LESSON 6A
THE PARABLES AND THE STORM
Mark 4:21-41
Memory Verse: Mark 4:39
Introduction:
Jesus had now taught that the only good ground was that in which the good seed bore fruit. And He adds explicitly, that men receive the truth in order to spread it, and are given grace that they may become, in turn, good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —Expositor’s Bible Commentary.
I. THE PARABLES. vs. 21-34
A. The Parable of the Candle, vs. 21-25.
1. The PURPOSE of a candle, Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
2. It should be placed ON a candlestick, v. 21; Matthew 5:15, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”
3. The light of God’s truth is NOT TO BE HIDDEN, 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”
a. Putting it under a bushel REFERS TO people letting their MONEY OR BUSINESS INTERESTS hide their light.
b. Putting it under a BED speaks of letting COMFORTS and LAZINESS cover the light.
4. The CANDLESTICK is WHERE the light is placed, in order to give THE MOST LIGHT. New Testament Scriptural CHURCHES are represented as being candlesticks, Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” [ Spoken to the church at Ephesus]
a. This is WHERE every Christian OUGHT TO BE that their light would shine, Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
b. If they are not, then they are hiding their light, Revelation 1:20, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”
4. We are NOT ONLY to RECEIVE light, but we are TO IMPART LIGHT. This refers to ALL Christians, NOT just the pastor,Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
a. Use the gifts God has given you, 1 Peter 4:10, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
b. Be a testimony in your walk among men, Ephesians 5:8, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.”
c. We may be the only Gospel other see, Philippians 2:15, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”
5. We are NOT TO HIDE the TRUTH, NOR to hide SIN, for it will be revealed on that day, v. 22;
a. God will bring to light the truth, 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
b. We are to manifest the truth, 2 Corinthians 4:2, “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
6. We are to be CAREFUL WHAT we HEAR and HOW we hear, v. 24a, Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore HOW ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” We are to hear the truth and apply it to our lives.
7. The MEASURE of our REWARD will be according to the measure of our DILIGENT LABOR for Him, v. 24b; Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” We decide whether God will use a teaspoon or a shovel when He gives us our reward.
8. Our rewards will be ADJUSTED TO FIT the case, v. 25; Luke 8:18, ke heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
B. The Parable of the SEED, vs. 26-29.
Note: “This beautiful parable is PECULIAR TO MARK. Its design is to teach the Imperceptible Growth of the word sown in the heart, from its earliest stage of development to the ripest fruits of practical righteousness.” —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.
1. The SEED is the WORD of God, and the GROUND is the WORLD of LOST MEN, v. 26. (See v. 14, “The sower soweth the word.”).
2. The seed DOES NOT bring forth results IMMEDIATELY. We must wait for the results, v. 27; Ecclesiastes 11:5, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”
3. We have NO CONTROL over the process, v. 28; Isaiah 61:11, “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
4. The HARVEST will come IN DUE TIME, v. 29; John 4:38, “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”
Outline by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison–CONTINUED IN LESSON 6B