Mark 4:26-34
Chapter 4
Parable of the Vitality of the Seed
He said: “In the kingdom of God, it’s like this: a man plants seeds in the soil.Whether he is asleep or awake, day or night, the seeds sprout and grow; he does not know how.
The soil produces on its own: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
When it is ready for harvest, they pull out the sickle to cut it—because the harvest time has come.”
Parable of the Mustard Seed
He said:
“What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it?
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil.
But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden; and it even grows branches so big that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.”
Use of Parables
Jesus used many such stories to communicate the word in a way they could understand.
He would not teach them without parables, but privately, to his disciples, he explained everything.