LESSON FOUR
PARABLES
Covering Mark chapter 4
The parable of the Sower

A well known parable in which the seeds representing Biblical, gospel truth. The seed is freely distributed to the whole field. There is no attempt to let it fall only on the most fertile ground. The truth is to go out to all.
So why doesn't it all grow and flourish?



The parable also points out that everyone HEARD the truth of the gospel! They all heard the word!
And it actually grew in three of those four different soils!
At first it looked like there would be a good crop from the whole field. (Except the path)
But there was a progressive dying off, till only the seeds that fell on good ground survived until the harvest.

Looking at this from a "witnessing" stand point --

THE WAYSIDE
The first field would be the most discouraging. The truth just doesn't penetrate, and the people leave with no change or indication of being influenced by it. Satan snatches the truth out of their minds before it can take root. There is a hardness that resists the truth.
There is IMMEDIATE failure.


THE STONY GROUND

It was actually the second field that at first looked the more promising -- where the soil was also rather hard and full of stones. But immediately the seeds germinated and sprang up and started to grow. Immediately there seemed to be success. The stony ground was the first to look nice and green!
Here we see people who seemed very excited with the message. It's what any evangelist likes to see. People responding with excitement and enthusiasm.
BUT there is no depth. It's a surface emotion stimulated by the atmosphere of the moment. After the excitement is over, it is noticed that there is no depth to their understanding, no real desire to dig into scripture and prayfully seek an ever growing understanding. They face resistance and start to resent the conditions their decision has imposed upon them. It doesn't take long before old friends, family, old habits and the old lifestyle turn their attention away for the truth in Christ, and they retreat back into their old ways.
Failure comes after just a few weeks.

THE THORNY GROUND
Here we see people who worry and often have heavy burdens, or have habits that have a firm grip upon them. The truth germinates a little slower, but it does germinate and starts to grow. The gospel sounds good to them, but here these people tend to see the gospel more like the people who flocked to Jesus because He provided fish and loaves for them to eat. They sing songs like "Rolled away, rolled away, all the burdens of my heart rolled away".
But they fail to actually give Christ their burdens and surrender to His will in their lives. The pressures, disappointments and responsibilities and even their favorite "escape" habits of life, didn't roll away, they begin to doubt God's goodness and His truths get choked out of their lives.

There is failure possibly months or even years after hearing and accepting the seeds of truth and those seeds did struggle to grow. But it's a slow choking of faith and trust and commitment.

THE GOOD GROUND
Good ground usually means it has been tilled, weeded, and has all the troublesome stones dug out.
The sower does not always meet with disappointment. Some of the seed fell into good ground. Jesus said, This "is he that hears the word, and understands it." Personalizes it. He has an honest heart who yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He confesses his guilt, and feels his need of the mercy and love of God. He has a sincere desire to know the truth, that he may obey it. The good heart is a believing heart, one that has faith in the word of God. Without faith it is impossible for the seed of the word to really grow. "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6.

A knowledge of the truth depends not so much upon strength of intellect as upon pureness of purpose, the simplicity of an earnest, dependent faith. To those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance, angels of God draw near. The Holy Spirit is given to open to them the rich treasures of the truth. {see Christ's Object Lessons page 58-59.}



ARE WE LOCKED IN TO WHAT EVER SOIL WE HAVE INSIDE?

The wayside, the stony-ground, the thorny-ground hearers do NOT need to stay that way.
The Holy Spirit of God is ever seeking to break the spell and power of sin, that holds people back from fully accepting and believing in Christ. It is by resisting the Holy Spirit that people become inattentive to or neglectful of God's word and swamped by the stones of worldly entanglements for their foundation, and thorns of smoothing worries and pressure.

The soil needs to be tilled, broken up by deep repentance for sin. Poisonous, Satanic plants must be uprooted. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus. The Lord bids us by His prophet, "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." "Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy." Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12. This work He desires to accomplish for us, and He asks us to co-operate with Him.

