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‘’Exegesis Research Paper’’
Rolston Keith Childers
RTCH 500: Research, Writing, and Ministry Preparation
March 2025
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Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................... 2
Historical Context................................................................................................3
Cultural Context.................................................................................................3
Literary Context..................................................................................................4
Meaning of the Passage.........................................................................................5
Significance and Application.................................................................................. 8
Bibliography.....................................................................................................10
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Introduction
This exegetical research paper will focus on the bible verses Mark 4:26-29. We will
review the scripture context through its historical, cultural, and literary meaning. We will discuss
how this parable that Jesus taught has so much more sense than what is presented to us by Christ.
The image of a farmer scattering seeds and mysteriously growing symbolizes spiritual
growth and how God intervenes in human life. In this research paper, we will discuss how this
parable can affect Christians today and help their relationship with God. By digging deep into
these parables, the same way they helped Christians back then will still help Christians today.
The goal of helping Christians today is to help them reach the kingdom of heaven.
Historical Context
Jesus loved to talk in parables. Throughout the gospels, we are presented with many
parables of what Christ has said. The main reason Jesus would speak in parables is to point out
the truth, show the differences in the audience and how they received the message, fulfill the
prophecy of scripture, and encourage how the listeners can benefit from it, and they can relate
through the stories. ‘‘Of course, if one believes that parables have only one point and that details
are decorative, one can profess to be uninterested in decoration!’’1 When Jesus begins this
parable, he is speaking about the kingdom of God. Is this statement he is referring to the church?
‘’The kingdom is not something in word but in power and impact. The church is the kingdom,
and the kingdom is the reality of the church life.’’2
1.DERRETT, J. D. “Ambivalence : Sowing and Reaping et Mark 4, 26-29.” Estudios Bíblicos. 48, no. 4 (1990): 489–510.
2. “Living Stream Ministry.” The Church Being the Kingdom of God. Accessed February 1, 2025. https://www.ministrysamples.org/excerpts/The-Church-
Being-The-Kingdom-Of-God.HTML.
Cultural Context
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During this time, in Ancient Israel, farming was the main way of living. Agricultural
stories were popular among the crowds of Jesus. Because of this, the listeners were able to relate
to Jesus. The way parable and the people had similarities with it; they could relate because of
their daily lives. DThe act of the farmer scattering the seeds, the audience was able to relate to the
action. This parable not only means the physical growing of seeds but also the process that is
described in the parable. The way it is emphasized, those who were a part of the agricultural
society understood it well and could relate to it. The term used for “farmer” in the Bible is
“husbandman.” A husbandman is a plowman, a man of the soil, a tiller of the ground.’’3 The
cultural Context shows a society that is involved with the agriculture community. The
community would have success and would celebrate God’s work in the harvest. Jesus’ use of the
parable successfully communicated this with spiritual truths with the familiar workstyle. It
encouraged the listeners to trust God even when they don’t know how but to trust in his work,
even if it is not visible.
Literary Context
For one to comprehend the literary Context of this parable, it is important to understand
the other passages that surround these verses. You will need to understand the structure of the
book of Mark and the features that Jesus makes with the parables. In Mark 4, we are shown
another parable in reference to a Sower (Mark 4:1-20). In this parable, Jesus talks about the
different types of soil and how they represent different types of God’s responses. This, in turn,
sets up a support that goes along with the parable of the growing seed.
3. Way, The. “The Way.” The Way Magazine. Last modified March 6, 2019. Accessed February 1, 2025. https://thewaymagazine.com/the-farmer in-bible-
times/.
When you are dealing with the structure of Mark, it is known for being a faster narrative
style on the life of Jesus. The book presents Jesus as a miracle worker who speaks in parables
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and interacts with many people. The placement of Mark 4:26-29 has a bigger meaning than what
Jesus meant. The use of parables has such a significant meaning, and it should encourage those
who listen and read them to do research so they can comprehend so much more that is just shown
to them.
