Tag Archives: parable of the mustard seed

Language, Matthew, Teaching

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost & Matthew 13: Mixed nuts & assorted hard candies

Leave a comment

This is an explanation of the parables told in Matthew’s Gospel that will be read aloud in Episcopal churches on the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12).  This next reading is scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2020.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

—————

In Exodus 16 Yahweh told Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. In the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.” (Exodus 16:4-5, NIV)

Manna (Hebrew meaning, “What is it?”) was spiritual food from heaven, which fed the souls of the Israelites. It was not physical food, from which normal life was sustained [they had livestock for that]. Therefore, God placed a limit on how much spiritual food can be properly digested by a soul trapped inside a body of flesh, so the soul’s health is maintained as a good servant of God.

A daily omer of Spiritual food means being given enough to have a new spiritual dawning that keeps one’s faith at the proper level of excitement for God’s knowledge.  Taking more spiritual food than one can possibly use in one day is then no different than eating too much at the all-you-can-eat buffet [when those existed prior to the pandemic]. Eating too much physical food makes the excess be stored around one’s fatty regions, so one looks grossly unfit.

Similarly, trying to eat too much spiritual food makes all the excess go into the fatty regions of one’s brain, where the result is a life-shortening case of the Big Brain symptom. Relative to that nasty disease, we are told that pigging out on spiritual food led to one being “full of maggots,” with the Big Brain beginning “to smell.” That is the same thing as we see these days, when a priest stands before a gathering of listeners and begins to speak dead words that stink to high heavens.

The all-you-can-eat warning is necessary because today’s Gospel selection amounts to three days worth of spiritual food [minimally, more than two]. Given that two days worth is allowed before the Sabbath (technically Saturday, but Christians cut the grass and play gold on that day of rest), three days worth breaks the rules [as does two and a half]. That can then be expected to lead to bad sermons.

The reason this is three days worth because the mustard seed and the yeast was one parable that Jesus told to a crowd that had gathered along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Possibly, Jesus and his disciples were having lunch – what we would call hoagies – and someone asked, “Can you pass the mustard?”

That led Jesus to point out the source of mustard was the smallest seed and the fluffy tastiness of the hoagie roll was the yeast. Thus, he stood and spoke to the crowd below, speaking those parables. The meaning is: From small, seemingly insignificant things (like you and I) are grow huge rewards that benefit others in many ways (the planned ministries of ALL who call themselves Christians).

Then, after lunch, one of the disciples (or more) asked Jesus to explain his previous parable about the weeds, which was metaphor that flew over their heads. That explanation is the time lapse of the missing verses in this week’s reading. Last Sunday, the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, we read about Jesus telling that parable and then explaining it, skipping over the mustard seed and yeast in flour parables.

Seeing that time did pass by before Jesus then spoke again to the disciples, with the crowd able to hear, Jesus spoke about things of great value – the treasure known to be buried in a field and a great pearl. While those two parables can be seen as counting as one serving of manna (an omer), the parable about catching fish is like that one little extra helping at the buffet, which puts one over the limit. Still, since the three  are all led by Jesus saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like,” the three can pass the omer test as simply being a plate of chocolate pudding and jello, with a side of a pineapple slice – for a variety dessert.

When Jesus had finished telling those three parables, he asked his disciples, “Have you understood all this? They said, “Yes,” which means Jesus was not explaining the meaning of a parable to the commoners by the sea. He was only teaching those who would follow in his footsteps, as him reborn. After all, the crowd was just gathered in case Jesus was handing out free food (wafers and wine?) and not as interested in having parables explained.

Because the disciples said, “Yes” to Jesus’ question, everyone in an Episcopal church today should likewise need no explanation. Right?

I forget.

Disciples are few and far between these days, with nobody even close to being Jesus Christ reborn, so only crowds show up for the ‘buffet at the rail.’  Everything needs explaining.

In case you noticed, all of the parables told in Matthew 13 are about what the kingdom of heaven is like. When the disciples asked Jesus why he spoke in parables, which were not always easy to understand, he told them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:11) Jesus was teaching the next generation of rabbis, which means they too would be teachers of divine wisdom as Apostles [Saints].

They would then have their own schools of students seeking to gain divine wisdom, which is the parable of the vine and the good fruit. The good fruit is an Apostle-Saint, who produces seeds that are disciples needing to be informed in divine matters. Thus, a priest should be expected to be an Apostle-Saint and a pewple should be expected to be a student whose heart yearns to be fed spiritual food – once a day, just not gathered on Sunday.