LESSON FOUR
PARABLES
Covering Mark chapter 4
Lamps and measuring baskets


Mark 4:21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

These are illustrations to make a point, not really stories.
Question is basically,
Why do people avail themselves of a lamp?
If a person gets a lamp it's probably to see something that is shrouded in some degree of darkness.
It would be totally unproductive to turn a light on and then try to keep it from sending forth it's rays of light.

And yet, in a way that is what happened.
Let's add these verses and see what Jesus may very well be saying in the above text.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 I am the light of the world.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 3:19 But this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
3:20 For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
3:21 But he that wants and does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Yes, Christ is THE Light, but Christ's light is also to be reflected in the lives of Christ's followers -- for ye are the light of the world.

It is Christ's lukewarm followers that tend to hid the light under a bushel. They have received light, but they still seek and try to enlarge the corners of darkness. To try to make the light less bright and more conducive for darkness to share the space.


Measuring Baskets
4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

So it's not only how people respond on a personal level to the light but also, How do Christ's followers reflect or obscure the heavenly light that they are to radiate out to the world?

To try to "reflect" only a little, dimmed down light and seek to shield oneself and others from it's brightness, may cause that light to dim in ones own understanding and life. That person may lose what light he had.
There is something about sharing Christ's light of truth, that causes us to see the light with more brilliance ourselves.

A day is coming when the light will be so exceedingly bright, that nothing can be hid in the darkness any longer. Those who think the darkness is hiding the sins they are clinging to, will find them all exposed.

The stony ground is what we see with most Christians, they respond to show themselves before others, but as soon as the event that caught their attention dies down their enthusiam and excitement fades away.

LESSON FIVE
MIRACLES AROUND THE LAKE
Covering Mark chapter 4 and 5


Jesus's miracles were illustrative of His message, a call to faith, a testimony that He was the Son of God come down from heaven to save.
He did not perform miracles to "show off" His power. Christ never worked a miracle except to supply a genuine necessity, and every miracle was of a character to lead the people to the source of life.

For example -- in feeding the 5000, Christ did not give them a great luxurious feast. But He meet their need for food, with a simple meal.
Yes, it was a miracle to multiply those five loaves and two fishes and feed 5000 with food left over. But do we realize that in feeding the five thousand, Jesus lifts the veil from the world of nature, and reveals the power that is constantly exercised for our good. How is it that we can put a handful of corn kernels in the ground and a few weeks later go out and gather baskets full of ears of corn?

How is it we can put a pail full of potatoes in the ground, and a few weeks later go out and dig up bushels of potatoes. How did this multiplication take place?

Or how is it that we can accidentally cut ourselves, or break a bone, and yet several weeks later the cut is gone, healed, the bone is mended, strong again. Where did this life force come from that restores damage seemingly automatically?

When Christ went about healing the sick, restoring people in health. He was simply showing where the power of life and growth and healing resides. He is the life. He is the One Who causes little seeds to turn into plants and multiply food.

No it's not just "natural", nature did not automatically develop this amazing ability, it is the power of God that put the life and ability to grow and heal into living cells.
If we want life and healing, there is only one true source in which to find it? That is in Christ.

Yes, Christ healed and even brought people back from death, while He was on this earth. But, it was only a restoration of the temporal life, all those people are dead in their graves now. But it was a promise. We can study those miracles and in them see Christ's compassion and ability to restore and give life -- They are a revelation that indeed, Christ is life, He has the power over death and can break it's power over us.
Christ has promised "every one who recognizes the Son, and believes on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40

LESSON FIVE
MIRACLES AROUND THE LAKE
Covering Mark chapter 4 and 5

Storms
The account:
Jesus has been teaching all day. He is very tired. He and His disciples get into a boat to sail across the Sea of Galilee to hopefully find a quiet place to rest. Jesus falls asleep in the boat.
A storm threatens to destroy them all. Jesus continues to sleep. Finally, in desperation, the disciples turn to Him for help. The sea obeys His command to "Peace, be still" .