Meaning of the Passage
In Verse 26, this passage could have a few meanings, but the main one is the role and
patience with spiritual growth. Jesus Christ shares this parable to show that it takes work to
receive God's Kingdom. In this passage, Jesus compares the kingdom of God with a farmer who
spreads seeds on the ground. The farmer who spreads his seeds goes about his daily life and does
not put any effort into helping the seeds grow. The seeds mysteriously grow without effort, and
the farmer has no idea how. The earth was the one who produced the crop. The crop starts with
the blade, then the head, and finally, the grain in the head.
DDDDDDDDDDD In Verse 27, the parable emphasizes the nature of God's Kingdom. It is mysterious, and
we as people will not be able to understand it. I'm just thinking of growing the seed. The farmer
had no idea how the seed was growing. He just knew it was growing. This is the same way God's
kingdom is. The growth of his kingdom is not measured by human works or understanding. "The
parables of Jesus help us see creation as Jesus did, and through his teachings, we can understand
the wholeness of life and salvation—or, as Howard Snyder puts it, to see the "ecology of
salvation."4
4.Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP
Academic, 2018), 39.
The idea is that with the work of God, things will grow over time and quietly, and in the end, the
harvest will be full.
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DDDDDDDDDDD The progression and growth described in the parable symbolize the stages of spiritual
growth within people and those in the community. 'We see most clearly the relationship between
the process of natural growth and spiritual growth applied to the kingdom in the so-called
"parables of growth" or "nature parables." G. R. Beasley-Murray counts among his parables of
growth ‘’(1) the mustard seed and leaven, (2) the seed growing secretly, (3) the sewer, (4) the
wheat and tares, and (5) the dragnet."5 We are the seed. We will grow and mature over time. Our
relationship with God goes through different stages and will grow and develop over time. This is
a reminder that spiritual growth will take time, patience, and trust in God. His timing may seem
like forever to us, but in God's timing, it will work out in the end. God could make the seed grow
instantly if he wanted to, but we need to be like the seed. We need to take time and have patience
with God as we grow. When the harvest comes, we need to be right for that harvest and not have
any doubts. The farmer did not have to constantly keep an eye on his crops as they were
growing; we, as believers, are called to do the same with God. We need to trust in the growth
process with God; even if we do not see growth, God does.
DDDDDDDDDDD In verse 28, Jesus explains how the soil produces the grain itself. "The process of seed
growth follows an invariant developmental trajectory: "first the blade, then the head, then the
mature grain in the head" governed by innate patterns (automate) combined with environmental
factors supplied by the defined ecology of the planted field (Mk 4:28)."6
5.Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP
Academic, 2018), 40
6.Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 43.
This is a picture for you to visualize the growth naturally. The plant grows in stages, moving
from one phase to the next, eventually growing into an entire harvest. The passage shows that the
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movement to enter the kingdom of heaven is not just one motion; you will have to grow slowly
and will not be noticed by those involved in the process.
DDDDDDDDDDD The development into being who God has called us to be is significant. Early in our
journey, we may picture God's kingdom like the mustard seed. This is from another parable from
Mark 4. Over time, as we grow, the mustard seed will grow into something much more
significant. This is just like the hearts of those who are led to Christ. There is a transformation
being done in the hearts. It starts small, but by searching for more and trusting in God, his
kingdom grows quietly but more potent with each heart. "The seed grows ecologically in
accordance with God's design for growth, which operates in the natural and spiritual fields (Mt
13:24; 1 Cor 3:9)."7 DThis growth that is described speaks about the kingdom of God. It does not
show a violent act of God's will; instead, it is a patient growth that unfolds, and lives are changed
in people, communities, and nations.
DDDDDDDDDDD In the final verse, the parable is ended with the harvest. Once the grain is ripe, the farmer
has put the sickle to it, and the harvest has come. This explains being fulfilled and completed
with God. The kingdom of God that has grown quietly and mysteriously has come time for the
harvest, and it is time for man's reward. The harvest is that image that represents the kingdom
that God has promised man to live that life for Jesus, which God has called us to do. There have
been other parables where the harvest has meant judgment, but not in this one. This harvest
represents the work God has called man to do; he has grown and done it. A person's heart has a
tiny seed in it.
