Mark 4:26
Verse
Context
The Seed Growing Secretly
25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
Sermons
Thaddeus Barnum
Harris Franklin Rall
Andrew Murray
Zac Poonen
Favell Lee Mortimer
C.I. ScofieldSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
So is the kingdom of God - This parable is mentioned only by Mark, a proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew. Whitby supposes it to refer to the good ground spoken of before, and paraphrases is thus: - "What I have said of the seed sown upon good ground, may be illustrated by this parable. The doctrine of the kingdom, received in a good and honest heart, is like seed sown by a man in his ground, properly prepared to receive it; for when he hath sown it, he sleeps and wakes day after day, and, looking on it, he sees it spring and grow up through the virtue of the earth in which it is sown, though he knows not how it doth so; and when he finds it ripe, he reaps it, and so receives the benefit of the sown seed. So is it here: the seed sown in the good and honest heart brings forth fruit with patience; and this fruit daily increaseth, though we know not how the Word and Spirit work that increase; and then Christ the husbandman, at the time of the harvest, gathers in this good seed into the kingdom of heaven." I see no necessity of inquiring how Christ may be said to sleep and rise night and day; Christ being like to this husbandman only in sowing and reaping the seed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day--go about his other ordinary occupations, leaving it to the well-known laws of vegetation under the genial influences of heaven. This is the sense of "the earth bringing forth fruit of herself," in Mar 4:27.
John Gill Bible Commentary
It is like a grain of mustard seed,.... That is, the kingdom of God spoken of in the preceding verse, is like unto a grain of mustard seed; by which is meant, either the Gospel, or the Gospel church state, or the grace of God in the hearts of his people, and it may include them all: the Gospel is so called, because it treats of the two latter; but more especially, because it brings life and immortality to light, or points to the kingdom of heaven, directs the way unto it, and shows what qualifies persons for it, and gives them a claim unto it: and the Gospel church state may be so called, because here Christ dwells, and rules as king; the members of it are his subjects, and the ordinances of it are his laws, to which they are obedient: and the grace of God in the hearts of his people may be so called, because it is a governing principle in them; it reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, and by it Christ reigns in and over them: now the kingdom of God in each of these senses, may be compared to a grain of mustard seed, for the smallness of it, as follows; which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. The Gospel was first preached by very few persons, and these of no figure and account, especially at their first setting out. John the Baptist came preaching the kingdom of God, clothed with a garment of camel's hair, and with a leathern girdle about his loins; our Lord himself made no pompous appearance, there was no form nor comeliness in him; he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, and of a mean descent and occupation; his disciples were fishermen, and illiterate persons; those to whom it was preached, and by whom it was received at first were but few, and these were the poor and the unlearned, and publicans and sinners. The Gospel church state at first, consisted of very few persons, of Christ and his twelve apostles; and at his death, the number of the disciples at Jerusalem, men and women, were but an hundred and twenty; the several Gospel churches formed in the Gentile world, rose from small beginnings; from the conversion of a very few persons, and these the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things. The grace of God in the hearts of his people at first, is very little; it can scarcely be discerned by themselves, and is ready to be despised by others; their light and knowledge, their faith and experience being so exceeding small.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:26-34 Mark now gives additional seed parables (cp. 4:3-20). Their common theme is the secret of the Kingdom of God (4:11). The parables of the seed growing secretly (4:26-29) and of the mustard seed (4:30-32) describe different stages of the seed-growth process. The Kingdom of God is hidden (4:21), but growth is certain (4:26-29) and the result will be glorious (4:32). 4:26-29 This parable focuses on the seed and its inevitable growth. • Just as the earth produces the crops on its own, the consummation of God’s Kingdom does not depend on human action. • The leaf blade, the heads of wheat, and the ripened grain describe normal stages in a seed’s growth.
Mark 4:26
The Seed Growing Secretly
25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Miracle of Life
By Thaddeus Barnum15831:14Christian LifeMRK 4:26In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the parable of the farmer scattering seed from Mark 4:26-29. The farmer represents believers who sow the seed of the word of God. The speaker emphasizes that while believers can do their part in sowing the seed, the growth and transformation that happens is ultimately a miracle of God. The speaker also warns against placing too much importance on politics and instead encourages believers to focus on the kingdom of God and spreading the word of God to bring life to the world.
