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Exegesis paper 2 proofread.docx may
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Biblical Foundation of Christian Leadership (Liberty
University)
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
DIVINITY
Exegesis Research Paper Part 2
Submitted to Dr. xxxxxxxx
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
RTCH 500-B18
Research Writing and Ministry Preparation
By
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
February 13, 2020
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CONTENTS
Introduction…..................................................................................................................1
Spiritual Growth Process..................................................................................................2
The Growth of the Kingdom..........................................................................................3
The Growth of the Church................................................................................................4
Bibliography…..................................................................................................................5
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Introduction
Mark’s writing is filled with figure of speech as he wrote real life situations that his
readers can relive as if they were present. His gospel is appealing to us today, especially those
who feel like they are disregarded by society and placed by the wayside. Mark’s Gospel
Presents Jesus as God’s slave was appealing to the slaves in the Roman's society who felt
marginalized.1 Of the three synoptic gospel, “Mark is the only gospel to record the parable of the
sower about the Kingdom of God”2 He gave us a full details of Jesus’s declaration of the
Kingdom through His four parables.
Jesus Himself declares that the Kingdom was central to His ministry, and that His
purpose is to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. “Jesus also said, here is another
illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like, “a farmer planted seed in a field, and then he
went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seed sprouted and grow without the
farmer’s help. Because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through,
then the head of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grains is
ready, the farmers puts in the sickle” (Mark 4:26-29).3
Many scholars have analyzed Mark 4:26-29, and they all came up with different views
of what the passage meant, and how it should be applied. The parable of the sower also carries
some similarities as the parable of the mustard seed which follows in (4:30-34).
1 ED. Hindson, and Elmer. Town, Illustrated Bible Survey: An Introduction (Nashville Tennessee: B&H
Publishing Group, 2013), 368-69.
2 New Living Translation, the Gospel of Mark Tyndale House Publishers, (Wheaton, Illinois, 1996).
3 New Living Translation, the Gospel of Mark.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze and exegete the passage to show how Jesus use of
the farmer’s seed in His parable to unravel the mysterious growth of the future Kingdom, and
how we can apply its principles to our lives.
Spiritual Growth Process of Mark 4:26-29
Jesus earthly life was centered on the Kingdom, both in His actions, and teachings. He
came to fulfill His Father’s business, and He would use every available teaching methods to
explain what the kingdom of God meant to His hearers. He even told His followers, “Anyone
who is willing to hear should listen and understand” (Matt 11:15).4 Young, and Strickland in
their writing on Whoever Has Ears Had Better Listen! Mark 4:1-34). Wrote a Rhetorical
overview of Mark’s discourses of Jesus in the Gospel so they could give a better understanding
of the narrative.5
Special emphasis was placed by both authors on the discourse of Jesus statement
regarding the importance of hearing and understanding of His teaching on the Kingdom. Young,
and Strickland also explains that the discourse itself explains how Jesus uses comparisons both
to conceal and to reveal that the Kingdom is present, but not understood”6 It is interesting to note
how important it was to Jesus for His disciples to hear and understand what He was teaching
them. In Mark 4:13 he asked, “If you don’t understand this story, how are you going to
understand all the others I am going to tell you?”7
Fay in his Journal on The Literary Structure of Mark 4:1-34 mentioned that Jesus
parables was teaching the disciples the meaning of the parables, because Jesus recognized the
lack of understanding among the disciples when they openly asked, who is this? (4: 10-13). Fay
4 ibid
5 David M. Young, and Michael, Strickland, “Whoever Has Ears Had Better Listen! Mark 4:1-34” The Rhetoric of
Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, (2017):118-182. accessed February 5, 2020.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1tm7j37.9
6 David M. Young, and Michael Strickland, “ Whoever Has Ears Had Better Listen1 Mark 4:1-34”
7 Ibid
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further states, “since Jesus has begun to concentrate on the disciples and since they did not
understand the parables of the sower in 4:1-34, it means that Jesus was concerned with
productive hearing”8 Jesus wanted to draw His listeners into the mysterious growth of the
Kingdom by telling the parable of the farmer who scatters his seed on the field.9
Scriptures shows that the sower who sow the seed is Jesus Himself who came preaching
and teaching about the Kingdom, and the good news of salvation ( Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:14-
15, Mark 3:14-15, 1:14-15).10 Jesus did not waste any time while John was in prison. He
immediately went to Galilee to preach the good news. Heil rightly states, “The seed represent not
only the word of God, but also the people who are to hear the word”11 Just as the seed grows
under the earth without human’s intervention, so the Word of God grows in the heart of the
believer through the Holy Spirit.