In case there is anyone out there that fits that scenario, here is an omer of insight about the treasure in a field, a perfect pearl, and the great catch of fish that will be sorted.

The kingdom of heaven is like a quest that is driven by the heart, not the head. If you have ever watched the History Channel shows The Curse of Oak Island or Lost Gold of World War II, you see people whose heads lust for the reward of physical wealth. The kingdom of heaven does not care about physical treasures or things that have great value in the material realm. Thus, the kingdom of heaven is like a physical treasure or thing of material value, meaning the reality of something greater – as spiritual worth.

Jesus said two men, each seeking different things, sold everything they had to buy into the same goal – what they ultimately sought that was worth selling everything in order to obtain.  We are never told that they found what they were looking for, but the implication is they found what they sought.  That implication reflects one’s faith, not needing to be told, “Oh, and they both got rich.” 

We are only told that the first man sold everything and with “joy” he bought the field said to contain the treasure. That joy is stated in the Greek word “charas,” which also translates as “delight, gladness, a source of joy,” but implies in Scripture: “the awareness (of God’s) grace, favor, joy (“grace recognized”).”

That means the quest is as valuable as the reward. That means a disciple yearns to know more each day (especially on Sunday), as each day comes understanding that keeps the heart burning with desire to search for the ultimate reward, which is spiritual knowledge that cannot be kept to oneself.  A burning desire to share what one sees as most valuable – worth giving everything up for – can be understood as the most valuable thing anyone can search for.  Sharing that found is more rewarding than keeping something for one’s private use.

The kingdom of heaven is like that. The United States of America is not like that. Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada is not like that. Mountain tunnels in the islands of the Philippines is not like that. Nothing about this material world is like that.

Now, if one is a student of the all-you-can-eat Holy Bible, especially loving the food available at the New Testament bar, one might recall Jesus telling the rich, young ruler [Temple elite, a Pharisee of the Sanhedrin], step two in the process of being assured entrance into the kingdom of heaven means: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 19:21) In the parables of the treasure in a field and a great pearl, the seekers did just that. The metaphor of those objectives is then the same as the question posed to Jesus about the quest for “eternal life.” That says: If you want eternal life in the kingdom of heaven, then you will be driven to obtain that goal. Otherwise, like the rich, young ruler, you go away grieving because you have too many possessions to release from your grasp.

The lesson of those two parables is then: You get out of life what you are willing to put into life.

Since human life is known to always end in death, human things symbolize rewards of death. Since eternal life is not available in a physical body, one must be willing to sacrifice oneself for something unseen – the buried treasure that was hidden from sight. The great pearl was seen but cost everything to acquire. You cannot have something you want without paying the price.  Both parables reflect someone having great faith that possession of a right to the kingdom of heaven (assurance) is worth sacrificing a lifetime’s accumulation of material things.

Faith like that reflects the ideal of knowing, “You can’t take it with you.”

The sad thing about this parable is everyone gets that. Everyone knows how giving up all the things one has is too hard, if impossible to do.

The rich young ruler is no different than a lawyer I knew in a church, who gave tremendous amounts of his wealth (far from all) and tremendous amounts of his time (which the wealthy also have in abundance) to that church. I’m sure the rich young ruler likewise gave in support to Jesus’ ministry [can you say “Nicodemus”?]; but, when he walked away grieving about having too much to give it all away, in the same way that wealthy lawyer said about such a proposition, “That doesn’t work out very well.”

Talk all you want about give, give, give, and give some more, but Christians are like turnips -you can’t get blood out of them. All people have bills to pay. Living in the real world is not free.

We are forced by society to turn away from this parable and pretend we don’t understand what it means.

We hear these parables and we hear Jesus ask us, “Have you understood all this?”

We gulp as we say, “Yes.” We know what selling everything means. Then, we gulp again.

We overlook how Jesus then said, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

We hear those words words in physical terms so we generate images of teachers (Pharisees, rabbis, priests), of houses (Temples, synagogues, churches), businesses (tables of the vendors, rooms where the scrolls are kept, and the sacristy where the chalices and trays are washed). We miss the true meaning, just like the disciples did not know the truth when they said, “Yes” to Jesus’ question.

