God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled “Parallels, Parables and
Planting” and my focus is our Gospel (Mk 4:26-34). Let us pray. Heavenly
Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go
to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within your gates, we
rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds
and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most
Holy Trinity. Amen.
The word parallel
comes from two Greek words: para meaning beside and allelois meaning
each other. By definition, parallel means extending in the same direction,
equidistant at all points, and never converging or diverging. Most of us know
that lines in a plane which do not intersect or touch each other at any point
are said to be parallel. Parallel may also refer to computing, mathematics,
science, navigation, music, entertainment, grammar, rhetoric or gymnastics.
Gospel parallels place
similar passages from different evangelists alongside each other for easy
comparison. This is an important tool for anyone who wants to better understand
the gospels. How did different writers tell the same stories in the first
generations of the Church? Why are they different?
The synoptic gospels, Matthew,
Mark and Luke, contain much of the same material. Matthew and Luke tell nearly
all of the stories told in Mark and share several stories that are not in Mark.
In addition, all three books are written as if the authors personally observed
all of the events and were reporting what they saw at the time.
The Gospel of John
purposefully omitted much of the material found in the synoptic gospels and
added a considerable amount of material not found in them. It appears that John
wrote his gospel as a supplement to the other three. So, when you place the
four side-by-side, you see striking similarities and subtle differences.
All three synoptic
gospels recorded that Jesus compared the mustard seed to the Kingdom. Matthew
used the phrase Kingdom of heaven, while Mark and Luke employed the phrase
Kingdom of God. The seed was sown. Matthew wrote that a man sowed it on the
field. Mark wrote that the seed was sowed upon the ground, while Luke said that
a man sowed it in his garden.
Matthew’s Jesus stated
that the seed is the smallest of all seeds, while Mark’s Jesus added that it is
the smallest of all seeds on the earth, and Luke’s Jesus is silent on its size.
Matthew’s seed has grown; Mark’s grows up and puts forth large branches; and
Luke’s grew. Matthew described its maturity as the greatest of shrubs and
becomes a tree; Mark as the greatest of all shrubs; and Luke as a tree.
All three mention the
birds of the air, while Matthew concluded that they come and make nests in its
branches; Mark that they can make nests in its shade; and Luke that they made
nests in its branches.
Why painstakingly
point out striking similarities and subtle differences in 2 or 3 verses of
Scripture? To compare literary styles suited for their particular audiences and
to emphasize certain theological statements.
Immediately, we notice
the different places where the seed is planted and what happens when it
flourishes: field, ground and garden. Nestmaking occurred in the present and in
the past. Why note these subtle differences? Well, if I’m in Potter Township, I
would plant seeds in a field, but if I’m in Pittsburgh, a garden. If I’m
writing my gospel in 70 AD, I would write about the present, but if I’m writing
my gospel in 85 AD, time has passed, and that would alter my writing. By the
time Luke wrote his gospel, around 85 AD, the church had grown and flourished.
So, when we read the gospel parallels, we need to keep in mind the time,
setting and audience of its hearers and readers because while the church is
universal, it is not always uniform.
So, what made Mark
different? What was he saying? What was his theological point? We could spend
hours discussing his literary style, apocalyptic symbolism and irony, but let
me leave you with this. Mark was the first to write a biography of Jesus that
linked his ministry to his Passion. He invited readers to understand that
Jesus’ words and deeds were inextricably linked to that finale, and that was
what awaited his followers. In other words, Mark connected Christology to
discipleship. I will return to that thought, but for now let me move to my
second point, parables.
What is a parable?
Simply defined, a parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual
lesson. It comes to us from the Latin, parabola, and the
Greek, parabole, which literally meant ‘a throwing beside.’ Its
origin is from the term para, again, meaning alongside, and bole,
throwing or casting, or a beam or ray.
The geometrically
gifted understand that a parabolic curve refers to a comparison between fixed
points and a straight line. The St. Louis Arch and your satellite dish are
parabolic curves. Jesus, however, did not teach math or build arches. Rather,
he compared real life situations to teach a lesson about God.
Parables were part of
Jewish tradition. The Hebrew term for a parable was mashal. We
find mashal in the allegories, proverbs, riddles and taunts of
Judges, Samuel, Proverbs and Prophets. We are familiar with Nathan’s powerful
story to David of the rich man who stole and slaughtered the poor man’s prized
lamb. It transformed David to a humble, contrite sinner. So, we see that Jesus
did not invent parables, but like his ancestors, used them to win people over
to his views.
Jesus spoke parables
to proclaim the gracious advent, disturbing presence and challenging implications
of the Kingdom of God. At times, he opened with, “The kingdom of
heaven is like…” or, “To what shall I compare?” Although
he ends his teaching abruptly, Jesus often concluded with a challenging
question. “Which of these three … proved to be a neighbor to the man
who fell among the robbers?” Or, “When the Son of Man
comes, will he find faith on earth?”
While Jesus did not
pressure listeners to choose any one direction, he confronted them with the
necessity to make a choice that determined their future. No doubt, his
listeners who viewed matters one way now discovered a better way. Discovering a
better way resulted in conversion, reconciliation and changed behavior. Once
they experienced conversion and reconciliation, his followers transformed
society and changed the world.