Heil comments on the gradual process in (4:28) that God’s divine power was the driving
force behind the growth process. It begins with the blade, then an ear, then the full grain.12This
growth demonstrates the process of the believer’s maturity in Christ. Heil further states, ‘While it
is man who scattered the seed, it was God who caused its inevitable and steady growth until it
became ripen fruits so the man can put in his sickle”13
The Growth of the Kingdom of God
McEvoy in his writing on the Eschatology and the Kingdom Parables makes his
comparison based on two components. The actions of the man who sow the seed, and the course
8 Greg, Fay, “Introduction to Incomprehension, the Literary structure of Mark 4:1-34” The Catholic
Biblical Quarterly 51,no.1 (1989):65-81. Accessed February 5, 2020.www.jstor.org/stable/43717830.
9 John Paul. Heil, “Reader-Response and the Narrative context of the Parables about Growing Seed in Mark4:1-
34” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 54, no.2 (1992):271-86. accessed February 5, 2020,
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43716991
10 Ibid.
11 Heil, “Reader-Response and the Narrative Context of the Parables about Growing Seed in Mark 4:1-34,” 271-86.
12 Heil, Reader-Response parable, 271-86.
13 Heil, 271-86.
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of what took place. There is nothing the sower can do after he cast the seed except to wait for
the process to be completed. Once the soil and the weather do the growing and the grain is ripe,
then the sower intervene again to gather the harvest. The same can be said of the Kingdom of
God.
Once the word of God has been preached, God will intervene through the working of the Holy
Spirit to build up His kingdom.14
The Apostle Paul in his writing to the Corinthians, “My job was to plant the seed in your
hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow” (1Cor 3:6).15 The farmer has
the ability to sow the seed, but not the ability to produced its growth, the same way the believer
can preached the word , but don’t have the ability to let it takes root in the heart of those who
hear it. Only God can allow the word to bring about change in the heart of the believer. God’s
Kingdom will grow when we learn to demonstrate His love by loving others. Believers can only
love well when they set aside the issues of their own lives in order to help those who are hurting,
and one can only do that when they are able to grasp how wide, long and deep the love of Christ
is.16 There is no measure to the love of Christ; His love is surpassing all limitations to get beyond
the unlovable, and heal all brokenness.
The Growth of the Church Mark 4:26-29
Jesus set the example for His followers through His power of love when He crossed
“national, racial, and economic barriers to spread the Gospel. His message of faith, love,
healing, and forgiveness is promise to those who love and trust Him”17 He later challenged His
apostles to go and preached the good news of salvation throughout the world. As the apostle
continues in Jesus’s doctrine, the Church grew like wild fire, even under the gravest opposition.
14 John A. McEvoy, “Realized Eschatology and the Kingdom Parables” The catholic Biblical Quarterly 9, no.3
(1947):329-57. Accessed February 5, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/43719974.
15 Ibid
16 Pettit, Paul. Foundations of Spiritual Formation: A Community Approach to Becoming Like Christ.
Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2008. ISBN: 9780825434693.4
17 New American Standard Bible: Life Application Study Bible (Grand Rapids, Published by Zondervan 2000).
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As twenty first century believers, all are encourage to go into all the world and preach the
Gospel to everyone. The Gospel will produced bountiful harvest if Christians will go out and
preached it to the world. As in 4:29 “And as soon as the grain is ready the farmer comes and
harvest it with a sickle because the harvest is ripe”18
The seed that is ripe represent those who accepted the word of God in their heart, and the
Famer is Christ who will one day come and gather the harvest of the souls of men into his future
Kingdom. Weeden in his article on Recovering the Parabolic Intent in the Parable of the Sower,
make his argument in support of the interpretation of the parables in regards to the Kingdom of
God in Jesus’ teachings. He reminds his readers that Jesus taught His followers to ask God for
their daily provision of bread in Matt 6:11, Luke 11:3, and for seed to harvest provision19 this is
also a reminder that the church cannot accomplished growth on its own, it needs God’s divine
help in providing sustenance and growth in the Church and the community.