Every teacher of the law is meant to be Jesus Christ reborn. Jesus meant that, but the disciples (at that point in time) were clueless.  Jesus knew that a teacher of the law would become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven, which means an Apostle-Saint. A disciple, like those who said “Yes” when they were really clueless, is incapable of being a teacher in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus Christ is the only teacher in the kingdom of heaven. This means the kingdom of heaven is wherever Jesus Christ is teaching; and, that means a human body of flesh and bones is “the owner of a house.”  That becomes more than the body being the temple of the soul, as it elevates to meaning the body becomes the Temple unto the Lord, with Jesus Christ the presiding lecturer [High Priest / King] at the altar [a human brain] each day.

It is from that fleshy, convoluted “storehouse” that all divine wisdom is processed and spoken through mouths of teeth, tongues and lips. The law is written on the hearts of the Apostle, but the Christ Mind knows the depth of truth the words of the law mean.  The words are then the sermons of old and new revelations [what the words clearly appear to state and the “Aha! I see!” of what the words hide that is intended to state].  Hearing a sermon spoken by Jesus Christ through an Apostle’s lips becomes the epitome of spiritual food, which is then the appropriate daily allotment for the maintenance of the spiritual health of that owner’s house of worship.

This means that “sell everything you own and give to the poor” has nothing to do with material commands.  Having a materially rich Peter sell everything to give the proceeds to poor Paul does nothing more than make Peter poor and Paul rich.

“Sell everything” means kill your self-ego. It means cease letting the lusts of a material world keep you from gaining eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. It means stop selling your soul for you to be you.  Instead, sacrifice you to become reborn as Jesus Christ.

To do that, you have to fall madly in love with God and marry Him. Marriage to God means you become His wife [regardless of human gender], so you becomes absolutely subservient to whatever your Husband says. The consummation of that marriage means you bear the Son of God, so the birth of baby Jesus within you becomes you in his name. In the name of Jesus Christ, you can then call God your Father, so you become a Son of God too [regardless of human gender].  You then join in the Church of Christ [true Christianity] along with all other Apostles-Saints.

Now, this realization takes us back to the third extra serving about fishing. To remind everyone about what Jesus said, this is it:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The world is the sea.  It is a sea of humanity. 

Human souls are the fish. Souls come “of every kind” – red, yellow, black, brown, and white; atheists, Hindu, Muslims, Jews, and Christians; and, Methodists, Baptists, Catholics, Pentecostals, and Anglican-Episcopalians.

The net is death, because we all have to be caught in that trap and pulled away from our bodies that are left in the sea.

The shore is the entranceway into the kingdom of heaven – eternal life with God. That is where the sorting of the souls takes place.  Notice how there is no mention of ‘pearly gates’ or Saint Peter.  Imagine God does the pointing and His angels do the casting.

Into “good baskets” are put the “righteous” souls, with the “bad-evil” souls thrown into the “furnace of fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

All of this should be fairly clear, but it really isn’t. Let me explain this sorting part a little.

This falls under the category of “new treasures” that come from the ole noggin (“storehouse”), when Jesus Christ is doing the talking. It is new because it came to me not long ago, as I wrote about the Parable of the Weeds [Seventh Sunday after Pentecost]. There, Jesus explained the sorting of the weeds and the good grain, where he said: “They will throw [the weeds] into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

There, the metaphor of a weed is the same as a fish here, with metaphor meaning not a physical weed and not a physical fish. When you realize the common element being sorted is souls, which as purely ethereal, immaterial, and without physical anything, then the weeping and gnashing is something that can only be done with physical eyes and teeth. Add to the realization that a “blazing furnace” would have absolutely no effect on souls [cue the Uncle Remus line cried by Br’er Rabbit – “Pleeease don’t throw me in the blazing furnace.”], there is truth to that end that needs to be realized.

As I stated in the other sermon I wrote, the earth is a big ball of matter (as far as us tiny specks of humanity are concerned), which (according to what the scientists tell us) has a big molten-rock center, which plays a role in the laws of gravity. This has to be seen as the age-old view of hell, which is a hot place within the earth. It was there that the fallen angels were cast – into the depths of the earth. John called it “the fiery lake of burning sulphur,” but some have called it Hades [the name of the Greek god of the underworld, which is synonymous with his realm]. That is then the “furnace of fire” and the “blazing furnace” – the center of the earth.

