Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Session 3: Class Notes (Mark 4)

Hi friends, we've done it!  We're caught up with the daily devotionals!  From here on out we'll be taking one chapter a week.

Here are the notes from our time on 10/20.

Opening
As part of our introductions we shared about bible stories and/or verses that have been special to us, as well as bible stories and/or verses that we find difficult or have questions about.  I was so appreciative of the trust demonstrated through the personal story telling.  I found it to be a moving and sacred time.  Thank you all.

Mark 4: Secrets Inside Seeds
Mark 4 contains three parables with seeds and sowers as central images.  Interspersed among these parables, Jesus explains why he uses parables.  However, his explanation only seems to raise more questions.
"When Jesus was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 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; in order that:
'they may indeed look, but not perceive,
and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.
'" - Mark 4:10-12
Uhhhh, what?  It looks like Jesus is intentionally using parables to obfuscate his message.  Well, to a certain extent, this is what parables are meant to do.

Parables:
  • In Hebrew parables are called Mashal which means riddle or dark saying.  The idea is that they bring both clarity and confusion.
  • Parables tell a story that is easy to relate to and seemingly ordinary.  The story often includes details or a twist which is out of place or discordant.  The goal is to create cognitive dissonance in the hearers for the purpose of opening them to seeing a different worldview.
  • Parables are not given to easy allegorical interpretation or simplistic moralizing.  The idea is to invite the hearer to listen again, to reflect, to enter into conversation with others, and to seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  The goal is not the accumulation of information but relational transformation.
  • Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan describes parables this way, "You have built a lovely home, myth assures us, but, whispers parable, you are right above an earthquake fault
Yet the question remains, did Jesus really want some to not understand his message?  And if so, then why not?  I'm not sure I have an answer that truly satisfies.  Here are some possibilities:
  • This lack of understanding or intentional mystery fits with the Markan theme of the "Messianic Secret" (see Session 1 Notes).  Perhaps the reasons for the intentional murkiness are the same as the reasons for the Messianic Secret?  (e.g. did not want to be on the authorities radar just yet)
  • Perhaps this statement is a way for Mark to explain to his contemporary audience why some in their community did not join the Jesus movement.  They were not meant to understand.  This could have been the answer to why some the Jews of that day (who knew the law, who knew the prophets, and who were waiting for the Messiah) chose not follow Jesus?
  • Verses such as this have been used to proof text the theology of election (e.g. that God chooses some to be saved and not others). 
  • This is another example of Jesus following in the prophetic tradition.  Prophets such as Isaiah (quoted in Mark 4) and Ezekiel (another commonly reference prophet in Mark) were told by God that some people who not hear or understand what they were saying.
With the difficult question still lingering, we dove into one of the parables.
Illustration by Ryan Sharp

 "Jesus also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it  It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." - Mark 4:30-32

A simple, beautiful, and subversive parable.  Let's take a look.

In the Hebrew scriptures the mighty cedar was often the plant image used to convey a mighty kingdom (see Ezekiel 17).  The Jewish people of the time were hoping for the Kingdom of God to come in power and crush the Roman empire.  What image does Jesus give them?  A mustard seed.
  • The mustard seed is small (much like the fledgling early Christian movement).
  • It's interesting that the parable points to the intentionality of sowing the mustard seed.  The mustard plant was not often sown.  In fact, it was more often see as invasive, disruptive, and not easily removed.  In could vigorously overtake a garden or road.
  • The mustard plant grows only a couple of feet high.  It does not convey a sense of might, awe, or greatness in our cultural understanding of those terms.
  • The mustard plant is most useful when it is crushed.  Once broken open it was used for a healing ointment and/or for respiratory issues.
Knowing this, what does a mustard seed/plant reveal about the nature of reign of God?

Roman Standard
I think my favorite discordant detail in this parable is the birds that make a nest in its shade.  Remember, the plant isn't that tall and the branches are not that impressive.  Why make the point that birds can find a home in it?  Here's what I think.

The mustard plant symbolizes the Kingdom of God (read "Reign of God").  Now, check out the Roman Standard, notice anything?  Perhaps the birds are a reference to the Roman empire.  During Jesus lifetime Pontius Pilate seemed to intentionally rile up the Jews by bringing the Roman Standard into the temple area (where no graven images of people or animals is allowed). 

I like to think that the inclusion of the birds in the mustard plant is saying that even the oppressors, even those we name as enemy, those who wish us harm, all are invited to be healed and to find their home in the Reign of God.

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