A Lamp on a Stand 21 He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear." 24 "Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Those who have will be given more; as for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them." The Parable of the Growing Seed 26 He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." The Parable of the Mustard Seed 30 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." 33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. Share |
The kingdom of God (Mark and Luke) or the kingdom of heaven (Matthew) is a central theme in the teaching of Jesus.
Kingdom past
The idea of the kingdom of God has its roots in the Old Testament promise that David’s descendants would always reign as God’s appointed kings (2 Samuel 7:4–17). The prophets gave further impetus to the idea (Zechariah 14:9).
By the time of Jesus this promise was interpreted in a variety of ways, some political, some apocalyptic. But the central expectation was of a time when God would come to his people and rule in a new way.
Kingdom present
John announced the kingdom was about to come (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus confirmed it (Matthew 4:17). He claimed that his activity was a demonstration of the presence of the kingdom (Luke 11:20; 7:18–23).
In him, the Messiah, God’s kingdom had come. People are to prepare themselves by repenting and believing (Mark 1:15). Membership of the kingdom depends on knowing and obeying Jesus (Matthew 7:21–23).
Kingdom future
Not everything was complete, however. Jesus looked forward to a time when God’s reign would be seen and experienced by all. God’s universal rule will be established but this will involve judgement (Luke 13:28–30).
Although the term does not appear in the letters, the idea of God’s reign which will finally be established in the presence of all is evident (eg Philippians 2:9–11; 1 Corinthians 15:24–28). The kingdom of God is not a physical territory; it is the dynamic rule of God in his creation. The kingdom of God is not the church; it is broader than the church and the church is the servant of the kingdom, taking the message that God reigns to all nations (Matthew 28:18–20).
John Grayston Share |
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” Share |
Mark 4The Parable of the Sower 1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." 9 Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."
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Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law 20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons." 23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man's house. 28 Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven all their sins and all the blasphemies they utter. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin." 30 He said this because they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." 31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." 33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." Share |
Opposition
Mary and Joseph feature in the birth stories of Matthew and Luke, but we hear no more about Joseph. The normal assumption is that he was older than Mary and died before Jesus reached adulthood.
Jesus’ brothers are named in Mark 6:3 as James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. Sisters are also mentioned. They are known in Capernaum where Jesus has made his home (Matthew 4:13). At this stage they are opposed to Jesus (Mark 6:4; John 7:75) and try to stop his ministry (Mark 3:20,21).
At the cross Jesus entrusted Mary to the care of John which suggests that his brothers may still not have been supportive, but in Acts 1:14 they are among those praying with the eleven. Given Mary’s faith and obedience at the time of Jesus’ birth and her thoughtful reception of all that was said it is unlikely that she shared the unbelief of his brothers.
Conversion
In Galatians 1:19 Paul describes James, Jesus’ brother, as an apostle (see Acts 15:13). Perhaps he came to believe after the risen Jesus appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7).
He is almost certainly the author of the letter of James. It is also highly likely that Jude was written by Jesus’ brother Judas.
Outstanding questions
The natural assumption is that Jesus’ brothers and sisters were the later children of Joseph and Mary. From fairly early times, however, some argued that Mary remained a virgin all her life and this has been the official teaching of some churches.
Jesus’ siblings are then seen either as step-siblings (children of Joseph by a previous marriage) or cousins (on the grounds that ancient language was less precise). In the absence of a clear statement in the New Testament this view must remain open to question.
John Grayston Share |
Crowds Follow Jesus 7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. Jesus Appoints the Twelve 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means "sons of thunder"), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Share |
Disciples
A Jewish rabbi attracted a small group of disciples who travelled with him and learnt from him by observation, discussion and practice. Disciples would normally choose their rabbi and apply to join him – often they would be turned down.
Jesus worked differently. He invited disciples to join him but he warned them of the cost (Matthew 16:24). In a revolutionary move, he included women in the group (Luke 8:1–3).
The group of those described as disciples of Jesus had no fixed size. Sometimes the term is limited to the twelve who seem to be the core group (Matthew 10:1), sometimes of a crowd (Luke 6:17). There were 120 in the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Apostles
The Greek word describes those who are sent and is used of the twelve in the Gospels. In Acts it is used of the original twelve with Judas being replaced by Matthias.
They became the original leaders of the church in Jerusalem. James, Jesus’ brother, not one of the twelve, soon took up a leadership role (Acts 15:13) and is described as an apostle (Galatians 1:19).
Paul uses the term to describe a wider group (Ephesians 4:11) including himself (1 Corinthians 15:9) and Junias, who was almost certainly a woman (Romans 16:7).
Neither term is used with complete consistency in the New Testament.
And today?
There is disagreement as to whether apostles in the technical sense still exist in the church today. All of us are called to learn and all of are sent into the world as Jesus was (John 20:21). But not all are called to be leaders.
John Grayston Share |
41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43 Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” Genesis 28 1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. 6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had. Share |
41 Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43 Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44 Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45 When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” 46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.” Genesis 28 1 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau. 6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.Share |
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