Mark 4:40 He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"
" As Jesus rested by faith in the Father's care, so we are to rest in the care of our Saviour. If the disciples had trusted in Him, they would have been kept in peace. Their fear in the time of danger revealed their unbelief. In their efforts to save themselves, they forgot Jesus; and it was only when, in despair of self-dependence, they turned to Him that He could give them help. {DA 336.2}

"How often the disciples' experience is ours! When the tempests of temptation gather, and the fierce lightnings flash, and the waves sweep over us, we battle with the storm alone, forgetting that there is One who can help us. We trust to our own strength till our hope is lost, and we are ready to perish. Then we remember Jesus, and if we call upon Him to save us, we shall not cry in vain. Though He sorrowfully reproves our unbelief and self-confidence, He never fails to give us the help we need. Whether on the land or on the sea, if we have the Saviour in our hearts, there is no need of fear. Living faith in the Redeemer will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us from danger in the way that He knows to be best. {DA 336.3}

"Sin has destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm. But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee has spoken the word of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to Jesus with the cry, "Lord, save us," will find deliverance. His grace, that reconciles the soul to God, quiets the strife of human passion, and in His love the heart is at rest. "He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He brings them unto their desired haven." Psalm 107:29, 30. {DA 337.1}

LESSON FIVE
MIRACLES AROUND THE LAKE
Covering Mark chapter 5

The Demon Possessed

The Great Controversy revealed in its starkest reality.

First we see the utter wretchedness to which the devil can bring mankind. Robbing him of all nobility, dignity and soundness of mind and turning him into something lower than the beasts. What a great contrast from the Adam before sin, created in the image of God, with this man taken over completely by the demons. A man, breaking free from all restraints, terrorizing the neighborhood, abusing and cutting himself, living with the dead in the tombs, helpless in the grasp of the evil one.
(The same story is told in Matthew 8, but according to Matthew there were two demoniacs)



The man came charging toward Jesus, but Jesus was not afraid. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us! The demons tremble before His power. In Christ's presence a ray of hope entered the darkened mind of the possessed man. He sensed that salvation was near, and in His heart cried out for help and he fell down and worshipped Christ! But the demons try to drown out that silent cry for help.

Those demons know exactly who Jesus is. They still vividly remember the battle in heaven when they sided with Lucifer and his deceptive lies, and were driven out of heaven by this same Jesus. They (for there were many tormenting this victim) KNOW Christ is more powerful than they. Interestingly they include God the Father in their "loud cry" demanding they be left alone.
"What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me".

We need to always remember, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.? (Prov 18:10) Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name.

Satan's demons, knowing they were defeated made a request. "Don't send us out of the country, let us enter those pigs."
They didn't want to inhabit those pigs, they saw in them a means to destroy Christ's influence. Demons know on what points people are easily turned away from God, economic matters are a strong point they use on us humans all the time. People are easily persuaded to ignore God, or even turn against Him, when economic benefits or loses are facing them. There are many in these days who refuse to follow Christ and His teachings, because in so doing they must sacrifice some worldly interest.
So, the demons entered the herd of about 2000 pigs, drove them in a mad dash to a cliff and plunged them into the sea, wiping out the economic profits of that region.

But what about the man from whom those demons were driven out? He was completely changed. The wild crazed look was gone. He was clothed and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus in loving, thankful reverence, listening to His words.

BUT, the demon's plan was working. Soon an angry crowd came pouring out of the city. Even though awestruck by the change they saw in the former demoniac, they still wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Go away, they demanded, before you totally ruin our country.
Like the Gadarenes who placed economic profits ahead of spiritual blessing ,there are many in society and even in the church, who overlook his grace, and ruthlessly drive away his Spirit from them. Remember Christ's words -- "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

But one of the greatest witnesses of the power and grace of God, Jesus sent to the Gadarenes.
A man, once controlled by demons, was now free by the power of Jesus. He was praising God, his very life a testimony that, yes, there is One greater than those controlling demons. He was sent to tell them of his deliverance.

