Rise and Follow: 30 Days in MarkSample

Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t go around telling people that he was the Messiah or the Son of God? In fact, he regularly quiets demons who know he is God’s son, and he tells those he heals not to share with others that he healed them. For all of his preaching that the kingdom of God has come near, he keeps the details of how and when a secret.

In Mark 4, we find Jesus teaching a crowd about his mission and God’s kingdom. Except, instead of directly explaining, he shares a series of parables with them. Jesus’ parables are short stories full of imagery from everyday life that invite listeners to see reality in new ways.

The first, the Parable of the Sower, gives us a hint as to why Jesus is being so secretive. The coming of God’s kingdom depends on Jesus’ death and resurrection, and Jesus’ crucifixion depends on people misunderstanding who he is.

With his teaching and healing ministry, Jesus is planting the seeds of truth among the people, but those seeds can’t sprout and grow until after he has been raised from the dead. We are living in that after, so the question we must ask ourselves as we read is whether we have hearts in which God’s Word is able to take root and grow, or whether there are any weeds or rocks keeping us from experiencing the fruit of God’s kingdom.

Before you spend time in God’s Word today, we encourage you to watch this BibleProject video which explains how to read Jesus’ parables.

Reflection Questions:

• How is God speaking to me through these verses?
• What does this set of verses teach me about God?
• What does this show me about the good news of Jesus?
• How can I apply what I read today?