Of course, this too has to be seen as metaphor rather than literal, so a soul separated and determined to be “bad” and “evil” is then sent back to the earth, where the “furnace of fire” means gravity having hold of a physical entity.  The material realm means reincarnation into another body of flesh and bones.

As far as Eastern religions like to believe [and they prefer reincarnation to the blandness of eternal bliss in heaven], Karmic debt plays a role here. When “bad” and “evil” is seen as not having earned enough ‘Brownie points’ to return in a similar position of power, wealth, and influence one enjoyed in a past life, the debt is repaid by coming back in a worse state of life.  As far as coming close to righteousness pays some dividend, that would be akin to the young, rich rulers of the world – who lived according to the Law but could not sell everything – might only slip back a little or stay in a similar position.   Rather than a terrible fate, that sorting would be more like a Homer Simpson “Doh!” than “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

That way of reading this statement of truth by Jesus says the truly wicked do not even get to walk the face of the earth.  They would actually be put back in dead bodies and be forced to spend eternity in a grave; or they would go to Dante’s Inferno. Those options mean a worse fate than being reincarnated in India or southern Mississippi, both of which do occasionally catch a cool breeze.

Still, as far as the parables here are concerned – a human desiring the great reward of eternal life means the “bad” and “evil” souls must be seen as having fallen short of that drive for perfection. The ones who sell everything for the ability to walk righteously (which can only be done by becoming Jesus Christ resurrected) are the “good” fish, placed in the “good basket.” They are the ‘keepers.’

The Greek word “kala” is translated as “good.” It is a form of “kalos,” which means, “beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.” (Strong’s usage) In the story of Jesus and the Rich Man [the young, rich, ruler, as told in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18], the use of “good” was discussed.

Matthew can be read so the Pharisee asked Jesus what “good” he could do to be assured of eternal life, while Mark and Luke heard the man call Jesus “good Teacher.” Jesus jumped all over the man (the same by all three) by asking him what he thinks “good” is. Jesus told him “no one is good,” “only God is good.”

The Greek root word used in those three Gospel accounts is “agathos,” of which Strong’s states: “ intrinsically good, good in nature, good whether it be seen to be so or not, the widest and most colorless of all words with this meaning.” This usage explains how Jesus challenged the man for his conception that “good” could be accomplished alone, without God … without being reborn as God’s Son.

That then says here that “good” fish are indeed those who were reborn Sons of God [regardless of human gender]. ANYTHING short of self-sacrifice in order to marry God and give birth (rebirth) to His Son means one’s soul chose to not be “good,” which then brings about just judgment as souls that are “bad” or “evil.”

The Greek word “sapra” is translated as “bad.” It describes the fish that are not placed in the “good basket.” That word is defined as meaning “rotten, worthless, useless, corrupt, depraved.” It is a word used to describe over-ripe fruit. Over-ripe fruit is “bad fruit,” usually that fallen to the ground and picked clean by birds and rodents. This is then like the bottom-feeder fish that would be rejected by Jewish fishermen.

The Greek word translated as “evil” is rooted in “pontéros,” which means “toilsome, bad, evil, wicked, malicious, slothful.” All of these applications in human lives means a state of selfish desires led to wrong decisions. That is the outcome one can expect from trying to ‘go it alone’ and be righteous without giving up the ole self-ego.

The moral of the parable is then an either-or, all or nothing choice. You either sell everything that keeps you from being good or you keep all the worldly things that rock your boat and end up being deemed bad and evil when your soul leaves this world.

Any priest, pastor, minister, or preacher that gladly takes your tithes and gets paid to wear robes and such for speaking sermons about Scripture, who does not tell you those are the only options stated here, that person is just like you and really does not believe the truth. He or she is just like the crowds Jesus spoke to in parables, meaning he or she is clueless. He or she is just like the rich, young ruler, who has too much self-worth – as a priest, pastor, minister, or preacher – to even think about giving up that exclusive right to claim eternal life – the greatest possession he or she owns.

Just think how much your newborn teeth will gnash when you find out the field of dreams you bought into, sold to you by someone you trusted your soul’s safekeeping to (a discounted rate for assurance of heaven), turned out to be a bill of goods, not the good kind. Washing up on the shore of Heaven without that official paper in your spiritual hands means karmic debt is uninsurable.  Realizing that lie then would be enough to bring tears to those new little baby eyes in the next life on earth.

