Pages

Sunday 20 January 2013

Mark 4:30-41 - Mustard seeds and storms

The mustard seed parable tells us that although the kingdom may start off small, it grows and increases in influence. As it says in Zechariah, do not despise the day of small things. Some see in "birds of the air" a reference to the nations finding a home in the kingdom. However, this may be reading too much into the parable, and it could just be emphasizing the size of the plant compared to the seed it started from.
When alone with the disciples Jesus explained the parables to them. We need to spend time with Jesus if we want to understand.
At the end of this chapter we get the "Jesus calms the storm" incident.  In the OT the power of God over the elements is seen as a crucial aspect of His power. So Jesus' authority over the waves is a crucial demonstration of His divinity. Like Jonah, Jesus was sleeping while the storm blew. Everyone else was terrified except Christ. 

No comments:

Post a Comment