Mark 4:30-34 - It is like a mustard seed

4:30-32

We have just been told that we are not solely involved in the process, there are things happening beyond what we are responsible for. The real Gardener is God Himself (John 15:1). Now we are warned not to assume that the early stages are indicative of the final outcome. The parable is introduced by Jesus saying “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?” Jesus says the kingdom is like a mustard seed, it may start off seemingly small and insignificant, but like a mustard seed it grows into the “largest of all garden plants”. As it says in Zech 4:10, we should not despise the day of small things. Again the key thing is that we need to recognise our proper place. God involves us in all that He does, there are things that He commands us to do, and we should do them. But we need to look at things as God involving us in what He is doing, rather than getting God involved in what we are doing. Then we are more likely to have the right perspective and to have faith.

4:33,34

Mark records only a small sample of Jesus’ parables, more are found in Matthew and Luke. Jesus used many other parables in speaking to the people. He only gave them “as much as they could understand”. So if people object that they could not understand they are actually without excuse. Jesus spoke only in parables for the most part. However, when “he was alone with His own disciples, He explained everything”. So what was the difference between the disciples and “the rest”? Maybe it was that the disciples were committed to Him and were following Him.