41
21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? |
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. |
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. |
24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. |
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. |
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; |
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. |
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. |
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. |
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? |
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: |
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. |
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. |
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. |
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. |
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. |
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. |
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? |
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. |
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? |
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? |
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Today's reading tells us about Jesus' parables, in which He speaks of the gradual and unnoticed coming of the Kingdom of God, which, at the same time, in the end becomes so noticeable that it is impossible not to pay attention to it. In these parables the image of a sprouting grain constantly appears, an image widely spread in antiquity throughout all the countries of the Near East, from Egypt to Babylonia. The sprouting grain became here a symbol of eternal, constantly renewed life, which stands against death and conquers it. It is not surprising that Jesus uses this image to describe the Kingdom of God, for in the Kingdom of God everyone is given the whole fullness of life that can be imagined, and there is no place for death in it. But it does not come all at once, in such a way that the beginning of its coming is noticeable to everyone. Clearly, in order for the Kingdom of God to be revealed in all its fullness, time is needed, and this is exactly what Jesus speaks about, comparing it to a seed that at first is unnoticeable and then grows into a tree visible to everyone. This same passage mentions Jesus' calming of the storm that arose on Lake Gennesaret while He and the disciples were crossing to the opposite Galilean shore. It should be noted that storms on Lake Gennesaret are not uncommon, especially in winter. Winters in Galilee are warm; even in January the temperature rarely drops below +10, but strong winds blow, and on Lake Gennesaret, with its by no means small size, real storms occur. Fishing boats, even fairly large ones, are still not as large as real seagoing ships, and such storms pose serious danger to them. Fishermen caught by a storm far from shore could be in real danger of death, although the event was not taking place on the sea. Jesus calms one of these storms, saving the lives of His companions.
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