Weeden further states, ‘The image of the Kingdom suggest that God’s activity is not
always existentially disruptive of the space-time continuum, but is instrumental in preserving
and bringing about the actualization of the purpose of this world space and time”20 Believers
don’t have to look at the parable as pending judgment, but as a parable that is full of grace to
those who believe. Grant in his article wrote that God’s Kingdom is beyond human control and
explanation21 Jesus declares in His word that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).
Grant also comments that His kingdom was futuristic; it is at hand and soon to come.22
18 Ibid
19 Theodore J. Weeden, Sr., “The Parabolic Intent in the Parable of the Sower” Journal of the American Academy
of Religion 47, no.1 (Mar, 1979):97-120, accessed February 5, 2020, https://www.jstro.org/stable/1462643.
20 Theodore J. Weeden, Sr., “The Parabolic Intent in the Parable of the Sower”
21 Frederick Clifton. Grant, “The Gospel of the Kingdom” The Biblical World 50, no.3 (Sept 1917):129-
191. accessed February 5, 2020. https://www.jstro.org/stable/3136408.
22 Frederick Clifton. Grant, “The Gospel of the Kingdom”
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The Holy Spirit is at work in the life of the believer helping them to make it into God’s
Kingdom. Mark’s Gospel help sheds light on how believers can present Jesus in an effective way
that people can understand Jesus was a man who experience suffering as they are. Mark’s parable
show us that as the Sower enjoys the harvest wihout knowing how the seed grow, so is the
believers who enjoy fruitful lives without understanding the process.23
Bibliography
Dobson, Edward G., Feinberg, Charles L., Hindson, Edward E., Kroll, Woodrow Michael., and
Wilmington, Harold L., “The Parable about Growth 4-26-29” Bible Commentary (Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc, 2005), 1243.
23 Edward G. Dobson, Charles L. Feinberg, Edward E. Hindson, Woodrow Michael. Kroll, and Harold L.
Wilmington, “The Parable about Growth 4-26-29” Bible Commentary (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson
Inc, 2005), 1243.
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Fay, Greg. “Introduction to Incomprehension, the Literary structure of Mark 4:1-34” The
Catholic Biblical Quarterly 51,no.1 (1989):65-81. Accessed February 5,
2020.www.jstor.org/stable/43717830.
Grant, Frederick Clifton. “The Gospel of the Kingdom” The Biblical World 50, no.3
(Sept 1917):129-191. Accessed February 5, 2020. https://www.jstro.org/stable/3136408.
Heil, John Paul. "Reader-response and the Narrative Context of the Parables about Growing Seed
in Mark 4: 1-34." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 54, no. 2 (1992): 271-286. Accessed February
5, 2020.http://www.jstor.org/stable/43721058.
McEvoy, John A. “Realized Eschatology and the Kingdom Parables” The catholic Biblical
Quarterly 9, no.3 (1947):329-57. Accessed February 5, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/43719974.
Hindson, ED. and Towns, Elmer, L. Illustrated Bible Survey: An Introduction (Nashville
Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2013), 368-69
Pettit, Paul. Foundations of Spiritual Formation: A Community Approach to Becoming Like
Christ. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2008. ISBN: 9780825434693.4
Weeden, Theodore J. Sr., “The Parabolic Intent in the Parable of the Sower” Journal of the
American Academy of Religion 47, no.1 (Mar, 1979):97-120, Accessed February 5, 2020,
https://www.jstro.org/stable/1462643
Young, David M., and Strickland, Michael. “Whoever Has Ears Had Better Listen! Mark 4:1-
34” The Rhetoric of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, (2017):118-182. Accessed February 5, 2020.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1tm7j37.9
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