The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Mark 4

Mark 4:1

He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land.

The sea of Galilee, which was really a lake. Mark mentions the sea three times in this verse.

Mark 4:2

And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,

Parables are stories or word pictures with hidden meanings. The parables of Jesus were typically earthly pictures that conceal a heavenly reality. See masuk for Matt. 13:3.

Mark 4:3

“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;

(a) Listen … Behold. Hear and see. The parable is not meant to be a mystery. Jesus wants us to hear and understand the story of the sower (Mark 4:13). He doesn’t want us to be one of those people who see without seeing or hear without hearing (Mark 4:12).

(b) The Sower in the parable represents Jesus. “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man (Matt. 13:37). Yet in a broader sense, the sower is anyone who shares the word of the kingdom. The apostles were sowers (1 Cor. 9:11), as was the person who told you the good news. Every believer can be a sower. We can sow the word of the kingdom a hundred different ways using whatever gifts God has given us. Sometimes it may seem as though our sowing is not bearing fruit. The parable of the Sower explains why this happens (some people aren’t yet ready receive the word) while encouraging us to persevere (keep sowing; a harvest will come).

When Jesus spoke to the crowds, he always included a parable or two (Matt. 13:34). He was far more likely to give the people a story than a sermon. On this occasion, Jesus is sitting beside the Sea of Galilee, teaching the crowds (Matt. 13:1). He has been traveling from town to town, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing the sick (Matt. 9:35). Yet not every town has received him (Matt. 11:21–23). He has faced opposition and has even been driven out of a synagogue (Luke 4:28–29). Like sowing seed, preaching the gospel can be a risky business.

To show how people respond differently to the good news, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:18). Sometimes called the Parable of the Seed, the Soils, or the Four Soils, the story describes four responses to the gospel: complete indifference, brief enthusiasm, distracted attention, and whole-hearted faith. From this some conclude that most of humanity will not get saved. “Only one in four will make it.” But Jesus is describing responses, not people, and people can change their minds. You may be indifferent the first time you hear the good news, or you may hear a version that comes mixed with bad news. It may take a little while before you grasp the message, and this is why we need to hear it again and again.

This is one of the few parables Jesus explains line-by-line (Matt. 13:18–23). Because it’s about proclaiming dan hearing the word of the kingdom, it has two takeaways. Those who share the word are encouraged to keep sowing, regardless of setbacks, and those who hear the word are urged to receive it in their hearts so they may be saved might and bear much fruit.

John the Baptist expected the Messiah would come with a winnowing fork to bring in the harvest (Matt. 3:12), but Jesus came to sow seed (Matt. 13:37). The harvest will come later at the end of the age (Matt. 13:39).

Mark 4:4

As he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

(a) He was sowing. The sower scatters seed freely and indiscriminately, broadcasting it everywhere. In the same way, we proclaim the good news of the kingdom to all people. Because Jesus died for all, the good news is for all. We are to carry it to every nation, city, and tribe because all are invited to the kingdom.

(b) Seed. The seed is the word of the kingdom (Matt. 13:19) or the word of God (Luke 8:11). Since Jesus is the Living Word, to sow the seed is to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ who came from heaven full of grace and truth. The good news is no mere message for it has the power to impart new life to those who receive it.

(c) The road. Some of the scattered seed landed on the trodden-down path beside the field. The road represents the heart of someone who does not understand the word (Matt. 13:19).

(d) Birds. The birds who snatch the seed represent the evil one who snatches away the good word before it can take root in the hard and unbelieving heart (Matt. 13:19).

Mark 4:5

“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

Not have much soil. Where rock lies hidden beneath a thin layer of soil, the seed cannot take root or draw up moisture. It springs up quickly but soon withers in the sun.

Mark 4:6

“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

(a) The sun had risen. The problem is not the sun, which always rises and is essential for life. The problem is the rootless seeds had no access to moisture (Luke 8:6).

(b) No root; Lihat masuk for Mark. 4:17.

(c) Withered away. The withered sprouts symbolize the hearts of those who stumble and are offended by the message of the cross (Matt. 13:21).

Mark 4:7-8

“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

(a) Thorns represent the worries and worldly concerns that crowd the heart and make the word unfruitful (Mark 4:19).

