Mark 4:26-32 Two Seed Parables

BIBLE TEXT

Mark 4:26-32

SUMMARY

Jesus tells two parables that use the image of seeds to illustrate the kingdom of God.

ANALYSIS

As pointed out in the Parable of the Sower, the parables of Jesus can often obscure as much as they clarify. Because of the ambiguity in their interpretation, it is often helpful to read parables together instead of individually. In these two parables, Jesus maintains that the kingdom of heaven is like seed sown in the ground.

The parables share several thematic elements in common. Both highlight the surprising nature of growth. In the first parable, the emphasis is placed on the secret nature of the growth. The man who sows the seeds does not contribute to the growth and does not know how it happens. In the second parable, the emphasis is on the growth of a large plant from such a small seed. Both parables also share the theme of abundant growth with the first using the imagery of harvest and the second the imagery of shelter for the birds. Taken together, the parables emphasize the lack of human contribution to the growth of the kingdom of God. Like seeds, God’s kingdom achieves impressive growth by its own power.