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. We find similar passages in Daniel when he interpreted the
dream of Nebuchadnezzar, and in Ezekiel.
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 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 reflected upon this parable, I wrestled with the activity of
planting seeds and the quiet contemplation of marveling at God’s power. The low
hanging fruit led me to ask myself if I should be actively engaging people
through evangelization at coffee shops. Perhaps, like a former colleague, I
should distribute Bibles in China. Maybe I should wear jewelry and clothing
that advertises my beliefs? I could share sermons on more social media
platforms.
All of that would be
easy, but instead I wait for the harvest. Spend more time reading and
reflecting on Biblical passages. Set aside time for quiet meditation and
contemplation. Marvel at how the Kingdom of God blossoms in spite of our
efforts to thwart it.
As the active
contemplative, I find that it’s in the ordinary moments that God provides an
opportunity to put spirituality into action. 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 an intriguing article that I read on the 1517 website
entitled “God Doesn’t Have a Plan for You.”[1]
It’s appropriate for young graduates, middle agers and retirees.
It begins, “God
doesn’t have a plan for you. He has a plan for your neighbor. And your highest
honor is to be a part of it. Anything else would be too small of a thing for
you, his people. The author then cites Ephesians 2:8-10: ‘It is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one
can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’”
God’s “plan for you is nothing more
than this: that he would free you from sin and death and then be blessed by
other people. And you could never repay it. Your parents, your teachers, all
the people that made you who you are… you could never repay them.” Repaying
people is not how love works.
The conclusion is this. You are freed
not only from the law, but freed to love, to take chances, to be God’s guy or
gal for that encounter with your doctor, your garbage man, your coworkers, your
neighbors. For it is being Christ for others that the seed planted and
nourished by the Holy Spirit – and your interaction – that God’s Kingdom bears
fruit before your very eyes.
Friends, when you
plant seeds, do not marvel not at what you have done but what God has done
through Christ, His Church and the Holy Spirit dwelling in and among you, among
us. I prayerfully 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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