(b) The good soil represents the heart that hears and accepts the word of God (Matt. 13:23, Mark 4:20). It is those who believe the gospel, are saved, and bear fruit (Luke 8:12, 15).

Mark 4:9

And he was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

(a) Ears. Jesus is quoting Ezekiel 3:27. See also the masuk for Matt. 11:15.

(b) Let him hear. “Don’t just hear my words; receive the Spirit of revelation.” Jesus gives a similar call to the churches of Revelation. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7). The Holy Spirit always seek to reveal Jesus (John 15:26), so we can tell if we are hearing rightly when we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. If the message you are hearing directs to Jesus, you can be sure that you are hearing from the Spirit of Christ.

Mark 4:10

As soon as he was alone, his followers, along with the twelve, began asking him about the parables.

(a) Alone. Jesus delivered the parable to a large crowd (Mark 4:1), but the interpretation was given privately to his followers.

(b) His followers. Not just the twelve but a larger group of followers from whom Jesus may have chosen the seventy (Luke 10:1)

(c) The twelve were Jesus closest disciples. They were variously known as the twelve disciples and the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:1–2). Their names were Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot (Matt. 10:2–4).

(d) About the parables. The disciples regularly asked Jesus to explain his parables and teachings (Matt. 13:36, 15:15, Mark 7:17, Luke 8:9).

(e) Parables. A parable is a comparison expressed in the form of a short story. The parables of Jesus have been called earthly stories with heavenly meanings. See masuk for Matt. 13:3.

Mark 4:11

And he was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,

(a) To you it has been given. The disciples were given insights into the mysteries of the kingdom because they asked with faith. “By faith we understand” (Heb. 11:3). Their questions weren’t intended to trap Jesus; they genuinely wanted to know the meaning of the parable (Luke 8:9). So Jesus explained it to them. When we humbly bring our questions to the Lord, he gives us insight and understanding. He does this because he loves us and he wants us to grow in the knowledge of his grace.

(b) The mystery of the kingdom are insights into God’s character and kingdom that are revealed to us by his Spirit. They are the answers to the deepest questions of life: What is God like? Does he care about us? What is his will? Each time Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like…,” he was unveiling these divine mysteries.

The greatest mystery of all is the “mystery of Christ,” which is God’s plan to unite us with himself through his Son (Eph. 3:4). The revelation of “Christ in us” is the crowning truth of the new covenant, humanity’s great hope, and God’s answer to every need (see masuk for Col. 1:27).

The mysteries of the kingdom are not secret teachings hidden in Scripture. They are kingdom realities that God wants to share with all of us. Mysteries that have been revealed are no longer mysteries; they are revelations.

Bacaan lebih lanjut: "Misteri Tuhan”

(c) Kerajaan Tuhan, also called the kingdom of God, refers to the reign of God revealed through his Son. The kingdom is anyplace where God’s will is done (Matt. 6:10). In this present age, the kingdom is revealed through the body of Christ, the church. see masuk for Matt. 3:2.

(d) Those who are outside. The crowds outside.

Jesus told the parable about the sower to the crowds, but only the disciples and a few other followers asked him to explain it. God gives wisdom to all who ask (Jas. 1:5), but those who remained outside never bothered to learn what the parable was about. Unlike the disciples, they didn’t ask.

(e) Get everything in parables. Jesus taught using sermons but in the later part of his ministry parables became his favored form of communicating to crowds. The unbelieving crowds were not ready to receive kingdom revelation, so like a sower sowing good seed, Jesus hid the “mysteries of the kingdom” inside memorable stories. “That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight” (Matt. 13:13, MSG).

Jesus was not trying to make it difficult for people to enter the kingdom, but people divide themselves by their response to truth. Some, like the disciples, hungered for his words of eternal life (John 6:68). Others, like the religious leaders, dismissed him as being in league with Beelzebul (Matt. 12:24). Jesus spoke to mixed audiences, and what each person heard reflected the state of their hearts. Those who desired understanding, got revelation. The rest heard stories about seeds, sons, and Samaritans.

(f) Parables; Lihat masuk for Matt. 13:3.