We need to always remember, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.? (Prov 18:10) Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name.

LESSON FIVE
MIRACLES AROUND THE LAKE


Everywhere Jesus goes people are healed. But only a select few have their stories told in scripture to point out the scope of Jesus mission.

Jesus delivers and heals people hopelessly trapped in sin
(Casting out the demons that control them, Mark 1:25 and 5:8)

Jesus forgives their sins.
(The paralytic suffering the results of his sin is forgiven and healed, Mark 2:5-10)

Jesus cleanses those suffering from ailments that mark them as "unclean".
(Lepers Mark 1:40, Blood issue, Mark 5:25-34)

Jesus restores broken and diseased bodies. Doing good, relieving suffering.
(Withered hand healed, Mark 3:1-5, a mother healed Mark 1: 30-31, a blind man can see, Mark 8:22)

Jesus is LIFE, even death is defeated by Him. Giving us the promise of the resurrection.
(Raises Jairus' daughter who had died, Mark 5:35-41)

Jesus supplies temporal needs.
(Feeding the 5000 thousand. Mark 6:37-42 and feeding 4000, Mark 8:3-9)

Jesus can still the storms in our lives
(The winds and waves obey Him, Mark 4:37-40)

He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

LESSON FIVE
MIRACLES AROUND THE LAKE
Covering Mark chapter 5-6

Popular but facing Rejection
Misapplied and misinterpreted prophecy played a part in this rejection.

Yes, Jesus was very popular (for a time) as thousands flocked to be near Him, crowds followed Him everywhere He went, He could hardly eat or rest. Even when He and His disciples tried to find a quiet time in some remote place, the crowds would find them.

On this particular day, "much people", followed Jesus into a remote desert like area. It was a "great multitude". When Mark gives the number, he says "5000 men". If that is only the count of the men, we can conclude there were several thousand more, counting women and children. Jesus sees them as sheep without a spiritual leader, and all day He shares the truths of the kingdom of God with them.

However, there are 5000 men, gathered around Jesus out in a remote desert area. This does not look good, if the Roman overlords should notice. Another thing is that those 5000 men, as well as the disciples have a different KINGDOM in mind than the one Jesus is explaining to them. Had the Romans noticed this huge gathering they would have been right in their assumption that those people wanted a leader to drive out the Roman overlords and make Israel an independent nation once more.

When Jesus fed them all with a mere two fishes and five barley loaves, the excitement grew to a fevered pitch!



The next day the crowds find Jesus again, they are still eager to support Him as their Messiah (at least their view of what the Messiah would do). We can read the discussion in John chapter six. While Jesus does care and provide for people's temporal needs, it is not the reason or purpose of His mission.
He had come to bring salvation. He came to this world to give His body as a sacrifice and shed His blood for our salvation. He had come to wage war and win over the arch-enemy satan, sin and death.
His kingdom is NOT of this world.
Loaves and fishes may satisfy a very temporary hunger and sustain life for a day, but He came to provide freedom from sin and give eternal, everlasting life!
He admonishes us to eat His flesh, (study and mediate, internalize, believe in Him and His sacrifice for our salvation). Drink (internalize into our lives the truth of) His blood which was shed for the remission of our sins.

When the crowds heard this, and realized Christ was not talking about liberating them from the Romans and establishing a kingdom in this world, they forsook Him and stopped following Him.

All the above is just as true today as it was 2000 years ago. When preachers and religious leaders present Christ as offering temporal prosperity, fame and fortune, people are more likely to profess Christianity. But when people hear Christ's kingdom is one that requires sin to be put aside, a transformation of character, they aren't interested.

Also, the misunderstanding of prophecy played a big role in their rejection of the true Messiah.
In the years following Christ's life on earth, the Jews supported several men, who met their understanding of a Messiah. They tried to fight off the Romans, but that all ended in disaster.
John 18:36 "Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world" He has not come to fight in the worldly manner of battles to gain supremacy.