Amen?

Language, Mark, Teaching

Mark 4:26-34 – The ministry of mustard plants (metaphorically speaking)

Leave a comment

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

——————–

This is the Gospel selection to be read aloud by a priest on the third Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 6], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. Depending on whether track 1 or track 2 is chosen, there will be a pairing of Old Testament and Psalms also read aloud. If track 1 is chosen, the a reading from 1 Samuel will present: “And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” That will be paired with a reading from Psalm 20, which sings: “Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.” If track 2 is chosen, then there will be a reading from Ezekiel, saying “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs.” A singing of Psalm 92 will include the verse: “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be green and succulent.” This Gospel reading will be preceded by a reading from Second Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”

It is important to grasp the timing of Mark’s fourth chapter. It meshes perfectly with Matthew’s fifth chapter, which is mistakenly called “the sermon on the mount.” Last Sunday, when the Gospel reading came from Mark’s third chapter, a large crowd had barged into Jesus’ home. Because Jesus was drawing such a following and because he had repeatedly healed on the Sabbath, in synagogues, Jesus was either kicked out of the synagogues or he volunteered to take his ministry to a place where large crowds could be accommodated. That was on the northeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The “sermon on the mount” was actually a series of sermons that Jesus preached, most likely on each Sabbath or possibly on the following Sunday. This means that Matthew’s fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters stretch over months of Sabbaths.

In verse 1 of Mark 4 is read [not aloud today]: “ Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea.” [NRSV] The Greek written there actually is: “Kai palin , ērxato didaskein para tēn thalassan,” which begins with a capitalized “Kai” showing great importance in the one word that follows: “again, once more, further.” (Strong’s) That importance says a routine had begun, with Mark 3:7-12 telling of the first time Jesus went to this area and a large crowd followed him. All of these gatherings were so large that Jesus at first preached from a boat he had the apostles have ready there for him. (Mark 4:1b) The water then separated the people from overwhelming Jesus with their adoration and needs. He would later move to the mountainside, where the acoustics were better and the crowd could hear him clearly, without clinging to him.

It should also be known that the practice of reading Scripture aloud is a Christian adaptation of the practice in Jewish synagogues. In Luke 4:21 Jesus stood after a reading from the scrolls and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” [NRSV] The difference between the Jewish religious service and a Christian equivalent is the Jews allow for open discussion. The Christian service does not allow for such. The legitimate excuse for this denial is the first Christians preaching sermons [beginning with Jesus] were divinely knowledgeable of the meaning of all Scripture; so, they were there to explain what had been read aloud in a synagogue, but nobody explained and nobody had any answers as to the truth of meaning. Thus, every “sermon on the mount” was specifically addressing a reading from Scripture, which had never before been clearly explained.

In Mark 4:2a [again, not read aloud today], we readers are told, “He began to teach them many things in parables.” A parable takes something that is commonly known and accepted and then applies that to a reading from Scripture, so that the Spiritual becomes mirrored in common knowledge in the physical universe. By speaking to the crowd in parables, Jesus was not giving them a direct explanation of meaning, because human brains are quite capable of twisting the words they hear into words they want to hear or words that were not spoken [paraphrases, such as the English translations of Scripture]. Additionally, a parable makes one work to discern the meaning, based on a presentation of metaphor. One must take a hint and then see for oneself how that makes Scripture have meaning to each individual. Working to solve a parable shows Yahweh that one is willing to take personal steps towards Him [then He will help one find the answers sought].

In the accompanying readings today, both the Ezekiel reading and Psalm 92 speak of Yahweh planting things on the earth. In Ezekiel, a verse sings: “Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind.” That is seen reflected in this sermon by Jesus, where he told the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said it “puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” This becomes metaphor that explains such a reading from Scripture the crowd of Jews would have heard, needing explanation.

In Psalm 92, David wrote: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God; They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be green and succulent.” Therefore, when Jesus spoke “the harvest has come,” this could have been spurred by a reading such as that.