Markus 4:12

sehingga SAAT MELIHAT, MEREKA MUNGKIN MELIHAT DAN TIDAK MEMPERHATIKAN, DAN SAAT MENDENGAR, MEREKA MUNGKIN MENDENGAR DAN TIDAK MEMAHAMI, JIKA TIDAK MEREKA MUNGKIN KEMBALI DAN DIAMPUNI.”

(a) Seeing… hearing. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah to show how those outside, and by extension the nation of Israel, were insensate when it came to the things of God (Is. 6:9–10). They saw without seeing and heard without hearing and remained in the dark. They did not understand the mysteries of the kingdom because they were hard hearted and slow to believe. John and Paul also quoted this prophecy (John 12:39–40, Acts 28:26–27).

(b) Not perceive… not understand. The unbelieving crowds were not ready to receive kingdom revelation, so Jesus hid the mysteries of the kingdom inside unforgettable stories. They may not be able to perceive and understand now, but they will remember the stories.

It would be wrong to think Jesus made his parables hard to understand to keep people out of the kingdom. This contradicts everything he stood for. Jesus came to save sinners, not to shut them out. Yet we each have a part to play in receiving the word of the kingdom (Mark 4:20). If we neglect the word or allow the cares and riches of life to distract us, our hearts will grow dull. We will see but not perceive and hear but not understand.

(d) Kembali. In the new covenant, repentance is often described as a return or turning to God (Act 3:19, 9:35, 11:21, 14:15, 26:20, 2 Cor. 3:16, 1 Th. 1:9). See masuk for Acts 26:20.

(e) dimaafkan. When we turn to the Lord in repentance, we receive his forgiveness and are forgiven.

On the cross the Lamb of God bore the sins of the whole world (John 1:29, 1 John 2:2). From God’s side, your forgiveness is a done deal. But you won’t be forgiven unless you receive by faith the grace he has provided (Acts 10:43, 26:18). Only in Christ do we have the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14).

Technically, Mark is misquoting Isaiah’s prophecy which says “return and be healed” (Is. 6:10). (This is how the prophecy is quoted elsewhere in the New Testament (Matt. 13:15, John 12:40, Acts 28:27).) However, being forgiven is the first step to being made whole. You will never be fully healed from sin’s harm until you’ve had a revelation of God’s unconditional forgiveness.

Mark 4:13

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?

(a) Do you not understand? “Isn’t it obvious?”

The disciples were keen to learn about the parables (Mark 4:10), but Jesus marveled that they needed help with this one. They were familiar with sowers and seeds. They had proclaimed the word and seen the mixed results. Surely they could connect the dots and discern what Jesus was saying.

The parable of the Sower is basic parable. The seed is sown and it either returns a harvest or it doesn’t, and the difference is explained by the soil. No other variables are mentioned. If this is hard to understand, how will they cope with the parables of the Shrewd Manager or the Rich Man and Lazarus?

(b) Parable; Lihat masuk for Matt. 13:3.

(c) How will you understand? “Do you not understand what my parables are? They are earthly pictures that illuminate spiritual realities. If you don’t see this, you’re going to have trouble understanding any parable.”

Markus 4:14

“Penabur menabur firman.

(a) The Sower is anyone who shares God’s word. See masuk for Mark. 4:3.

(b) Sows. To sow is to proclaim the word or good news of the kingdom.

(c) kata of the kingdom (Matt. 13:15) is the good news of the King who gives life to the dead. The word of the kingdom is synonymous with the word of God (Luke 8:11), the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17), and the word of his grace (Acts 14:3, 20:32). These are all different labels for the gospel of Christ or the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24). The word of the kingdom or the gospel of grace is the only message with the power to change the heart and produce lasting life.

The “weapons” of the kingdom of heaven are not swords or spears but the creative and life-giving word of God. His kingdom does not increase through political or military force. It advances as people receive Jesus, the word of life, in their hearts and bear his fruit.

Mark 4:15

“These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

(a) The road. The compacted wayside represents the hard heart that refuses to believe in the goodness of God. The seed of the word does not penetrate. It is rejected and trampled underfoot.

