The Teacher Sent From God

Mark 4:1, 2, 26-34

JESUS, the greatest of all Teachers, the One sent by God to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel, did all of his public teachings by parables—“without a parable spake he not unto them.” The general public got little out of the Master’s parables. Indeed, he taught in this manner in order that they might not understand. (Matt. 13:13-15) Jesus’ disciples, however, the ones to whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, received rich blessings from these parables, for when they were alone with the Master he explained their meaning to them.

Practically all of the Master’s parables are introduced by the expression, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto,” or “The kingdom of God is likened unto.” Some of the parables illustrate the manner in which the kingdom will function when in full operation in the earth, but most of them pertain to the development of the kingdom, or the kingdom in its embryonic stage. Some illustrate the development of the true kingdom class, while others represent the development of the kingdom as seen by the world, that is, the nominal kingdom, which men call Christendom.

The first parable in today’s lesson pertains to the growth of the true kingdom. In this parable the ones doing the original sowing of the Gospel seed of truth are Jesus and the apostles. In this illustration we have the thought of slow, gradual development, covering the entire period of the Gospel age. And how true is the expression, “He knoweth not how”!

The work of grace in the hearts of those whom the Lord calls by means of the Gospel message is farther beyond human comprehension than is man’s understanding of the germination of natural seed and the growth of plants there from. It is just as true of one as it is of the other that “God giveth the increase.” We have the privilege with Jesus and the apostles of sowing seeds of truth, but there is nothing more that we can do about it, except, of course, to water the seed. If there is to be any increase it must be given by God. This is fully in keeping with Jesus’ statement that no one can come unto him unless drawn by the Heavenly Father.—John 6:44

Thus the work was started by. Jesus, and thus it has continued throughout the age. It has at all times been under the direction of the Heavenly Father. We should never lose sight of this fact, and should remember that at no time has the Lord let go his controlling hand in the affairs of his people.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed appears to represent the kingdom from the standpoint of the world—as the nominal church, developed from the original small seed of the true Gospel. From that little seed we have a great institution today, with many denominational branches. However, its thrifty development has invited into its branches the “fowls of the air,” which the Lord elsewhere describes as representing the wicked one and his angels—Satan and his representatives. (Mark 4:4,15) These, of course, should have no place in the church, and indeed they would have no place if the church were loyal and zealous enough to proclaim only the true Gospel and the narrow way of self-sacrifice.

It is largely neglect to preach this true Gospel that has brought such prosperity to nominal churchianity, and to make it such a desirable place for the “fowls of the air” to lodge. And now these have become the real life of ecclesiasticism. This evidently is the same picture which is given to us in Revelation 18:2. Here the nominal systems of churchianity are spoken of symbolically as Babylon, which has become the “hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”

Thus viewed, we see that the great and mighty tree which, in the parable grew from the little “mustard seed,” is not the true kingdom of God, but its counterfeit. This is indeed an imposing system, and its grandeur appeals to the worldly. But now its greatness is beginning to fade. Its branches no longer afford the secure protection they once did for those who lodged in them. The stormy winds of the great “time of trouble” are already breaking some of its branches, and ere long the whole tree will be uprooted to make way for the true kingdom of God, that great “mountain of the Lord” which is to fill the whole earth.—Isa. 2:3; Dan. 2:35,44,45

QUESTIONS

Why did Jesus teach the public in parables and dark sayings?

Who sowed the first seeds of the Gospel, and who gives the increase?

What is represented by The Parable of the Mustard Seed?

How will the mighty “mustard tree” be uprooted to make way for the “mountain of the Lord”?

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