Insights into the Parables and Miracles of the Gospel of Mark
Explore the profound teachings and miraculous acts of Jesus as depicted in the Gospel of Mark. Through parables and miracles, Jesus reveals the Kingdom of God and challenges both religious and secular authorities. Delve into the significance of His mission, the use of parables, and the power to overcome evil, shedding light on timeless truths and lessons.
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The Gospel of Mark -Parables and Miracles
a new teaching a new teaching He healed and cast out demons as a sign Teaching with Authority Fulfilled prophecies from the OT Revealed the meanings of the Scriptures Religious and secular authorities saw Him as a threat
Jesus mission It s revealed over the course of the whole Gospel detailing to the apostles slowly unfolding through preaching and works The Kingdom of God
He often speaks by the sea Often asks those listening to hear! Gospel progresses from general proclamations to specific stories Parables and Miracles These events require a response - belief ***We can t talk about everything tonight***
Parables are short stories drawn from daily life with a spiritual lesson -usually quite simple, but the truths can be very deep -they both conceal and reveal, it depends on the listener - Feed both the wise and the simple, spiritual truth clothed in tangible garments The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven. -Teaching the teachers and fulfilling prophecies Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?
And so He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!But no one can enter the strong man s house and plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. Follows the accusation of the scribes that Jesus is possessed and drives out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus gently takes the opportunity to explain his mission To free man free man from the from the power of evil (through the cross) Jesus did not come to do the work of the devil or give him any power Jesus announces victory victory; he will tie /subdue the strong man and take away the weapons he relied upon Everyone who follows Jesus will share in His victory Isa 49:24-25 Can plunder be taken from a warrior, or captives rescued from a tyrant? Thus says the Lord: Yes, captives can be taken from a warrior, and plunder rescued from a tyrant; Those who oppose you I will oppose, and your sons I will save. The Strong Man [3:23-27]
Hear this Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. He added, Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear. Used to explain the nature of the kingdom of God; open teaching to the crowd Hear this! // Hear, O Israel -- Listen with your ears and your imagination -- The sower sows liberally, generously not carelessly; Jesus is sowing as he tells the parable It illustrates how different people respond or react to the word of God; either positively or negatively It must be a personal encounter The work will seem like a failure, but the harvest will be miraculous Closes with the Shema of the OT: The word of God to means everything The Kingdom of God begins with hearing and welcoming the word of God, nurtured through faith, grows through perseverance. The Sower [4:3-9]
Twofold meaning: And He was saying to them, A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. And He was saying to them, Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. It refers to Jesus himself refers to Jesus himself He came into the world to reveal the Love of God the Father The mystery of the kingdom is present in Jesus First, hidden/veiled and slowly revealed Then revealed fully at the resurrection It is encouragement encouragement the disciples under persecution The life of Jesus is a gift to all believers. Those who receive this gift are called to be courageous witnesses. The life of faithful disciples will help others to find the kingdom of light, draw many to Jesus A disciple must always stand out in the face of darkness John 8:12 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. The Lampstand [4:21-25]
Only found in Mark; the only parable Mark explicitly calls a kingdom parable. The farmer simply scatters the seed and returns to the daily activity. The seed sprouts and grows mysteriously by the power of God, not man There is a great need to cooperate with God/his grace at work You cannot change the circumstances// within God s framework The parable teaches about the image of the hidden growth of the kingdom within human hearts and society And He was saying, The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up daily, and the seed sprouts and grows how, he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself; first the stalk, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. Now when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. It is a parable of assurance and a warning that the final eschatological harvest has begun in the ministry of Jesus it continues to be revealed, gradually, teaching moments It s a mystery produced by God, not by the handiwork of man One can do nothing to hasten its arrival- God s timing It stands in stark contrast to the zealot any desire to hasten the arrival of the kingdom will fail, including with violence. Patient waiting, not activity thatwill bring the harvest far beyond expectations The Growth of a Seed [4:26-29]
Often in the OT, a verdant tree is a symbol Of God s favor: Psalms 1:3, 92:13-15; Jeremiah 17:7-8 Or God s provident care: Psalm 104:12 Or an allegory of the kingdom or empire: Judges 9:7-15 (birds=subjects) And He was saying, How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is the smallest of all the seeds that are upon the soil, yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants, and forms large branches, with the result that the birds of the sky can nest under its shade. It s possible that the early church s could have understood The Kingdom as one to supplant the mighty kingdoms of history. However However It is not not like the mighty trees of old - established through power and violence. It s a shrub, which began in a small way and yet, it can accommodate more!! The kingdom of God is divine, so it depends on Him, not human plans Starts humble, but grows Jesus calls his listeners to see in his ministry the inbreaking of God s presence. His followers are to find God in his word/work and hope for more than they can imagine Failure hiddenness, and insignificance are not the final word The nature of the kingdom transcends our attempt to define it This is Jesus own experience - He begins everything with small , we end big The Mustard Seed [4:30-32]
Discussion - Parables How do the parables of the kingdom help you understand the mission of the church in our modern world? How do we balance action (like disciples sent out on mission) with trusting that God will bring about his Kingdom (it grows mysteriously by His power)?