(b) The word is sown. It is tempting to dismiss the hard hearted as beyond redemption. “Some people just cannot be saved.” But Jesus never says, “That one was too hard or too thorny for me.” The same God who sends rain to the righteous and unrighteous scatters seed to all in the hope that all may receive.

(c) When they hear. Although the parable is about sowing the seed or proclaiming the word, the focus of Jesus’ explanation is on receiving the seed or hearing the word. Jesus describes four responses to the gospel: First, we may hear it and dismiss it. Second, we may receive it with joy but fail to let it to take root in our hearts. Third, we may receive it yet render it unfruitful by living in worry and fear. Fourth, we may receive it with faith, hold fast to it, and allow it to bear much fruit.

Some of the parables highlight what Jesus has done or will do for us, but the parable of the Sower is about how we respond to him. Everything in life—our success or failure, our salvation or condemnation—depends on how we receive the word of the kingdom.

(d) Satan is also known as the evil one (Matt. 13:19) or the devil (Luke 8:12). Satan’s agenda is to keep you from coming to God. To this end he propagates three lies: you don’t need help, you can’t get help, and God won’t help. These lies fuel the perception that God is dead or distant; he’s angry and judgmental; he’s capricious and untrustworthy. When someone resists the gospel, perhaps because they have been raised with the devil’s lies, it is as if the devil himself has snatched the word away.

Bacaan lebih lanjut: "The 9 lies of religion”

(e) Takes away the word. Some give too much credit to the evil one. They say, “Some people are beyond saving.” A better interpretation is, “Some people need to hear the good news more than once.” No one is beyond the reach of God’s mighty arm.

Markus 4:16

“Demikian pulalah orang-orang yang ditaburkan benih di tempat-tempat berbatu, yang, ketika mereka mendengar firman, segera menerimanya dengan sukacita;

(a) Rocky places are not good for growing crops. The rocky places represents hearts that are trusting in the law written on tablets of stone. To rely on the law as a means of obtaining righteousness is to nullify the grace of God (Gal. 2:21).

Perhaps the number one reason why grace fails to take root or bear fruit is that people are trusting in the law instead of the Lord. They’re looking to the Ten Commandments as a guide for life when they could be leaning on the Holy Spirit. They hear, “Enthusiasm is not enough. It takes commitment and hard work to be a Christian.” So the try harder and trust less and the result is they wither.

(b) Receive. Under the old covenant you gave, but under the new covenant we receive. We receive the word (Mark 4:16), love (1 John 4:19), grace (Rom. 5:17), faith (2 Pet. 1:1), and salvation (Rom. 6:23). We receive Christ (Col. 2:6), the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), righteousness (Rom. 5:17), peace (John 14:27), and wisdom (Jas. 1:5). We receive the crown of life (Jas. 1:12), the reward of our inheritance (Col. 3:24), and the rest from our labors (Matt. 11:28–29).

(c) Receive it with joy. The good news has the power to bring joy to all people (Luke 2:10). When Jesus revealed the kingdom to those under the law, they sometimes responded with praise to God (e.g., Matt. 9:8, 15:31). Yet unless they turned to God in faith, their joy was short-lived. The same crowds that shouted “Hosanna” one week shouted “Crucify him” the next.

Markus 4:17

and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.

(a) No firm root. The word “firm” is in italics to show it has been added by translators. The original text reads “they have no root,” which is what Jesus said in the parable. “They had no root, they withered away” (Matt. 13:6). To have no root is to have no connection with Jesus. He is the Righteous Root who sustains and nourishes us (Rom. 11:18). The righteous believer is like “a tree firmly planted by streams of water whose leaf does not wither” (Ps. 1:3). But the one who trusts in himself will wither and wilt for they have no root.

(b) Affliction or persecution. Respond joyfully to the message of grace and you will soon face opposition from those who are bound to the law. They will say, “Grace must be balanced” and “Too much grace is dangerous.” You will be pressured to conform and condemned if you refuse. If your faith is rooted in the unconditional love of God, you will not be shaken. But if it is rooted in anything else, such as the approval of others, you will stumble.

(c) Mereka jatuh. The original verb skandalizō means “to stumble.” It describes someone who is offended by the message of the cross. The religious Jews worshipped God, but they stumbled over God’s Son (1 Cor. 1:23). They preferred law to grace and pursued a righteousness based on their works rather than the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ (Rom. 9:31–33).