Just as Jesus spoke in parables as his way of making the faithful work to see the truth of Scripture for themselves, the parables told by Jesus, recorded by the Apostles, become the source of explanatory sermons necessary today. In that regard, Jesus asked his disciples [not read aloud today], “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13) Jesus then explained the parable of the sower [again, not read today], which he had preached to the crowd. He explained to the disciples, “Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.” (Mark 4:15b)

The meaning of that is this: listening to someone tell the meaning will soon be forgotten, because it is impossible to absorb the brain of another as one’s own. Quoting some author of scriptural works of explanation [such as Bonhoeffer, but all others as well] makes double the problem of understanding Scripture; because, if one does not understand the Holy Bible, then hearing what someone else said just makes understand more complex. A parable is easier to recall; and, such a story forces one to do the work to bring meaning to the brain one possesses, the only brain that matters. As such, that what one has discerned for oneself will be owned thought; and, Satan cannot make that knowledge be erased.

This is why one must see the sermons preached by Jesus as being little bits at a time. Jesus would not sit for hours speaking one parable after another, or one gem of wisdom after another [like some mind control artist – cult leaders], because Satan would take away that which had been sown, as soon as each seed fell. A brain needs time to work on one small hint, before it can begin to work on another small hint. Therefore, this reading that tells of the growing of grain, until harvest, and then the planting of a mustard seed … they were two separate lessons. Mark’s Gospel simply states one before the other, making modern minds believe everything happened at one time. The similarity of gardening makes the two seem together adds to that conclusion.

Because of the metaphor of a seed being planted and growing and harvested, it is very easy to overlook how Jesus began a metaphorical explanation that was relative to “Thus is the kingdom that of God.” What does farming or gardening have to do with the “kingdom that of God”?

The reading from 1 Samuel is read by modern eyes and brains and thought to be little more than an ancient history lesson. Ho hum, yawn. Last Sunday we read from the same book, reading about the elders going to Samuel and demanding he appoint them a king, to be like other nations. They wanted a kingdom of their own, not the “kingdom that of God [Yahweh].” Today, we read that plan had failed, as “Yahweh was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” That led to Yahweh telling Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint one of Jesse’ sons. As to which one, Yahweh would tell Samuel that when the son was in front of him.

What if that ‘ancient history’ had been read that Sabbath before Jesus taught this lesson about the growing of grain? What if that history, seen as having been written because it bore Spiritual meaning, gave rise to the question, “Would the kingdom of God be like that of David over Israel?”

That is a legitimate question that should be asked, whether or not someone like Jesus is around to tell a parable in response.

When Jesus began his parable, the translation that says, “as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,” the literal Greek states: “as a human being should cast seed upon the soil.” Rather than “someone,” Mark wrote “anthrōpos,” which is “a human being,” either male or female. Without regard to the actual physical expectations of who works a farm and who casts out seeds, men and women today should see themselves as a planter Jesus was making a parable about. Still, when “the kingdom that of God” is the preliminary given, Jesus himself can then be seen as the “human being,” as an extension of God on earth. Therefore, he was the “seed cast upon the fertile soil” that was Judaism; and, Christians today fill that same scenario, when reborn as Jesus.

Verse 27, is translated by the NRSV to say: “and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” The Greek from which that translation comes includes five uses of the word “kai.” Everyone of those uses were written by Mark to place important emphasis on the word[s] that followed and before the next presence of “kai.” Knowing that, this is how verse 27 should be read (according to a literal translation of the Greek text):

“kai should sleep”

“kai awaken night”

“kai day ,”

“kai this seed should sprout”

“kai grow ;”

“as long as not beholds self .”

By recognizing the power of a word that acts as a marker of importance, one can see how the intent of what Jesus said (which seemed to be talking about a farmer planting seeds) speaks in the hypothetical [Greek subjunctive mood], where “sleep” refers to the mortal state of being, which is bound to a realm of dead matter. This means “should sleep” is hypothesizing about ordinary life for human beings. It becomes a statement that Yahweh sends eternal souls into dead matter [dry bones], so a living soul enters a “sleep” state on purpose [“should”], meant to find its way back to eternal life with God.

That understood, the next two words go together (not easily recognized), as “awaken night.” That speaks of prophetic dreams or visions in the wake state, where a seed of truth has been planted in the fertile mind of a believer. In the death of “night” comes an “awakening.” This then is Jesus talking about one led to have an ‘aha moment,’ where an inkling of insight takes root.

This then leads to “day,” which is the light of truth shining forth. From that light of truth, the implanted seed breaks the surface and becomes an idea that cannot be kept down. Once an idea takes root and breaks the surface, drawn to the light of “day,” it will not reenter ‘the womb.’