Evidence for the Kingdom Follows the teachings of the parables Again, acts as training for the Apostles Jesus shows His dominion over: Nature, Demons, Illness, Death Miracles
They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he said, What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me! For He had already been saying to him, Come out of the man, you unclean spirit! And He was asking him, What is your name? And he said to Him, My name is Legion, for we are many. And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding [b]nearby on the mountain. And the demons begged Him, saying, Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them. Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. The Gerasene Demoniac [5:1-20]
The Gerasene territory Pig farmers = Gentiles Jesus steps out of the boat and is immediately confronted by evil -The man lives among the dead tombs/caves - The story has details about his personal torments (some not in the other Gospels) Chained, shackles broken, cutting himself with stones He was bound like the strong man parable Naked dehumanized, his dignity was stripped What business do You What business do You have with me, Jesus, have with me, Jesus,Son of of the Most High God? I the Most High God? I implore You by God, do implore You by God, do not torment me! not torment me! Son Suffering from despair, self-hatred the marks of demonic influence destroying God s beautiful creation He throws himself at Jesus feet desperation of the man or of the demon? The demon attempts to control Jesus, but Jesus has the power Names him, adjures him like a Jewish exorcism, Jesus flips it -Legion - ~6,000 men in a Roman regiment, highlighting oppression or evasive? - Begs to be left in the territory , but they drive the pigs into the water [Exodus 14] Only Jesus could help him.. And then they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon- possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the legion ; and they became frightened. Go home to your people and report to Go home to your people and report to them themwhat great things the Lord has what great things the Lord has done for you, and done for you, and how howHe had mercy on you. you. The Gerasene Demoniac [5:1-20] He had mercy on Power over Demons
When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and He stayed by the seashore. And one of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feetand pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live. And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him. While He was still speaking, people came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further? But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, Do not be afraid, only believe. And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the synagogue official, and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.And after entering, He said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep. And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He took along the child s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was in bed. And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, Talitha, kum! (which translated means, Little girl, I say to you, get up! ). And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astonished. And He gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat. Healing of Jairus Daughter[5:21-42]
And one of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet feetand pleaded with Him earnestly and pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live. While He was still speaking, people came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, Your daughter has died; why bother Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further? the Teacher further? But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, Do not be afraid, only Do not be afraid, onlybelieve. They came to the house of the synagogue official, and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. .And after entering, He said to them, after entering, He said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child making a commotion and weeping? The child has not died, but is asleep. has not died, but is asleep. And they began laughing at Him. But putting them all outside, He took along the child s father He took along the child s father and mother and His own companions, and and mother and His own companions, and entered enteredthe room the roomwhere the child was in bed.And taking the child by the hand, He said to her, Talitha, Talitha, kum kum! ! (which translated means, Little girl, I say to you, get up! ). And immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely immediately they were completely astonished astonished.And He gave them strict orders that no one was to know about this, and He told them to have something given her to eat. A synagogue a layman in charge of a synagogue s finances and activities fell at His Jesus previous encounter at the synagogue ended negatively [3:6], -but this man didn t care Judaism connected physical touch with healing Jesus responds, but things go from bad to worse in the interlude believe. Why trouble the teacher? He wants to be troubled and ignores their unbelief -belief is critical to Jesus healings and teachings- And Why are you He takes the inner circle with him, signaling the importance of the event The Aramaic indicates how the event was particularly memorable Jesus shows He has power over even death itself! The witnesses were shocked Jesus shows concern for all *The strongest sign yet of who He is and what is to come* Healing of Jairus Daughter [5:21-42] Power over Death
This scene immediately follows the miracles of the loaves & fish - Powerful miracle revealing Jesus role and identity And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself dismissed the crowd. And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land.Seeing them straining at the oars for the wind was against them at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid. Then He got into He got into the boat with them, and the the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, astonished,for for they theyhad not gained any had not gained any insight from insight fromthe incident of the incident of the loaves, but but their hearts their heartswere hardened. were hardened. Jesus goes up a mountain to pray returns walking on the water Call back to the Old Testament: Only God has sovereignty over nature - [Isa 43:15-16; Job 38:16; Ps 77:20 - Through the sea was your way; your path, through the mighty waters, though your footsteps were unseen. meant to pass by as God manifested Himself to Moses and Elijah [Job 9:8,11] *His presence always makes a difference* *His presence always makes a difference* Ps 77:20] How did they react? Fear astonishment, even after all they had seen His response? It is I I, do not be afraid Then The disciples reaction once again reflects the Pharisees unbelief Jesus walks on water [6:45-52] Power over Nature the loaves,