Mark 4:18

“And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

(a) Seed. The seed is the word of God or the good news of Jesus; see masuk for Luke 8:11.

(b) Thorns symbolize the worries, anxieties, and fears of life that distract us from Jesus and keep us from being fruitful.

Mark 4:19

but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

(a) Worries. Any area of your heart that is troubled and anxious is operating in unbelief. It is as though part of you is saying, “God doesn’t care” or “I don’t believe God can handle this.” When we allow cares and anxieties to distract us from God’s promises, his word becomes unfruitful in our lives.

(b) The deceitfulness of riches. Wealth offers a false sense of security.

If we look to money to protect our families and ensure our futures, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. The lure of wealth makes us barren, robs us of joy, and can even draw us away from the faith (1 Tim. 6:10). When we pursue money and success, we give up opportunities to experience the blessings of a life centered on the Lord.

(c) Desires for other things. It is not the other things that are the problem, but the desire or longing for them. Whenever we place temporal concerns ahead of eternal concerns, we render the word impotent. We are to walk by the spirit (be mindful of spiritual things) and not the flesh (other things; Gal. 5:16).

(d) Choke. The original verb sumpnigo means “to strangle, drown, or throttle.” Worry does not cause us to lose our salvation, but it does render the word of God unproductive in our lives.

(e) Unfruitful. Some misread Christ’s words and conclude, “You’ve got to produce fruit to prove your salvation.” The result is dead works and anxious thorns (e.g., “Am I doing enough?”). But the seed produces the fruit, not us. We are merely the soil in which the seed grows. As long as we keep the garden of our hearts free from rocks (law) and thorns (worry), the indwelling Spirit of Christ will bear his fruit in us. It may not happen immediately. But as long as we rest in the Lord, his fruit will grow (John 15:4–5). “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.” (Mark 4:28).

Markus 4:20

“Dan mereka itulah orang-orang yang ditaburkan di tanah yang baik; dan mereka mendengar firman itu dan menerimanya dan menghasilkan buah, tiga puluh, enam puluh, dan seratus kali lipat.”

(a) Seed. The seed is the word of God or the good news of Jesus. It is the life-giving message that makes the barren fruitful. It is the happy announcement that God is good, he loves us unconditionally, and there is nothing we must do to earn his favor. See masuk for Luke 8:11.

(b) The good soil represents the good and honest heart that humbly receives the word.

In Matthew’s account we are to “understand” the word Luke says we are to “hold it fast” (Matt. 13:23, Luke 8:15). James adds that we are to receive the implanted or sown word with humility, and be doers of the word and not merely hearers (Jas. 1:21, 23). When the word is proclaimed, we bend our hearts and minds towards it. We reorient our thinking to align ourselves with what God has said. We let the word take root in our lives knowing that it will release the power of God and produce a bountiful harvest.

(d) Bear fruit. The seed produces the fruit, not us. We are merely the soil in which the seed grows. As long as we keep the garden of our hearts free from rocks (law) and thorns (worries), the indwelling Spirit of Christ will bear his fruit in our lives. It may not happen immediately. But as long as rest in the Lord, the fruit will grow (John 15:4–5). “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.” (Mark 4:28).

In Luke’s account of the parable, Jesus says the good heart will “bear fruit with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). Just as a farmer patiently waits for “the precious produce of the soil” (Jas. 5:7), we can be sure that God’s word will bear fruit in our lives.

(e) Hundredfold. The word of God is potent.

When the same word that spoke the universe into existence takes root in an undivided heart it will bring forth “much fruit” (John 15:5). Those who trust in God’s word can have a confident expectation of an abundant harvest.

Mark 4:23

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Ears to hear. “You need to hear and receive this.” See masuk for Matt. 11:15.

Mark 4:25

“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Whoever has. See masuk for Matt. 13:12.

Mark 4:26

And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

(a) Kerajaan Tuhan or the kingdom of heaven refers to the reign or dominion of God (Matt. 6:10). In this present age, it is expressed through the body of Christ, the church. See masuk for Matthew 3:2.