7.Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 44.
Once God touches that seed and it has grown fully, it is ready for God's harvest. We, as
believers, must be patient for God. We must trust that he is bringing his kingdom to our seeded
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hearts. "If God did not create a world in which seeds grow automate when planted in the proper
environment, there would have been no harvest for the farmer to reap."8 Until that time comes,
we need to take care of the planted seed and cherish its growth.
Significance and Application
The kingdom grows mysteriously. A great focus should be placed on the mystery of the
almost invisible growing seed. Jesus points out that a farmer sows the seed, but growth takes
place, in a sense, out of his understanding or control: "Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets
up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how." This suggests that while humans
can take part in sowing the seed of God's word, the growth of his kingdom is a miraculous
occurrence that takes place outside of human comprehension. It is divine and mysterious. The
work of God in the world, moves according to his will, whether it is noticed or unnoticed. This
presents a picture of God's mighty work in the growth of the kingdom in contrast to that of man,
whose efforts, at times, may appear of little worth or significance.
The emerging of a harvest becomes a product of human effort but divinely ordained by
God himself. Ripe grains are harvested, signifying that God decides when to store them in the
heavenly storage, and the sickle becomes a sign of harvesting time. This would mean that the
Lord would eventually accomplish his Kingdom at his appointed time. The farmer simply sows
the seed, the hour of the harvest is up to God and nobody else. The harvest means the completing
8. Stephen D. Lowe and Mary E. Lowe, Ecologies of Faith in a Digital Age: Spiritual Growth through Online Education (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), 44.
fruits of God's purposes and his kingdom on earth. This process of growth that is described in the
parable shows the slow, steady, and often unnoticeable progress of God's kingdom in the world.
The man who sows the seed does not immediately notice any results, but the seed grows and
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produces fruit later. This teaches us that spiritual growth, and the expansion of God's kingdom
may take time. It may be that we do not experience rapid changes or results during our lifetimes,
but we can certainly trust that God has his work going onward.
A way to apply this passage is to talk about trusting God's schedule. In the world today,
we as humans do not want to wait, we want results at once. Humans do not like to wait, and we
want it now. However, the kingdom of God grows at its own pace, according to God's plan. It
serves as a reminder for believers to hang on, and trust that God is working even when they
cannot see his final picture. We need to have the understanding that God's timing is perfect even
when it does not seem like it.
The job of a farmer is simply to scatter seeds without worrying if they will grow or not.
In a Christian sense, he simply must be faithful in sowing the gospel seed and perhaps teaching it
but primarily living it. The results may not appear at once, but we need to continue our efforts in
believing that God will do something through our obedience. It reminds us that the actual growth
of the kingdom of God will mostly be by God's actions and not by any human effort. As
believers, we can take comfort that the spreading of God's kingdom is not the dependent power
of our own lives but the power of God. This gives confidence and humility. The confidence
because we believe that God is at work even when we cannot see it. The humility because we are
just a small part of something that is much bigger than ourselves.
The passage speaks of personal spiritual development. The seed grows even while the
farmer does not fully comprehend how this miracle happens. Light on the need for faith does not
to be discouraged on this slow journey of personal sanctification. Just as the seed grows slowly
to become a fruitful plant, so will our growth in Christ. Even if, at times, that flowering is not so
obvious it is still growing.
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A good part of it is understood in Mark 4:26-29 in parables of growth and how it
mentions the kingdom of God. It teaches that the growth of the kingdom of God is mysterious,
beyond our knowledge and understanding, but certainly it will bear fruit at last, in God's time.
The faithfulness of a Christian is only in sowing seed, while trusting that God is working, and
waiting for the harvest. We can take comfort knowing God's plan for the kingdom will happen as
he wills and that our part is simply to be faithful, confident he will bring about the final harvest.
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