The Parable of the
Mustard Seeds opens with Jesus thinking aloud, searching for ways to help his
listeners grasp the mystery of the kingdom. It cannot be defined or contained
in human categories but understood only by using word pictures that force the
listener to think and ponder at a deeper level. Once again, the earthly reality
most suitable is a tiny seed. In this seed parable, the emphasis is on the
seed’s smallness. For Jesus’ Jewish audience, the idea of the kingdom as a seed
must have seemed surprising. A more predictable comparison would have been a
cataclysmic earthquake or a mighty army. Isaiah prophesized, “You
will be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great
noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.” Elsewhere
he proclaimed, “The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a
great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering
together! The LORD of hosts is mustering a host for battle.” Joel
echoed those words, “The LORD utters his voice before his army, for
his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the
day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?” But
no, the kingdom is like a mustard seed, which Jesus describes for effect as the
smallest of all the seeds on the earth which springs up and becomes – again,
for effect – the largest of plants.
In mentioning large
branches that shelter many birds, Jesus evoked the image of a lofty, shady
tree, symbolizing an empire that grants protection to peoples of different
races and tongues.
The Prophet Daniel
interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar as a tree that “grew and
became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of
the whole earth. Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it
was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds
of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.”
In Ezekiel, we
read, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I myself will take a sprig from the
lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost
of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty
mountain. On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear
branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell
every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will
nest.’”
The parable of the
mustard seed pointed to the future worldwide reach of the kingdom of God. From
its humble, inauspicious beginnings in Jesus’ itinerant preaching in Galilee
with a small band of followers, the kingdom would mature to an immense tree in
whom Gentiles would find a home. This growth was not due to human methods but
to God’s hidden power. Jesus spoke with utter assurance of the future success
of the kingdom, urging his disciples to persevere with hope and patience.
Now, let me return to
Mark connecting Christology to discipleship. Last week I made the point of
illustrating Mark’s sandwich technique: how he wrapped stories together by
layering one passage between two parallel passages. I said that the entire
Gospel of Mark is one massive sandwich with 8:29 as the real meat: And he asked
them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are
the Christ.” Then after he rebuked Peter, Jesus called the crowd
and the disciples to him and said, “’If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the
gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world
and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?’”
I revisit that passage
to make a point about Mark. He was the first writer to connect the narrative of
what Jesus said and did to what God accomplished in the Christ’s death and
resurrection and call it good news or Gospel. He linked the two inextricably
because he wanted his readers to understand Jesus’ words and deeds not as
independent modes of revelation, but as one interdependent mode of revelation.
To identify Jesus as the Christ and to understand his life through the prism of
the cross was the first point Mark was making. The second was to understand who
you are in relation to Jesus Christ. In short, just as Mark linked inextricably
Jesus’ words and deeds to his death and resurrection, he challenged his readers
to see themselves as linked to Christ.
And so, I ask you, do
you identify yourself as a Christian, one who not only follows his teaching,
but one who embraces the cross as he did? What choice will you make today that
will determine your future? Since you heard Jesus’ words and deeds, have you
determined that his way of life is better than yours? …
Finally, planting
seeds. We are all familiar with planting seeds. Whether we farm the land or
garden a plot, we know that seeds sprout and mature into plants that bear
fruit. As I reflect upon this parable, I wrestle with the activity of planting
seeds and the quiet contemplation of marveling at God’s power. Should I be
actively engaging people through evangelization? Should I join a megachurch
where Christian fellowship is alive? Distribute Bibles on the corner or in some
other corner of the world, like China? Wear jewelry and clothing that
advertises my beliefs? Share sermons on social media?
Should I marvel at how
the Kingdom of God blossoms in spite of our efforts to thwart it? Should I spend
more time reading and reflecting on Biblical passages? Should I study and
journal? Download podcasts onto my smartphone and listen to them as I walk or
drive? Set aside time for quiet meditation and contemplation?
Personally, I am more
of an active contemplative. I spend time each morning reading Scripture, sacred
writings and Biblical theology, and the rest of the day interviewing people,
writing reports and driving the western suburbs. Interspersed throughout the
day I eat, drive my tractor and unpack boxes, walk our dogs and, more
importantly, spend time with my wife. The time I spend in the morning affects
the rest of the day. When I come across a passage, like today’s parable, or a
reflection by one of the Church Fathers or a contemporary theologian, I discuss
it with my wife on a walk or over dinner.
Periodically, while
living my ordinary life, the topic of religion emerges. It’s in the ordinary
moments that God provides an opportunity to put spirituality into action. Now,
I can think of hundreds of stories where this has happened to me, and you would
think it normal for a pastor, but, instead, I turn to a story my wife, Cindy,
told me.
Cindy recently had a
conversation about vacations with her trainer. Cindy told a friend that in 2022,
we are going to Oberammergau, Germany to see the Passion Play. Her friend asked
what that was. Cindy explained it was about the Passion of Jesus, and that the
play is performed only once every ten years by people who live in Oberammergau.
The lady acknowledged that she was raised in a home where her parents did not
practice religion. After a minute, she asked Cindy, “Didn’t they make a movie
about the Passion?” It was Cindy’s opportunity to evangelize in the ordinary
moment.
It was her opportunity
to evangelize in the ordinary moment. I repeat that sentence because we all
have ordinary moments when we can evangelize at the gym or in the bleachers, in
a restaurant or the grocery store, while parenting or teaching, babysitting or
banking. And anywhere the Spirit blows us is where we plant seeds and marvel at
the mystery of God’s Kingdom.
Friends, when we plant
seeds, we should marvel not at what we have done but what God has done through
Christ, His Church and the Holy Spirit dwelling in and among us. In prayer I
ask God that you find ordinary opportunities to plant the seeds of God’s
Kingdom and marvel at His Mysteries through prayer and evangelization. And when
you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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