The short parable of the Growing Seed is unique to Mark’s Gospel. It is often grouped with two other “seed parables,” the Sower and the Mustard Seed. It is one of six “harvest parables,” the others are the Sower, the Wheat and the Weeds, the Net, the Wicked Tenants, and the Rich Fool. The Growing Seed complements the Sower. The Sower gives the big picture (seed either grows or it doesn’t, depending on the soil), while the Growing Seed explains the mystery of how the seed grows (by itself, with no help from us).

Why does Jesus tell a parable about growing seed? Perhaps because his followers are impatient for him to bring in the kingdom and break the Roman yoke (see John 6:15). But God’s kingdom does not come by force. It grows quietly, like a seed pushing through the soil, unseen yet unstoppable.

The parable encourages those who worry that the world is heading in the wrong direction. It teaches us to think like farmers who wait patiently for the harvest. “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near” (Jas. 5:7–8). The Growing Seed sets us free from the unholy demand to perform and produce. Our task is to sow the gospel. “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). Having done this, we can rest, knowing that God will bring the harvest in his time.

(b) A man who casts seed. Yesus adalah the Sower who came sowing the seed or preaching the good news of the kingdom. “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matt. 13:37). But anyone who proclaims the good news of God’s unconditional love and grace is a sower.

(c) Seed. The seed is the word of the kingdom or the word of God that bears fruit in the hearts of those who receive it. Since Jesus is the life-giving Word of God, to sow the seed is to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ.

Mark 4:27

and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.

(a) Goes to bed. While the farmer sleeps, the seed works. As in the natural, so in the spiritual. We sow the seed (preach the gospel) and leave the rest to the Lord.

(b) Night, day. Time passes. The kingdom of God grows as each child of God matures into a fruit-bearing believer.

(c) The seed sprouts and grows and brings forth fruit all by itself. The word of God is innately fruitful (Is. 55:11, Matt. 13:23).

(d) He himself does not know. Life is miraculous. The farmer can’t explain it, and neither can we. It is God who makes things grow (1 Cor. 3:7).

Mark 4:28

“The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

(a) By itself. The Greek adjective automatos means “spontaneous” or “without human intervention.” The other time this word appears in the New Testament is when a gate opens by itself during Peter’s flight from prison (Acts 12:10). Gates open miraculously, and seeds grow because of divine intervention.

Growth, whether spiritual or natural, happens without any effort on our part because that is how God ordained it. We can’t bear his fruit, and we can’t make ourselves grow. Growth is the Lord’s work. From start to finish, he does it all. All we can do is hinder the process by trying to make things happen in our own strength.

(b) Blade, head, grain. The crop grows in stages that mirror our spiritual development. New believers start as spiritual infants, then mature into strong young men and women. Finally, they become fruitful fathers and mothers (1 John 2:12–14). Every stage of growth is the result of the implanted, life-giving word of the Lord.

Mark 4:29

“But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

(a) When the crop permits. “When the crop yields itself.” The original verb for “permits” (paradidōmi) means “to surrender, give up, or hand over.” The crop is not taken by force but ripens and surrenders itself in the fullness of time.

(b) The sickle image, which alludes to the final judgment, comes from Joel 3:13.

Since the time of Christ, the gospel has borne fruit all over the world (Col. 1:6). One day, Jesus will return to gather the final harvest (Rev. 14:14–16).

(c) The harvest is an Old Testament metaphor for the final judgment or the end of the age (Is. 27:12, Hos. 6:11, Mic. 4:12). Jesus uses a similar metaphor in the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, where he says “The harvest is the end of the age” (Matt. 13:39).

The farmer does not determine the harvest time, but he watches and waits to see when the crop is ready. In the same way, Jesus the Sower does not know when the final harvest or judgment will take place (Mark 13:32). It may seem like the final harvest is a long time coming, but the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. He is patient, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). No one knows the day or hour when Christ will return with his mighty angels and the kingdom of God will come in power (Matt. 13:39, 2 Th. 1:7). All we can say for certain is that the crop is growing and a harvest is coming. And on that day, the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matt. 13:43).

Mark 4:30

And he said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

(a) Picture. The original verb homoioō is usually translated as “compared” (e.g., Luke 13:18). The parable is a simple analogy where one thing (the kingdom of heaven) is compared to another (a mustard seed).