The Kingdom of God
By Harris Franklin Rall0DAN 2:44MAT 5:3MAT 7:15MAT 13:44MAT 25:31MRK 2:9MRK 4:26MRK 10:35LUK 17:20Harris Franklin Rall delves into the concept of the Kingdom of God as portrayed in the Gospels, emphasizing the imminent arrival of the expected Kingdom that both John and Jesus proclaimed. While the Jewish belief in the Kingdom centered around God's rule leading to Israel's triumph, Jesus introduced a different perspective, focusing on the reign of righteousness, peace, and goodwill under a loving and compassionate God. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is a precious gift, offering forgiveness, eternal life, and the ultimate fulfillment of seeing God. He highlighted the importance of obedience and service to others as essential aspects of entering and living in the Kingdom, challenging his followers to embody the spirit of righteousness and love.
Second Theory -- Entire Sanctification, or Holiness, Is Obtained by Growth in Grace
By B.A. Cundiff0MRK 4:26LUK 1:80LUK 2:40EPH 2:8EPH 4:151TH 5:23TIT 3:52PE 3:17B.A. Cundiff preaches on the importance of growth in grace and sanctification, drawing parallels from the lives of John the Baptist and Jesus as examples of unhindered growth due to their holiness. He emphasizes that growth in grace is essential to prevent falling away and that all grace, including regenerating and sanctifying grace, is a gift from God that believers must receive and grow in. Cundiff distinguishes between growth and sanctification, highlighting that growth advances and improves while sanctification cleanses and purifies, ultimately leading believers to a state of being purified and sanctified by God's grace.
Growth
By Andrew Murray0Spiritual GrowthTrusting God's TimingMRK 4:26Andrew Murray emphasizes the natural process of spiritual growth, likening it to the growth of a seed in the ground, which occurs without the farmer's understanding of how it happens. He teaches that spiritual growth is self-sufficient and must be nurtured by removing hindrances and providing nourishment through prayer and the Word. Murray encourages believers to trust in God's timing for their growth, understanding that it is a gradual process that requires faith and patience. He reminds us that the divine life within us is powerful and destined to increase, leading us to maturity in Christ. Ultimately, he prays for believers to recognize the precious life God has implanted in them and to actively participate in their spiritual growth.
The Parables of Jesus
By Zac Poonen0MAT 7:24MAT 9:16MAT 13:24MAT 13:31MAT 13:33MAT 13:44MAT 13:47MAT 18:23MAT 20:1MAT 21:28MAT 21:33MAT 22:2MAT 24:45MAT 25:1MAT 25:14MAT 25:31MRK 4:3MRK 4:26LUK 6:39LUK 7:31LUK 7:41LUK 10:30LUK 11:5LUK 11:11LUK 12:16LUK 13:6LUK 14:7LUK 14:28LUK 14:31LUK 15:3LUK 15:8LUK 15:11LUK 16:1LUK 17:7LUK 18:1LUK 18:9LUK 19:12LUK 21:29Zac Poonen preaches on various aspects of entering God's Kingdom, emphasizing the importance of good soil for spiritual growth, the need to be properly clothed with Christ's righteousness, and the significance of building our lives on a solid foundation of obedience. He also delves into the concept of paying the price in following Christ, highlighting the effortless growth that comes from following the Spirit's laws and the necessity of valuing Jesus above all else. Poonen addresses the themes of loving God and man, the danger of legalism, the different types of backsliders, spiritual pride, watching and praying, and being faithful with God's gifts.
Mark 4:21-29. Jesus Encourages His Disciples to Communicate the Word.
By Favell Lee Mortimer0MAT 5:15MRK 4:22MRK 4:261CO 3:6GAL 6:9JAS 5:71PE 1:231JN 2:5REV 22:12Favell Lee Mortimer preaches about the importance of sharing the light of God's truth with others, emphasizing the need to proclaim the secret communications of the Lord rather than concealing them. Jesus encourages his disciples to sow the seed of the word, reminding them that the growth and success of the seed ultimately depend on God. Ministers are urged to be patient in sowing the word, knowing that the harvest may not be immediate but will bring joy in due time. The process of spiritual growth is compared to the growth of a plant, with the assurance that those who sow the word will reap heavenly rewards.
Elijah Encouraged
By C.I. Scofield0GEN 3:91KI 19:12ZEC 4:6MAT 11:28MRK 4:26C.I. Scofield delivers a sermon on 1 Kings 19:9-18, highlighting Elijah's encounters with God in the cave, on the mount, and being brought back into service. The central lesson emphasizes the power of quietness, showcasing that God's work is best accomplished when individuals have peaceful hearts, as demonstrated by God's presence in the still small voice, not in the wind, earthquake, or fire. This message contrasts the world's clamor and pursuit of power with God's preference for quiet trust and assurance in His Spirit, echoing Jesus' call for rest, peace, and joy in Him.
