Study Preparation and Discussion Questions - Mark 4.21-34
Parables of the Kingdom
Recommended Preparation
1) Mark 4.21-34
2) Mark For Everyone, pages 45-50
3) The Openness of the Kingdom, Tim Keller sermon
4) Simply Jesus, Chapter 6 (general discussion on parables)
Discussion Questions
1) What is the promise and the warning contained in 4.21-25? How do they relate to each other?
2) The traditional translation of verse 25 ('the measure you give will be the measure you get") has inspired all sorts of reflections (including a whole Shakespeare play) about the meaning of justice. NT Wright suggests that Jesus is telling his followers that the level to which they pay attention to what he's telling them will be the level at which they receive the benefits of the kingdom. Does that interpretation make sense to you? How can we go more deeply into Jesus' teachings?
3) In verse 30, Jesus appears to be intentionally echoing Isaiah 40.18, which is from one of the most popular passages in the Old Testament and would have been well known to his listeners. What parallel might Jesus have been trying to convey?
4) What aspect of God's kingdom does the mustard seed parable emphasize (vv. 30-32)?
5) Other Old Testament echoes come at the end of the story: the birds of the air make their nests in its shade. Ezekiel and Daniel both use this as an image of a great kingdom, growing like a tree until those around can shelter under it (Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6; Daniel 4:12,21). What is Jesus trying to convey with this scriptural echo?
1) Mark 4.21-34
2) Mark For Everyone, pages 45-50
3) The Openness of the Kingdom, Tim Keller sermon
4) Simply Jesus, Chapter 6 (general discussion on parables)
Discussion Questions
1) What is the promise and the warning contained in 4.21-25? How do they relate to each other?
2) The traditional translation of verse 25 ('the measure you give will be the measure you get") has inspired all sorts of reflections (including a whole Shakespeare play) about the meaning of justice. NT Wright suggests that Jesus is telling his followers that the level to which they pay attention to what he's telling them will be the level at which they receive the benefits of the kingdom. Does that interpretation make sense to you? How can we go more deeply into Jesus' teachings?
3) In verse 30, Jesus appears to be intentionally echoing Isaiah 40.18, which is from one of the most popular passages in the Old Testament and would have been well known to his listeners. What parallel might Jesus have been trying to convey?
4) What aspect of God's kingdom does the mustard seed parable emphasize (vv. 30-32)?
5) Other Old Testament echoes come at the end of the story: the birds of the air make their nests in its shade. Ezekiel and Daniel both use this as an image of a great kingdom, growing like a tree until those around can shelter under it (Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6; Daniel 4:12,21). What is Jesus trying to convey with this scriptural echo?