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Mark 4

And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

The sower soweth the word.

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

What does Mark 4:25 mean?

Explanation

The verse from Mark 4:25 is part of the synoptic gospels and is attributed to the teachings of Jesus.

On the surface, this saying appears paradoxical and perhaps even unjust, as it seems to suggest that those who are already wealthy or have abundance will receive more, while those who lack will lose even the little they have.

However, the deeper meaning of this verse is often interpreted as a statement about the spiritual receptiveness and understanding of individuals.

In a spiritual sense, "he that hath" refers to those who have openness to Jesus' teachings and understand the kingdom of God, and as a result, they will be given more understanding and spiritual richness.

On the other hand, "he that hath not" refers to those who are not receptive or who have closed themselves off to the messages of Jesus, and even the understanding that they have will be diminished or taken away, as it will not bear fruit or lead to spiritual growth.

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Historical Context

The verse comes from the Gospel of Mark, which was written approximately around 66–70 AD, a time when the early Christian community was facing persecution and trying to understand their faith in the context of Jewish tradition and the Roman Empire.

The verse is part of a larger discourse where Jesus teaches in parables.

It is likely that Jesus used this kind of paradoxical statement to provoke thought among His listeners and to reveal truths about the kingdom of God in a way that would be remembered and pondered upon.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse can be interpreted from several perspectives:

Calvinist Perspective: This verse could highlight the concept of predestination, suggesting that spiritual blessings are preordained for the elect who 'have,' while reiterating the hardening of hearts for those not chosen.
Arminian Perspective: It could be seen as a call to responsibility and active engagement with faith, where the responsive and faithful individual receives more from God in return for their faithfulness.
Catholic Perspective: The verse could be understood in terms of grace and merit, where those who make good use of the graces they receive are given more, while those who fail to do so lose them.

Practical Applications

In daily life, this verse can serve as a reminder to be proactive and diligent in seeking knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual growth.

Faithfulness and receptivity could mean investing in one's talents and opportunities, being open to learning, and sharing one's insights with others.

It suggests an active engagement with one's faith or with the truths one holds dear, with the understanding that passive or neglectful attitudes can lead to stagnation or loss.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:12: "For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."
Matthew 25:29: "For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."
Luke 8:18: "Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the key words to consider are:

ἔχων (echōn): Translated as "he that hath," this verb means to have, hold, or possess, which in context refers not merely to material possessions but to understanding or capacities.
δοθήσεται (dothēsetai): Future passive indicative of "to give," denoting an action that will be given or granted to the one who has.
ἀποστερηθήσεται (aposterēthēsetai): Future passive indicative of "to take away," suggesting something that will be removed or lost from the one who has not.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The sentiment expressed in this verse mirrors a common motif of reward and consequence found in many cultural and religious writings. In some ways, the verse may resemble the principle of karma in Hinduism and Buddhism, where actions have consequences.

Additionally, ancient myths often reflect on the idea that the gods favor those who are industrious, wise, or receptive to divine influence, while those who are negligent or foolish suffer losses.

Scientific Perspectives

From a contemporary psychological standpoint, this verse could be seen to reflect what is known as the "Matthew effect" in sociology and education, named after a similar verse in Matthew's gospel.

It refers to the phenomenon where the 'rich' (in terms of knowledge, skills, or resources) get richer, and the 'poor' get poorer, a concept extensively studied in the context of reading achievement and cognitive development.

Commentaries

Expert commentaries on this verse offer a range of interpretations:

Traditional Exegesis: Often interpreters focus on the spiritual dimensions, suggesting that the verse is about the deepening of spiritual understanding and the consequences of being closed off to divine truth.
Social-Scientific Criticism: Some modern scholars suggest that Jesus was critiquing the social and economic disparities of His time, using this statement allegorically to show the consequences of unequal distributions of wealth and power.
Literary Analysis: Literary analysts focus on the parabolic style of Jesus' teaching, emphasizing how the use of hyperbolic statements was meant to challenge the listener and provoke deeper reflection on the nature of God's kingdom.

Mark 4

Mark 4

What does Mark 4:25 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 4:25 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?