Revelation warns there is a "false prophet" (Rev. 16:13 & 19:20) very active in the end times which will be quite successful in deceiving the world. Misinterpreted prophecy will again play a big role.
But God has also given the church the spirit of prophecy which is in harmony with the Word of God. We need not be deceived. But like all the Biblical prophets, the false prophets were many and popular, but the true prophets were despised.
We still see in the religious world, people looking for an earthly kingdom, which they will try to make "good" by legislation, civil laws, force and war, and who expect Messiah to come and reign in such an earthly Jerusalem.

LESSON SIX
INSIDE OUT
Mark seven and eight.

The washing of hands

Jesus has left Galilee and arrives in Jerusalem.
A group of Pharisees and Scribes have gathered and they are watching Jesus with critical eyes.

To understand what happens next we should look a little at the Jewish practices.
In Moses time, the command was given to build a laver containing water, at which priests washed their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle. See Exodus 30:17-21. This ritual cleansing symbolized the need for spiritual purification and consecration before engaging in sacred duties or encountering the presence of God. Morally, it represented the cleansing of the priests? hearts and minds from sin and impurity, preparing them to stand before the Lord in righteousness.

After the exile, some of the leading Rabbi's thought it would be a good practice for everyone to do, so they outlined the program as to how this washing (which was actually pouring water from a cup over their hands twice) was to take place, and they built washing stations to help encourage people to do this every morning and before eating any meals that contained Bread.
They were to pray the following:
"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe who has sanctified us with divine commandments, and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands."

Mark 7:2-3 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they began to criticize. Because the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash theirs hands as prescribed, holding the tradition of the elders.

So what was the problem? We still practice symbolic washing ceremonies to this day, like baptism and foot washing.

Mark 7:6-9 And he said to them, ?Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ??This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.? You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.? And he said to them, ?You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
1. God had not commanded this ceremonial washing which was expected of all Jewish people.

2. While the original intent of the washings was to remind them of God's power to wash away their sins, that meaning had been almost wholly lost. They uttered the words, but it didn't come from the heart.

3. They were making these minor (added) rules as very important and using them to make themselves look very pious in the eyes of the people, while in their hearts they were plotting murder and harboring all manner of evil.

LESSON SEVEN
Teaching Disciples, Part One
Mark eight

Mark 8:27-29
On the road He asked His disciples, saying them,
"Who do men say that I am?
So they answered, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets.
He said to them,
"But who do you say that I am ?
Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ".

The story is also in Matt. 16:13-38 and Luke 9:18-26

The most important question we need to ask ourselves.
Who do I say that He is?

A great teacher?
A good man?
The best man that ever lived?
A gifted man?
A great prophet?
An incarnation of a previous human man? (Elijah? John the Baptist?)

There are many answers given by people. And many have SOME truth, BUT all of them deny the true identity of Who Jesus is. So are they complimentary, or are they insulting?
Remember Necodemus, he started the conversation with what seemed a compliment, "We know you are a great teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him".
Jesus ignores all those supposed compliments and launches into spiritual realities including a very important message as to who He was, and what He had come to earth to do. (See John 3:13-19)

The great question urges us to look beyond the obvious historical human being that was walking the streets of Palestine. Who is Jesus?

This is an all important question,
He who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is already condemned because he has not believed in the name.
It's a life and death question.
The truth which Peter had confessed is the foundation of the believer's faith. It is that which Christ Himself has declared to be eternal life. For this is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ.
Yet it is a truth that is not natural to the human mind. It is revealed by God, little by little as we meditate and humbly seek Him, then our knowledge of Him deepens through the workings of the Holy Spirit which enables us to discern spiritual realities.

Peter's realization of Christ's true identity was a real turning point for the disciples. Yet none of them fully understood Christ's mission.

Spiritual growth is not a full blown all at once event, it grows richer and deeper as we walk with Christ.