The Mystery of the Kingdom

The Mystery of the Kingdom

Key Scripture: Mark 4:11, Luke 8:11

"Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables."

Jesus tells a parable about a sower sowing to His disciples. This is the parable He told them so that they could understand all parables. They came to Him later to ask about what this parable meant.

The Parable of the Sower

The parable begins:

"Hearken or listen; hear: Behold, or pay attention, there went out a sower to sow: and it happened in the sowing some fell along the side of the road, and the birds came and ate it. I picture chickens in my head. Others fell on rocky places, and places with not much soil, and the sun arose and scorched them. Because of little soil, they had little root systems, so they withered away. Others then fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and they overwhelmed them, and no fruit was given. Still others fell into good soil, and yielded that kind of fruit. (Know what the seed is that you are planting. If you want a tomato, don’t plant corn.) It grew up and increased bearing to one thirtyfold, to another sixty, and another a hundred. And then He said, 'He who has ears to hear, hear!'"

When He was alone with those around Him, they began to ask with the twelve about the parable. To them, He said:

"To you, the mystery has been given of the kingdom of God. To those, however, outside, in parables everything is done. So that seeing, they see, but discern not, and hearing, they hear not put together the pieces. So they never turn back and let go."

He then asked them, "Do you understand this parable? This is the manner how to understand all parables."

The Explanation of the Parable

"The sower of the Word sows. These sown along the road where the Word is sown, and they hear it. Immediately comes Satan, and takes away the Word scattered in them. These also are like them sown on the rocky places. When they hear the Word, immediately with joy receive it, and have no roots themselves, but temporarily rise up. Then when tribulation or persecution, because of the Word, they are immediately scandalized. And these are those sown in the thorns. These are those hearing it, but the cares of this time, and the delusion of riches and other things concerning desires enter in, and overwhelm the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are they which are sown on good ground: such as hear the Word, and receive it, and one brings forth thirtyfold, and one sixty, and one a hundredfold."

A Lamp on a Stand

"Is a light brought to be put under a basket or a bed, and not on a lampstand? For nothing is hidden, that is not made visible, nor is a secret born, but that it should come to the light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

Also, He said to them:

"You, with the gauge you listen, is the gauge of your counting and is counted back to you, and is added back to you. For whosoever has is given to him, and who has not, even that he has is removed from him."

(A secret born is apokruphon, apocryphal. It can be occult things or stories or statements of doubtful authenticity.)

The Kingdom of God

"Thus is," He said, "the kingdom of God. As a man should cast seed on the ground, and sleeps and rises night and day, and it sprouts up and grows. He doesn’t know how; he just wonders. Of itself, the ground just brings forth the sprout first, then the ear, and then the full grain standing out from the stalk. Then of itself offers fruit, and the sower has a harvest to pick."

Also, He said:

"What shall we compare the kingdom of God to, or in what parable shall we establish it? It is as a grain of mustard, which being sown on the ground is smallest of all the seeds that germinate, which are on the land. When sown, it grows up and becomes a major garden plant, making great branches, so that under its shade the birds are able to perch."

Parables and Private Teachings

"Many such parables He kept speaking to them the Word as they were able to comprehend, but without parables, He would not speak to them. However, in private, to His own disciples, He would explain further in detail."

(It was necessary for them to grasp what was being said.)

The Storm on the Sea

This same day, when evening had come, He said to them:

"Let’s pass over to the other side of the sea."

Having sent away the multitude, they took Him in the boat, and other boats went with them. Then came a great storm of wind, and the waves were coming in over the sides, so the boat was now full of water. Jesus was asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat. They woke Him up and asked Him:

"Teacher, are You not concerned that we are dying here?"

And being awakened, He rebuked the wind, saying:

"Silence!" and to the sea, "Be still!"

Then there was a great calm. No wind and a calm sea. Then He asked:

"Why are you so fearful? Have you no faith?"

They feared with great fear and said to each other:

"Who is this that even the wind and sea obey Him?"

And they came to the other side of the sea to the region of the Gadarenes.

Understanding the Parable

If we can get this parable into our hearts, we can understand secret things, as Psalm 91 talks about. Jesus is telling us how the Kingdom works. It was in a way that simple men could grasp the ways of the works of heaven.

Personal Reflections:
My grandparents ran a farm when I was very young. They had chickens. They would walk out in the backyard and sling seed on the ground. Those chickens would swarm around their feet. That seed was their source of life. The seed would land where it would. The seed has life in itself to produce life. The chickens would eat the seed as though it would be the last they would ever see.

When someone sows the Word, Satan’s forces come immediately to get the seed to keep it from finding good soil. When we are babies in Christ in our walk, we hear it, and it sets hearts on fire. Then those evil spirits swarm the seed to take it before it takes root. They twist the good seed to be what they desire.

The seed will produce what you speak. The seed on the stony ground is like these: with no roots to get hold of the ground, and Satan immediately comes and causes them to get offended. They endure for a while, but afterward, affliction or persecution arises for the Word’s sake, and they are offended. The ones sown among thorns hear the Word, but the cares of the world and the lust of other things choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Final Words

The same Jesus in the boat with them is with us. We just have to speak to the mountains, not doubt in our hearts, and we shall have what we say!