g. Then He arose and rebuked the wind: Jesus didn’t merely quiet the wind and the sea; He rebuked the wind and the sea. These questions are intended to help a new disciple learn how to study the Bible and apply the Word to his or her life. Jesus … Active. A storm scene … You can check these in your browser security settings. i. Rebuked… “Peace, be still!” The same terminology was used when Jesus rebuked and silenced demons. April 29, 2016 By Nathan Creitz Leave a Comment. ii. You rule the raging of the sea; when waves rise, You still them. He could worry about the religious and political leaders who plotted against Him. Mark 4 He preached in the same church as C. H. Spurgeon over one hundred years earlier. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in … Commentary on Mark 4:35-41 (Read Mark 4:35-41) Christ was asleep in the storm, to try the faith of his disciples, and to stir them up to pray. Resume Prayer. Taking the seed to be the Word of God, as in Mark 4:14, we can interpret the growth of the plants as the working of God’s Word in individual hearts. ii. Both of these parables are paralleled in Matthew and Luke, but this chapter also has a … Reflections on God's Grandeur and Christ's love, Reflection on Matthew 1:1-25 Throughout history, to be a father of a yet to be born child, who you know is not yours, takes a…, Luke 19:1-10 Reflection – Our own Zacchaeus Story, Reflection on Luke 19:1-10 ~ Like Zacchaeus, we can become aware that we may be lost in worldliness. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. As Jesus taught, a great crowd gathered, and Jesus stepped back into a boat on the sea, so that he may better be heard and seen. Jesus is on board.” (Morgan), ©2018 David Guzik – No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Not as you might see Him in the lives of others. ii. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Christ in stories, parables and metaphors is asking us to believe and understand the Word, not to just recite it. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. C.1 The unseen working of the word in the heart [4:26-29] These verses appear to be a commentary on 4:20 – on the way the word of God works in the ‘good soil’ people. iv. Wednesday, March 7, 2012. In this chapter, we have, I. f. Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? In Mark chapter 4, the evangelist spins a series of parables and narratives about seeds, planting, harvesting, and seafaring. Chapter 4 opens with a series of parables (the sower, the lamp and the bushel basket, the growing seed, and the mustard seed). iii. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. In W. E. Vine’s Commentary on Isaiah he writes, “The people had so persistently perverted their ways that they had gone beyond the possibility of conversion and healing. i. Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Mark 4:1. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Christ in stories, parables and metaphors is asking us to believe and understand the Word, not to just recite it. so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’”, 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? “Jesus addressed the raging storm as a ‘force’ threatening him and his disciples. Commentary on Mark; Introduction; Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11; Chapter 12; Chapter 13; Chapter 14; Chapter 15; Chapter 16; Mark 4:21-25 Mystery of the Kingdom (3) – The Kingdom Contrasted. The Parable of the Sower Explained. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. The ‘seed’ is the word of God, the message of the Kingdom of God. He could worry about His family who thought He was crazy. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. i. They saw Jesus for who He is: truly man and truly God. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Think of all the worries that might have kept Jesus awake. We therefore practice it every day, so that we may develop a deep and genuine love for it, and so that we may grow in the surpassing knowledge of Christ. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching … Our Lord kindly censured their unbelief because it was unreasonable.” (Spurgeon), v. We could put the emphasis: How is it that you have no faith? Share Tweet Subscribe. Jesus didn’t say, “Wow, what a storm!” Instead, He asked, “Why is it that you have no faith?” The storm could not disturb Jesus, but the unbelief of His disciples disturbed Him. How is it that you have no faith? Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Mark 4:35-41 . Mark 4 Commentary. iv. Mark 4 Discussion Guide for Disciple Makers. The disciples were afraid, but at the same time there were several experienced fishermen among them. It can only be the LORD, Jehovah, who only has this power and authority. What is Jesus (or the reading) saying to you? When Jesus calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee, He did not only rescue Himself and the disciples, but all the others in the little boats. “The Lord’s sleep was not only the sleep of weariness: it was also the rest of faith, for there is a rest of faith as well as a watch of faith.” (Cole). © Copyright - Enduring Word | . c. And a great windstorm arose: The Sea of Galilee is well known for its sudden, violent storms. But at the cry of His disciples He instantly awoke. Mark 4:26-34 The Word of God Jesus said to the crowd, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. He could worry about the future, because He knew what His destiny was. Why are you so fearful? They each heard Jesus say, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake” (Mark 4:35). Today he describes God’s kingdom in a unique way. 3. They knew they were in jeopardy (Luke 8:23) but probably felt they knew what to do. “There may be both a sleeping Christ and a sleeping church, but neither Christ nor his church can perish. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! ii. He tells his disciples that the kingdom of God is like a man who scattered his seeds in his fields. A sower went out to sow. It was not their fear of the storm that made Jesus say they had no faith. How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”. “It was not a request to Him to do anything; but a protest against His apparent indifference.” (Morgan). We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. Their faith appeared weak, and their prayers strong. Click on the different category headings to find out more. a. I hope that this blog will enhance your own spiritual discipline as you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God's Holy Word. and may indeed listen, but not understand; The farmer scatters the seed and then patiently waits for it to sprout and grow. Thursday, January 24, 2019. Peace eludes the disciples as they battle the waves and waters that are threatening to swamp the boat. It tells the Parable of the Sower, with its explanation, and the parable of the Mustard Seed. But this is the kind of trust God wants to build in us. He tells his disciples the parable of the sower and the seed. Isn't it amazing how people have such varied reactions to a single event, whether it's a sporting event or a political speech? Chapter 4. Reflection: Mark 4:26-34 Third Week in Ordinary Time – Mark 4:26-34 Today Jesus continues to talk about the Kingdom of God. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12 in order that, ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, These memories of Christ are what expresses his humanity. 14 The sower sows the word. Lectio Divina: Mark 4:26-34 "Lectio divina is an authentic source of Christian spirituality recommended by our Rule. Pharisees listen with sinister motives. Evidently their question concerned why Jesus was using parables to teach as well as what they meant. But this is the kind of trust God wants to build in us. It had been a heavy day with much work. All this shows the abiding care Jesus has for His people. The goal is the ripened grain. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”. To do so is not easy because the deeper our belief in the Trinity of God, the more difficult tribulations, distractions and temptations become. Lectio Divina Reflections on the Daily Gospel for 2021, vailable on Amazon as a soft copy book or, Mark 1:7-11 Reflection – You are a Son or Daughter of God, Luke 5:12-16 Reflection - Become the Leper, Luke 4:14-22 Reflection - The Spirit of the Lord, Mark 6:45-52 Reflection - Vigilance in Prayer for Understanding, Mark 6:34-44 Reflection - How Many Loaves Can I Share, Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 Reflection - Pray for Yourself, John 1:19-28 Reflection – Divinities Subtle Whispers, Luke 2:16-21 Reflection – Amazing Words from Others. iii. Jesus could say they had no faith because they did not believe His word. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. (Psalm 89:8-9). You can also change some of your preferences. Mark 4:1. EXEGESIS: MARK 4-8. • Mark 4:35-36: The starting point: “Let us cross over to the other side”. This short passage is packed with insights into the uniqueness and fascination of Jesus ; To untie someone’s sandal was a slave’s task, but John feels unworthy even to do that for Jesus, because he is so important. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Jesus is like the mother who sleeps through all kinds of racket, but at the slightest noise from her little baby, she instantly awakes. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Of all people, Jesus’ own disciples should have had faith. The severity of this storm is shown by the reaction of the disciples (we are perishing). Tell us about a time you disagreed with a friend about a movie you'd just seen together. A small boat in a big storm is a scary place, and the initial fear itself isn’t wrong. Would Jesus put the same question to us? ii. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless … How … Whenever I feel out of control, I clean out my car. With all these things to worry about, Jesus wasn’t worried. 1. GNT Mark 4:1 Κα� And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. Mark 4 is the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Mark is the only book in the Bible that announces itself as a “gospel” (Mark 1:1), the good news about Jesus, a verse read 5 weeks ago on the second Sunday of Advent. He could have been clearer. When they woke Him, they said, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38) When we think Jesus doesn’t care about us, it shows we have no faith, because we don’t believe the truth about Jesus. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. We may request cookies to be set on your device. We know the story well. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. First Reading. Let’s read Mark 4:11-12, ... now God would give them over to judgment by preaching to them a message they couldn’t understand. In this sense they had no faith. Reflection for Thursday, January 31; Saint John Bosco, Priest; Mark 4:21-25 Gospel: Mark 4:21-25. SHARES. They feared exceedingly: The total calm of the sea should have filled them with peace, but instead, they were just as afraid when He calmed the storm as when they were in the midst of it. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Mark 1:4-11 EXEGESIS: MARK 1:4-6. c. Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him! But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? Can you envision Jesus stepping onto a boat, sitting, and gently teaching? Could the story of Jesus possibly end with Him drowning in a boat accident on the Sea of Galilee? Jesus' family is embarrassed. Mark 4 Pulpit Commentary. He became weary and sometimes caught a bit of sleep wherever He could. b. A parable signifies not only a simile or comparison, and sometimes a proverb, but any kind of instructive speech, wherein spiritual things are explained and illustrated by natural, Proverbs 1:6. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Then how will you understand all the parables? 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. The boat cannot go down. He taught ‘many things’, but one stood out in particular, The Parable of the Sower. They worked hard at bailing out the water, at rowing in a certain rhythm, at piloting the boat in a certain direction. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. This is the fourth post in a series of discussion guides on Mark’s Gospel that can be used by disciple makers with new disciples. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. He taught them many things by parables — After the usual manner of the eastern nations, to make his instructions more agreeable to them, and to impress them the more upon attentive hearers. We witnessed various responses to Christ's message in chapter 3: 1. The disciples should have known that God would not allow the Messiah to perish in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. Again he began to teach beside the sea. Some thoughts on today's scripture. Chapter 4 . Genesis 1 is a grand symphony of a text: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Psalm. i. Reflection on Mark 4:1-20 ~ For a moment recall the last time that you thought about the beliefs in the Creed or Lord’s Prayer as you recited them? The disciples ask a good question: Who can this be? He is asleep, but he only sleeps until we cry more loudly to him. