Mark 4:1-34

ON PARABLES, see the note on Matthew 13:1-52. In his report of the discourse in parables, Mark gives but three, one of them not mentioned elsewhere. Each independently chose these out of the many uttered. In Matthew we find the chronological development of the kingdom of heaven brought out; here, all three parables are drawn from familiar agricultural pursuits, presenting the one idea of the growth or development of the kingdom of God: the first, as respects the soil, or the difficulty of its beginnings; the second, illustrating the relative independence of this development; the last, its wonderful extension. Mark here introduces (Mark 4:21-25) what Matthew records as uttered on other occasions. Our Lord was in the habit of repeating striking figures, proverbs, and aphorisms. This discourse took place the ‘same day' (Matthew 13:1) with the occurrences just mentioned (chap. Mark 3:20-35). The hostility of the Pharisees called for the teaching by parables in its purpose of concealing the truth, which is most strongly expressed by Mark (Mark 4:12), while the choice of the Twelve (chap. Mark 3:14) formed the nucleus of a band of followers (comp. Mark 4:10) in whom the other purpose of revealing the truth could be fulfilled.