The Growth of the Kingdom Mark 4:26-29; Matthew 13:31-33
By R.A. Torrey0Growth of the KingdomSpiritual VigilanceMRK 4:26R.A. Torrey explores the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven through the parables of the seed and the mustard seed, emphasizing the natural and divine processes involved in spiritual growth. He highlights that the seed represents the Word of God, which grows independently and powerfully, while the mustard seed illustrates the Kingdom's humble beginnings and expansive growth. Torrey also discusses the leaven as a symbol of the Gospel's pervasive influence, warning against the corrupting effects of false doctrine within the church. The sermon encourages believers to recognize the significance of their faith and the importance of safeguarding the truth against insidious errors. Ultimately, Torrey reassures that the growth of the Kingdom is both a divine promise and a call to vigilance.
June 1. 1678. the Fire-Seed.
By Jane Lead0MRK 4:26JHN 4:371CO 3:62CO 9:10GAL 6:9Jane Lead shares a vision of a gate opening to reveal the perfect growth and flourishing state of all plants in various appearances and colors. She and another person are eager to enter but are told by the Spirit that there is more to spring up in this hidden region. The message is given that the Sower and the Reaper will rejoice together in God's harvest day. Jane Lead sees scattered fire-sparks buried in the ground, symbolizing the Spirit's ongoing sowing time that will produce infinite and various powers.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
So is the kingdom of God - This parable is mentioned only by Mark, a proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew. Whitby supposes it to refer to the good ground spoken of before, and paraphrases is thus: - "What I have said of the seed sown upon good ground, may be illustrated by this parable. The doctrine of the kingdom, received in a good and honest heart, is like seed sown by a man in his ground, properly prepared to receive it; for when he hath sown it, he sleeps and wakes day after day, and, looking on it, he sees it spring and grow up through the virtue of the earth in which it is sown, though he knows not how it doth so; and when he finds it ripe, he reaps it, and so receives the benefit of the sown seed. So is it here: the seed sown in the good and honest heart brings forth fruit with patience; and this fruit daily increaseth, though we know not how the Word and Spirit work that increase; and then Christ the husbandman, at the time of the harvest, gathers in this good seed into the kingdom of heaven." I see no necessity of inquiring how Christ may be said to sleep and rise night and day; Christ being like to this husbandman only in sowing and reaping the seed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day--go about his other ordinary occupations, leaving it to the well-known laws of vegetation under the genial influences of heaven. This is the sense of "the earth bringing forth fruit of herself," in Mar 4:27.
John Gill Bible Commentary
It is like a grain of mustard seed,.... That is, the kingdom of God spoken of in the preceding verse, is like unto a grain of mustard seed; by which is meant, either the Gospel, or the Gospel church state, or the grace of God in the hearts of his people, and it may include them all: the Gospel is so called, because it treats of the two latter; but more especially, because it brings life and immortality to light, or points to the kingdom of heaven, directs the way unto it, and shows what qualifies persons for it, and gives them a claim unto it: and the Gospel church state may be so called, because here Christ dwells, and rules as king; the members of it are his subjects, and the ordinances of it are his laws, to which they are obedient: and the grace of God in the hearts of his people may be so called, because it is a governing principle in them; it reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, and by it Christ reigns in and over them: now the kingdom of God in each of these senses, may be compared to a grain of mustard seed, for the smallness of it, as follows; which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. The Gospel was first preached by very few persons, and these of no figure and account, especially at their first setting out. John the Baptist came preaching the kingdom of God, clothed with a garment of camel's hair, and with a leathern girdle about his loins; our Lord himself made no pompous appearance, there was no form nor comeliness in him; he was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs, and of a mean descent and occupation; his disciples were fishermen, and illiterate persons; those to whom it was preached, and by whom it was received at first were but few, and these were the poor and the unlearned, and publicans and sinners. The Gospel church state at first, consisted of very few persons, of Christ and his twelve apostles; and at his death, the number of the disciples at Jerusalem, men and women, were but an hundred and twenty; the several Gospel churches formed in the Gentile world, rose from small beginnings; from the conversion of a very few persons, and these the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things. The grace of God in the hearts of his people at first, is very little; it can scarcely be discerned by themselves, and is ready to be despised by others; their light and knowledge, their faith and experience being so exceeding small.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:26-34 Mark now gives additional seed parables (cp. 4:3-20). Their common theme is the secret of the Kingdom of God (4:11). The parables of the seed growing secretly (4:26-29) and of the mustard seed (4:30-32) describe different stages of the seed-growth process. The Kingdom of God is hidden (4:21), but growth is certain (4:26-29) and the result will be glorious (4:32). 4:26-29 This parable focuses on the seed and its inevitable growth. • Just as the earth produces the crops on its own, the consummation of God’s Kingdom does not depend on human action. • The leaf blade, the heads of wheat, and the ripened grain describe normal stages in a seed’s growth.