(b) Kerajaan Tuhan identik dengan kerajaan surga; melihat masuk for Matt. 3:2.

(c) Parable. The parable of the Mustard Seed is a word picture or similitude rather than a story. Jesus is making a simple comparison. The parable of the Mustard Seed appears in Mark, Matthew 13:31–32, and Luke 13:18–19.

Mark 4:31

“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

(a) Mustard seed. The parable of the Mustard Seed answers the question, “If this is the kingdom of heaven, why is it so small?” See masuk for Matt. 13:31.

(b) Sown. The seed is hidden in the ground in the same way the leaven is hidden in the dough (Matt. 13:33). It can’t be seen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. The Jews wanted to know when the kingdom would come (Luke 17:20). Jesus replied, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. It’s already here, in seed form.”

(c) Soil. Matthew and Luke have the man sowing the seed in his field dan his garden respectively (Matt. 13:31; Luke 13:19).

(d) Smaller. A mustard seed is tiny, about a millimetre in diameter and it weighs about a milligram. See masuk for Matt. 13:32.

Mark 4:32

yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.”

(a) Garden plant. Kata aslinya (lachanon) can mean herb or vegetable. In the accounts by Matthew and Luke, the little seed grows into a tree (Matt. 13:32, Luke 13:19). See masuk for Matt. 13:32.

(b) Large branches are consistent with a tree rather than a mere vegetable.

Mark 4:33

With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;

(a) Parables; Lihat masuk for Matt. 13:3.

(b) Able to hear it. Jesus told stories about farmers and laborers that ordinary people could relate to. “They were able to hear” means “they were relatable.” They weren’t mystical prophecies about four-headed beasts or heavenly visions of wheels within wheels.

Mark 4:34

and he did not speak to them without a parable; but he was explaining everything privately to his own disciples.

(a) Without a parable. Jesus taught using sermons but in the later part of his ministry parables became his favored form of communicating to crowds.

(b) Parables; Lihat masuk for Matt. 13:3.

(c) Explaining everything. Jesus regularly explained his parables to his disciples (Mark 4:34), but only three of those explanations made it into scripture. Detailed explanations are provided for the parables of the Sower, the Wheat and Weeds, and the Net (Matt. 13:18–23, 36–43, 49–50).

Markus 4:35

Pada hari itu, ketika malam tiba, Dia berkata kepada mereka, “Mari kita pergi ke seberang.”

The other side. Jesus and the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee from north to south. Their trip began in Capernaum and ended in the region of Gadara, on the southeastern shore. (Matt 8:5, 18, 28).

Markus 4:37

Dan terjadilah angin kencang, dan ombak memecah perahu sedemikian rupa sehingga perahu sudah terisi penuh.

A fierce gale. On the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee are mountains up to 2000 feet high. The air on top of these mountains is often cool and dry, while the air on the lake shore is warm and moist. When the wind blows from the east, the collision of the different air masses can lead to violent storms such as the one experienced by the disciples.

Markus 4:39

Dan Dia bangun dan menghardik angin itu dan berkata kepada laut, “Diam, diam.” Dan angin mereda dan menjadi sangat tenang.

Rebuked. Jesus rebuked the wind and the word used (epitimao) is the same Greek word for when Jesus rebuked the devil (Matt. 17:18) and various demons (e.g., Mark 1:25). This has led some to conclude that the storm was demonic in nature. However, the Bible never says this and we risk glorifying the devil by attributing to him powers he may not have.

In the poetry of the prophets, it is the Lord who is ultimately credited with the wonders of nature (e.g., Jer. 10:13, 51:16). Just as it is wrong to blame the devil, it is equally misguided to think that all the storms that come our way were sent by God to test us. The story rather illustrates the power we have in Christ to face the storms of life, wherever they come from.

Markus 4:40

Dan Dia berkata kepada mereka, “Mengapa kamu takut? Apakah kamu masih tidak memiliki iman?"

Tidak ada iman. Faith is a positive response to God’s word. Jesus had said they were going to the other side (Mark 4:35), but the disciples did not believe him. They placed more confidence in their own assessment of the circumstances. See masuk untuk Iman.

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