This then leads to the “growth” of an idea that is relative to Yahweh and His kingdom within one’s being. The “kingdom that of God” is within, with one’s soul being married to Yahweh.
It is not somewhere unknown or in outer space.

These steps take place naturally, “as long as” the flesh [“earth”] does “not behold self” as greater than Yahweh. Here, the use of “autos,” which means “self,” must be recognized as meaning one’s soul; and, a soul that “does not behold” or “does not see” figuratively [from “oiden”] reason to question Scripture, nor desire to know God, is not a true believer.

From seeing this that is written, verse 28 then begins with the word “automatē,” which means “automatic.” This is then stating what comes naturally, as far as the earth bringing forth fruit. The word has been translated as “of itself,” where [once again] a self [“itself”] must be seen as a soul. Thus, verse 27 is saying the spiritual presence of a soul in the “earth” is that of life animating a body of flesh. A soul will naturally take a seed of thought planted in the brain and treat it in the same way as would a physical seed planted in the ground. This is an “automatic” process.

This then follows, where Jesus explained how the natural process of the earth is “first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.” That is metaphor for the same way ideas come forth. The “stalk” [from “chortos,” meaning “grass” or “herbage”] is then the “sprout” used earlier [“balsta”]. It is an inkling of thought, or an insight.

Then comes “an ear” or “head [of grain]” [from “stachyn”], which is the “growth” stated earlier [“mēkynētai”], also meaning “a lengthening” or “extension” of the “sprout” or “shoot.” This is then the automatic way a brain takes an idea as a problem to solve and processes it further, which can take place in dreams or visions [“night and day”]. Finally, when the “full grain in the head” or “ear” becomes that ‘aha moment,’ when something not understood before becomes clear “as day,” one has gained ownership of spiritual insight, which is kept as personal knowledge.

As such, when Jesus said that was when one “goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come,” the metaphor of grains harvested means beginning the process that provides the grains for others to consume [including oneself]. When the “sickle” is applied to an idea that has come to fruition, it is one that can no longer be kept to oneself. It must be shared.

While that harvesting might mean the need to cut away the chaff, which is all the twists and turns one’s mind takes developing an inkling to a studied readiness for public presentation that work becomes how one receives a parable. It is an idea that is ready to be cut and given to those whose hunger will have then done the necessary work to make the same idea their own.

Verse 30 then begins with a capitalized “Kai,” showing the great importance of Jesus “bringing word, speaking, or commanding,” which does not need to mean he was simply adding to what he had said about planting and harvesting in what he said next about the mustard seed. The capitalization of “Kai” would be an indication [to me] that this was a subsequent lesson taught to his disciples, after he had given them time to reflect on what he had said prior. This means the Greek word “elegen” indicates more said on the same topic, but at another time past.

This concept is supported [in my mind] by Jesus using another parable that will explain “How shall we liken the kingdom that of God.” By posing that as a question, just as he did before using the prior parable, this says another reading has brought forth a question about the “kingdom that of God,” from another reading from Scripture.

It should be realized that Jesus and the disciples he taught were not ‘once a week’ followers of a religion. Just as Yahweh had Moses take His children away from the hustle and bustle of big city distractions, out into the wilderness, the point was to take them to a place where they could live their religion, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Making one’s religion become one’s lifestyle takes a serious commitment [marriage to Yahweh]. So, the disciples reading Scripture might have taken place in synagogue on a Shabbat, but thought on that heard read aloud did not end there. This is a sorely missed devotion that Christianity fails to produce today.

Whereas the prior metaphor was a seed [“sporon”], here the new parable stated is of a “grain of mustard” [“kokkō sinapeōs”]. There a specific plant’s “seed” is indicated. Based on Jesus knowing he had already sown the parable seed that was of the “seed of thought,” that had led to the conclusion of a harvest, such that the new seeds would become the food of ministry. That idea having previously sown and gathered now needs to now be seen as a progression in development. The “mustard seed” becomes metaphor the repetition for that which was harvested, needing next to be planted.

Before, Jesus spoke of “a human being scattering seed on the ground,” which was a hint of himself have come from the “kingdom of God” to sow the seed of his ministry. Now, the “mustard seed” becomes the extension of Jesus’ ministry – after he has left the world physically – so the seeds become representative of the disciples. Jesus planted them, watched them grow to fruition, then harvested them [another metaphor here is the green figs from the House of Green Figs – Bethtphage]. The symbolism of the mustard seed says the apostles [once ripe – Pentecost] would be the smallest seeds of religion ever farmed.

