Chapter # 4 Paragraph # 8 Study # 1
July 14, 2020
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
(171)
Thesis: Jesus deliberately pursued a course in respect to The Kingdom of The God (over which He was the King) that would, ultimately, bring that Kingdom into reality in its fulness.
Introduction: We have spent more than six months seeking to understand Mark's presentation of Jesus' use of "parables" in the pursuit of "a further step forward" in the development of "The Kingdom of The God". We were initially introduced to this theme in
1:15 in Mark's summary statement of Jesus' "preaching" of "The Gospel of The God". This summary consisted of one declaration and two exhortations: The Kingdom of The God has come near [Perfect Active Indicative]; and "repent" [Present Active Indicative] and "believe" [Present Active Indicative]. After that introductory "summary", we have no references to this "Kingdom" until we get to these parables. The next reference beyond these parables is
9:1 where Jesus, speaking of His transfiguration, said that this "Kingdom" would be "seen" in its "having come with power" by "some" present at the time. After that reference, there are multiple references having to do with "entrance" into that "Kingdom" and two or three references to the fact that it had not yet "come".
In any case, these parables were taught by Jesus as a foundation for The Twelve's commission by Him to go forth to "preach" (3:14 compared with 6:6-13). And, by definitive declaration, these parables were designed to reveal "The Mystery of the Kingdom of The God" to some and to hide that "Kingdom" from others.
That brings us to Mark's concluding "summary" of Jesus' "parable" teaching. In it He concludes that Jesus was deliberate in His use of parables (many of them) and in His "explanation" of them to His up-and-coming "preachers". This raises a couple of questions: what, exactly, is "the mystery" and how did He expect people to respond to it/them?
- I. First, The Mystery.
- A. Clearly, it has multiple "parts" arranged under an umbrella called "The Mystery".
- 1. Mark told us that "And with many such parables..."
- a. This indicates that there are "many" aspects to "The Mystery".
- b. But it also indicates that the "many" all add to the "One".
- 2. Just as clearly, each "part" has a "parable" relationship involving a current experience of the whole culture and the future experience of the whole Kingdom.
- B. That Mark only chose to record five of Jesus' "many" is an indication that there are "five" major issues whose "parts" are relegated to "many such" relationships involved in the five.
- C. That Mark recorded Jesus' deliberate exaltation of the first above the other four signals a "basic" revelation of the Kingdom that is, then, "parted out" in those other four.
- 1. In the primary parable we have...
- a. A presentation of the "proclamation of The Word" as THE major sponsor of all that comes after.
- b. A presentation of THE major interest of God in respect to "The Kingdom": the bearing of "fruit" unto a final "harvest" that will constitute the makeup of that "Kingdom".
- 1) In another setting, Jesus made this promise: "...whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as 'of Christ', truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).
- a) This indicates that there is an on-going, and meticulous, recording of "every" act of faith done so that its "reward" can be determined and dispensed.
- b) This also indicates that there can be no "act of faith" that is accomplished by those who "do not believe" unto entrance into the realm wherein all "rewards" will be dispensed.
- 2) In this setting, Jesus revealed that "fruitfulness" (i.e., "acts of faith" in the sown Word) would vary significantly (30, 60, 100).
- c. An explanation of the causes of "fruitlessness" as well as the cause of "fruitfulness" from the perspective of the human side of the Truth.
- 1) There is no claim in this parable that the condition of the "landing places" of the seed is "self-determined"; the conditions simply "are".
- 2) But there is a claim that "fruitfulness" is the automatic result of the condition of "the good earth".
- d. Thus, in respect to "The Mystery" we have this conclusion: The Kingdom of The God is "all in" in terms of this "Kingdom's" ultimate reality.
- 1) This "mystery" is that God is absolutely committed to bringing His Kingdom into experiential reality for all of creation, but especially for a certain segment of humanity.
- 2) That this total commitment by God is particularly pertinent to the setting into which Jesus interjected it is rooted in the fact that there are, and will be, massive numbers of "reasons to not believe".
- a) Since Hebrews 11:6 declares that it is impossible for God to be pleased by anything that is not "out of faith", it is critical that we have a definitive commitment by God to our participation in an ultimate reality of "kingdom" on the horizon.
- b) Since the "basic" parable emphasizes the issues of "fruitfulness out of faith in God's Word" (mostly by means of negative illustrations of what ought not to be), our grasp of this "mystery" of God's total commitment is to be rooted in "good earth" issues.
- c) And, though there is nothing in the parable about the future reality of the rejection and crucifixion of the "King", it will be that reality that becomes the basis for a great deal of the "faithless fruitlessness" that is, and will be, running rampant throughout humanity.
- II. Then The "Parts".
- A. Once the issue is clear (fruitfulness for the ultimate, inescapable, Kingdom), there are some critical sub-elements.
- B. The content of those "sub-elements".
- 1. In respect to "disciples" (with emphasis upon The Twelve).
- a. THE point of the coming of The Lamp.
- 1) His identity and function are "all in" in respect to revealing "hidden things".
- 2) The disciples are confronted with their natural tendency to restrict The Lamp's impact, and challenged to deal with it.
- b. THE determining issue for "impact" by The Lamp: the Standard of Measure by which a disciple measures all illuminated truth.
- 1) The warning is emphatic: ignore this and lose it all.
- 2) The promise is emphatic: buy into this and gain more and more.
- 2. In respect to "the great crowd".
- a. The sole issue on the human side of things is the fruitfulness of "the earth" and its "automatic" participation in the process unto the end.
- b. The sole issue on the divine side of things is the capability of The Word to bring all things, Kingdom related, to pass.
- III. All Together.
- A. The Kingdom of the God IS going to progress through human history until the final state has come.
- B. That final state is to be determined in terms of "fruitfulness": every detail of the future Kingdom reality is tied to the contributions of "faith-actions" by every single individual who has "done something by faith".