Unique in the Gospels the only story of healing in stages And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought a man who was blind to Jesus and begged Him to touch him. Taking the man who was blind by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting in his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, Do you see anything? And he looked up and said, I see people, for I see them like trees, walking around. Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, Do not even enter the village. Jesus pulls him aside and lays hands on him power of touch, God isn t afraid of human messiness, He uses it Stage one He sees, but not clearly. Similarly, the disciples understand, but only partially Their hearts are opening slowly to the identity of Jesus Jesus longs for us to see clearly He heals spiritual blindness Stage two Jesus lays his hands on him until his restoration was complete, soon the disciples will understand fully This miracle sets the stage for Peter s confession of Jesus as the Messiah first goal of Jesus reached! Healing at Bethsaida [8:22-25] Power over Sickness
Discussion - Miracles How do we respond to witnessing the power of God? Would we ask Jesus to leave instead of following Him? What if it cost us everything? Why do you think the disciples were slow to understand Jesus identity and mission even after witnessing so much? Think of two lessons that Christ taught us during the healing of demoniac (with the pigs).
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his mercy endures forever! Let that be the prayer of the Lords redeemed, those redeemed from the hand of the foe, Those gathered from foreign lands foe, Those gathered from foreign lands, from east and west, from north and south. I Some had lost their way in a barren desert; found no path toward a city to live in. They were hungry and thirsty; their life was ebbing away. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who rescued them in their They were hungry and thirsty; their life was ebbing away. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who rescued them in their pe them by a direct path so they reached a city to live in. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam. For he satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with good things satisfied the thirsty, filled the hungry with good things. Some lived in darkness and gloom, imprisoned in misery and chains Some lived in darkness and gloom, imprisoned in misery and chains. Because they rebelled against God s word, and scorned the counsel of the Most High, He humbled their hearts through hardship; they stumbled with no one to help. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who saved them in their peril; He brought them forth from darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains asunder brought them forth from darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains asunder. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam. For he broke down the gates of bronze and snapped the bars of iron. Some fell sick from their wicked ways, afflicted because of their sins. They loathed all manner of food; they were at the gates of death. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who saved them in their peril, Sent forth his word to heal them, and snatched them from the grave. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam. Let them offer a sacrifice in thanks, recount his works with shouts of joy. Some went off to sea Let them offer a sacrifice in thanks, recount his works with shouts of joy. Some went off to sea in ships, plied their trade on the deep waters in ships, plied their trade on the deep waters. They saw the works of the Lord, the wonders of God in the deep. He commanded and roused a storm wind; it tossed the waves on high. They rose up to the heavens, sank to the depths; their hearts trembled at the danger. They reele it tossed the waves on high. They rose up to the heavens, sank to the depths; their hearts trembled at the danger. They reeled, their skill was of no avail. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who brought them out of their peril; He hushed the sto their skill was of no avail. In their distress they cried to the Lord, who brought them out of their peril; He hushed the storm were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for. were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for. Let them thank the Lord for his mercy, such wondrous deeds for the children of Adam. Let them extol him in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the council of the elders. God changed rivers into desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, Fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its people. He changed the desert into pools of water, arid land into springs of water, And settled the hungry there; they built a city to live in. They sowed fields and planted vineyards, brought in an abundant harvest. God blessed them, and they increased greatly, and their livestock did not decrease. But he poured out contempt on princes, made them wander trackless wastes, Where they were diminished and brought low through misery and cruel oppression. While he released the poor man from affliction, and increased their families like flocks. The upright saw this and rejoiced; all wickedness shut its mouth. Whoever is wise will take note of these things, and ponder the merciful deeds of the Lord. those redeemed from the hand of the peril ril, Guided For he He commanded and roused a storm wind; d, staggered like drunkards; staggered like drunkards; rm to silence, the waves of the sea to silence, the waves of the sea Just tonight, we talked about these Psalm 107
Final Week! Passion/death/resurrection Wrap up