In verse 32, Mark wrote “kai” three times, once each in the first three segments of words. Those are translated above to state: “when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches.” A better way to see the truth exposed comes when the use of “kai” is seen as markers of importance that needs to be discerned. This is, as previously done above, now show here as:

“kai whenever it has been sewn ,”

“it ascends kai becomes greater than all those garden plants ,”

“kai it acts young tender shoots great ,”

By realizing Jesus was speaking in parable, so the metaphor of a mustard plant was not the point intended, reading the usage of “kai” as markers of importance in the metaphor opens these three segments up [with a better literal translation of the actual words written] to a remarkable set of revelations.

First, the Greek word “hotan,” when translated as “whenever,” prophesies all times in the future [and the past, future to Jesus] when apostles would be planted into new ministry.

Second, by translating “anabainei” as “it ascends” [rather than “it grows up”], the truth of a word that says “to go up, ascend, mount, rise” comes out as an apostle not being a normal human follower of religion. Instead, it has become spiritually “raised.” This usage is different than the prior use of “mēkynētai,” as “grow, extend, lengthen,” showing it was stating a change greater than simple human growth.

Third, when it is said an apostle is “greater than all those garden plants,” the “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden is that elevated state of existence.

Finally, the use of “poiei” as “it acts,” rather than “it produces,” makes the “Acts of the Apostles” the production of the smallest having grown high and mighty.

When the word “kladous” is read appropriately as “young tender shoots,” this gives an impression of those who have become the resurrections of Jesus, reborn anew in bodies of flesh. Jesus is the vine, while the bodies of flesh of those souls married to Yahweh become the “branches” extending the presence of the Son of man on earth. Because Jesus was the Christ, so all reborn as him will also be Anointed by the Father, those “branches” become the ministers of Christianity [all a Christ in marriage, thereby “in the name of Christ”]. This is then defining the true Church, which is all who only consume the fruit of the tree of life, never the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A true “branch” of Yahweh knows no evil, thus true apostles do not question the authority of the Spirit that becomes their Lord.

Finally, the words translated as the “birds of the air” [“peteina tou ouranou”] can be read as “winged that of heaven.” This is an “angel,” where the Greek word “angelos” means “messenger. In Hebrew terms, such “angels” would be deemed “elohim,” where the “messengers” of Yahweh are His gods. In that use of the lower-g “gods,” the meaning speaks of a soul [a self spirit] having married the Spirit of Yahweh, thereby becoming Holy through that merger or union. The Church is thereby the gathering of all such “elohim” as a most holy assembly of the Sons of Yahweh, all reborn as Jesus Christ.

As a Gospel reading chosen to be read on the third Sunday after Pentecost, during the Ordinary season that symbolizes one’s need to enter personal ministry to Yahweh, as His Son reborn, it should be seen that understanding the metaphor of parables is the foremost trait possessed by an apostle. By seeing the differences (as subtle as they might be) in these two parables, each speaking of the metaphor of the “kingdom of God,” one can see multiple questions can come from the faithful. One addresses the natural progression of belief changing into faith. The other addresses the expectation of ministry; while both say nothing relative to the “kingdom of God” is from selfish motivations.

The metaphor of growth is easily seen. The same comparison of plants can be made to human beings, as a soul is a seed that is planted in the physical plane and naturally [automatically] grows. Just as naturally, a soul in the flesh learns about what is believed to be good and what is believed to be bad. Natural growth means being fertilized by the tree of knowledge, which includes religion. Once one learns what religions says, it naturally wants to know what that said means. This is natural growth that leads most often to a failure to have one’s soul marry Yahweh and be reborn as Jesus Christ. This demands there be those who are resurrections of Jesus to teach the truth of meaning, so others can be led to the same self [soul] conclusions [not told what to believe, without question]. That failure to marry one’s soul to Yahweh’s Spirit leads to reincarnation, so a soul gets replanted in the soil of the earth, season after season – life after life. The only way to escape that cycle of failure is to be harvested as good seed, then be planted into ministry so others can be produced as wives of Yahweh. Unfortunately, few priests today know that is the message all “elohim” should see and pass along.