Mark’s GospelUnit 4The Kingdom of God

What did we cover in this unit?• What is meant by the kingdom of God.• The meaning of the words parable and allegory.• Why did Jesus use parables?

Stories1. The parable of the Sower.2. The Lamp on a stand.3. The parable of the Growing Seed.4. The parable of the Mustard Seed.5. Jesus and the Children.6. Entry into the Kingdom.7. The Great Commandment.

The Kingdom of

God

A group of people who view God as their king.

Gods rule and Kingdom.

Not a geographical

place.

In the hearts and minds of

Jesus’ followers.

Parables• Illustrates a spiritual truth about the KOG.• Jesus used parables because he wanted

people to know more about God’s Kingdom and understand it.

Why did Jesus use parables?1. Common method used by teachers.2. Easy to understand.3. Challenged people to work out the meaning.4. Easy to relate to (Jesus was on their level).

Allegories:

A type of parable where the characters and events in the story all represent real people and events. Every detail has meaning (parables make one simple point).

The Parable of the Sower• Who? Jesus, disciples and a large crowd.• What? Jesus used a parable to teach the crowd.

A farmers scatters seed and it falls onto different ground:1. Path where the birds eat it up.2. Rocky ground where there is little soil, the soil isn’t deep and the young plants are burned by the sun.3. Thorn bushes, the plants grew and where choked.4. Good soil, plants bore as much as 100 grains.

Some asked Jesus to explain the parables:- “You have been given the secret of the KOG”- “The Sower sows Gods message. Some people are like seeds that fall on the path; as soon as they hear the message, Satan comes and takes it away…”

• Why? Parable were a common teaching method & easy for people to understand.

• Where? Lake Galilee.

Detail Meaning

The farmer scatters the seed

The seed is the word of God

The seed on the path is eaten by birds

The listener does not respond, or is tempted away by Satan so it is

wasted.

The seed on the rocky ground cannot grow

deep roots. It grows but is scorched by the sun

and dies

The listener’s enthusiasm is killed off

by persecution and other troubles

The seed on thorny ground is choked by

weeds

The listener’s response is stifled by materialism

and worldly concerns

The seed on fertile ground produces a

bumper harvest

The listener has a positive response, in

belief and action.

Key points•This is the first of three parables of growth.

•3 parts to this parable:1. Jesus tells the parable to a large crowd.2. Jesus explains the purpose of parables to

his disciples.3. Jesus explains this parable to his disciples.

• This parable has meaning for early Christians as well as followers of Christ today.

The Lamp on a StandJesus continued, “Does anyone ever bring in a lamp and put it under a bowl or under the bed? Isn't it put on the lamp stand?22 Whatever is hidden away will be brought out into the open, and whatever is covered up will be uncovered.”

Key points• Oil lamps used to provide light at night.

• Mark’s readers should not hide away just as a light would not be hidden away.

• Mark’s readers were facing persecution.

• Today Christians should be proud of their faith and share it with others.

*Some think this parable also criticises the religious leaders for hiding the truth of the KOG from the people.

The Parable of the Growing Seed

Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens.

The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain. When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.”

Key points• 2nd parable of growth.

• The farmer can only wait for the harvest.

• Once Gods word is sown we do not know how a person’s faith will grow.

• Also Jesus’ teachings will continue to grow and spread until the end of time.

• Mark’s readers were being persecuted, this would have encouraged them that whilst they could not see the KOG it was coming.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it?

It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground.

After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”

Key points• 3rd parable of growth.

• Smallest of all seeds but grows to be huge (unusually huge in this parable).

• Great things come from small beginnings.

• The KOG started small but spread across the world.

• In Jewish scriptures birds sometimes represented nations of the world…Jesus is saying the KOG will include all nations, not just Jews.

Jesus and the Children

Some people brought children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples scolded the people. When Jesus noticed this, he was angry and said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you that whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on each of them, and blessed them.

Key points

•The disciples were annoyed at Jesus being bothered by children being brought to him to be blessed.

•Jesus welcomed and blessed the children.

•Jesus’ followers should be like little children (not childish or immature but trusting and depend on God).

Entry into the Kingdom• A man asked how he could gain

eternal life.• Jesus reminded him that he must keep

the commandments – he replied that he obeyed them since he was young.

• Jesus then said he must go and sell everything and give the money to the poor.

• The man was sad. • Jesus taught his disciples that it is

much harder for a rich person to enter the KOG than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

• The disciples were amazed and questioned who could actually be saved.

• Jesus told his disciples that whilst they had given up everything to follow him they would receive 100 times more in the KOG including eternal life.

Key points•The man went away sad because he had

money and possessions, he wanted to follow Jesus but was unwilling to give up his wealth.

•The eye of a needle may refer to a small door in the city wall (only big enough for one person to get through – a camel would not fit).

•Riches were viewed as a blessing/reward from god at that time, how then could anyone be saved.

The Great Commandment• A teacher of the Law asked “Which

commandment is the most important of all?”

• Jesus replied The most important one is this: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second most important commandment is this: Love your neighbour as you love yourself. There is no other commandment more important than these two.”

• The teacher agreed with Jesus.• Jesus ended with “You are not far

from the Kingdom of God.” After this nobody dared to ask Jesus any more questions.

Key points

•Scribes interpreted the Law and decided on how to apply it.

• Jesus used scripture to answer the man.

•This teacher was not trying to trick Jesus in fact he praised Jesus’ answer.

•This shows that not all religious leaders were against Jesus.

Past paper questions – 1 Mark

•What happened to the seed that fell on the path?

•Where should you not put a lamp?•What did Jesus say belongs to the

children?•Who did Jesus say was good?•Give one reason why Jesus used parables

to teach people.•What animal did Jesus refer to when

describing how hard it was to enter the KOG?

Past paper questions – 5 Marks•Why did Jesus use a child as an example of

faith?

•“To be a follower of Jesus means giving up one’s wealth.” Do you agree, give reasons for your answer.

•Describe the conversation Jesus had with the rich young man.

•Describe what happened to the seeds in the Parable of the Sower.

Past paper questions - 10 Marks

•“People should be prepared to give up everything for their faith.” Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer showing that you have considered different points of view.