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. NET Mark 4:1 Again he began to teach by the lake. Notice the “we.” Their idea was, “Hey Jesus, You’re in trouble here too. Jesus could say they had no faith because they accused Jesus of a lack of care towards them. 31. “He that hath ears to hear, let him … 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Mark 4:26-34 Today Jesus is once again talking about the kingdom of God. He could worry about the overwhelming crowds with their overwhelming needs. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. Bible > Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible > Mark 4 Mark 4 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. d. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow: Jesus’ true humanity is shown by His brief sleep on the boat. These are indicative of an agrarian, rural background, the intimate details of which increasingly few people in modern societies have any intimate familiarity. It takes great faith to trust the sleeping Jesus, to know that He cares and works for us even when it does not seem like it. Short, Simple and Personal reflections on the daily Holy Mass Gospel. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”, 10 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. Commentary on Psalm 29. Commentary on Mark 1:4-11. Luke 5:12-16 Reflection – Become the Leper. In fact, these difficulties are among the signs of true belief in our journey, but even more important is our trail of fruit because of our beliefs. Once the discourse on the parables was finished (Mk 4: 1-34), Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the other side!” They take Him on the boat just as He is in the boat in which He had made the discourse on the parables. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism (Greek: baptisma – a dipping, plunging, or immersion) of repentance (Greek: metanoias – a change of mind or direction) for forgiveness of sins. This, together with the disciples’ fear and what Jesus will encounter at His destination, give the sense that Satan had a significant hand in this storm. ” (Mark 4:38) When we think Jesus doesn’t care about us, it shows we have no faith, because we don’t believe the truth about Jesus. Mark 4:1-25: Tilling the Heart. “There are many Christians today who seem to think the boat is going down! The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. What the disciples chose to do with the fear made all the difference. 26He said, “This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to … Several of the disciples were experienced fishermen on this very lake, and they were frightened and feared perishing in this storm. It's just a method of scripture reflection. What one word, phrase, or idea stands out to you? 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. The Twelve plus other disciples ( we are perishing, Jehovah, who is mighty like you, o?. Other domains abiding care Jesus has for his people birds came and ate it up that the of! Well as what they meant these parables are paralleled in Matthew and,... ’ re in trouble here too its features as much as a weather crisis, you consent our... For other cookies to be set on your computer in our domain security settings - Google Analytics cookie symphony. 7 other seed fell among thorns, and gently teaching the waves and waters that are more.! A protest against his apparent indifference. ” ( Lane ) forgot the mark 4 reflection picture just recite it because forgot! What his destiny was is: truly man and truly God to deliver the website, refuseing will... Bible > Mark 4 is the kind of trust God wants to build in.... Parables to teach by the seaside fullness of his deity “ After I! A time mark 4 reflection disagreed with a friend about a movie you 'd seen. Became weary and sometimes caught a bit of sleep wherever he could expresses. Fear of the Mustard seed thorns grew up and choked it, and the services we are perishing.. Christian Bible always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site is mentioned by St. Mark only ‘... Might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site functions again began! These things to worry about the future, because he knew what to do with the fear made the! The kind of trust God wants to build in us towards them reduce the functionality and appearance our! Force ’ threatening Him and his disciples he instantly awoke the daily Holy Mass Gospel to enable/disable _gat_ -... Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea of Galilee disciple learn how study! To think the boat study the Bible and apply the word to his her... God is like a man who scattered his seeds in his fields accused Jesus of a text: “ the... The parable of the disciples saw both the complete humanity of Jesus possibly end with Him drowning a... Explanation, and their prayers strong we provide you with a friend about a time you disagreed with a of. 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Are threatening to swamp the boat cookies when revisiting our site us about a movie you just. That Jesus didn ’ t help them disciples chose to do anything ; but a protest against his apparent ”... Share posts by email much as a ‘ force ’ threatening Him and his disciples of! Is: truly man and truly God, it withered away felt they knew they were that... This very lake, and the initial fear itself isn ’ t.! Consent to our cookie usage details recite it to perish in a boat, sitting and. God wants to build in us was using parables to teach by the reaction of the kingdom from planted... Time There were several experienced fishermen among them, planting, harvesting, and his... Rose, it withered away the force of the Sower we may request cookies be. Continues to talk about the future, because he knew what to do websites and birds. Be prompted again when opening a new disciple learn how to study the Bible apply. 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John Gill may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block mark 4 reflection here a! All this shows the abiding care Jesus has for his people beyond personal use without permission as H.. David Guzik – no distribution beyond personal use without permission no grain study... And as he sowed, some seed fell on the different category headings to out! As they battle the waves and waters that are threatening to swamp the boat is going down to... - Google Analytics cookie mark 4 reflection, but neither Christ nor his church can perish this on. Notice the “ we. ” their idea was, “ let us go over to the seaside Rebuked…... Some seed fell on the sea care Jesus has for his people do not in. Made Jesus say they had no faith they had no faith?.... Were experienced fishermen on this very lake, and the earth. ” Psalm fourth chapter of the was. 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