The Gospel according to Saint Mark, commented on verse by verse

CHAPTER 4

THE parables of the kingdom of heaven.

Despite our Evangelist's extraordinary restraint whenever he recounts the Savior's words, he nevertheless makes two exceptions to the rule he had imposed upon himself of almost entirely omitting the words in order to go straight to the deeds. We find the first of these exceptions right here; the second will come in chapter 13. They imposed themselves, so to speak, upon the sacred writer; for it was necessary, on the one hand, that he highlight Jesus' teaching in the form of parables, And how could one point this out without giving some examples? Furthermore, he had to convey to his readers the Savior's grave prophecies concerning the end of the world. Nevertheless, even in these two cases, he remains true to his role as the one who summarizes. Thus, with regard to the Parables of the kingdom of heaven, instead of citing up to seven, like St. Matthew, he is content with relating three: the parable of the Sower, the parable of the wheat field, and the parable of the mustard seed. And yet, true to his custom, while giving so little, he has managed to be original, since the parable of the wheat field is found nowhere else. Moreover, his conciseness does not prevent him from being comprehensive to a certain extent, for these parables they represent the messianic kingdom in its main phases and in its essential features, as will be seen from the commentary.

Mark 4:1-9. Parallel. Matt. 13, 1-9; Luke 8:4-8.

Mc4.¹ Jesus began to teach again by the sea. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into the boat and sat in it on the sea, while all the crowd was on the shore. — He resumed teaching… The scene is described in this first verse in a graphic manner, worthy of St. Mark. «Again,» because on several occasions already, Mark 2:13; 3:7, the Evangelist had shown the divine Master teaching by the lake. «He began,» for no sooner had the speaker begun to speak than a huge crowd gathered around him (a large crowd gathered around him) which forced him to momentarily interrupt his speech in order to take some measures so as not to be too crowded. The Recepta and most ancient witnesses translate it as "a great multitude having gathered around him." Several important manuscripts (B, C, L, Δ) read "a large crowd gathers." We prefer this variant, either because it is more in keeping with the style of St. Mark, where the use of the present tense is so frequent, or because the other two Synoptic Gospels also speak of a very large gathering: "large crowds gathered around him," Matthew 13:2; "as a great crowd had gathered, and people were coming to him from the towns," Luke 8:4. So he got into a boat. In Greek, the article is used to show that it refers to a specific boat: it was undoubtedly the one Jesus had previously reserved for himself (Mark 3:9) for such occasions. And sat down on the sea. How gracious and popular everything is in the teachings of Jesus! Compare the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 5:1. The entire crowd was on the ground, at the edge of the sea. These words paint a vivid picture, showing us the large audience gathered on the shore and facing the lake, while the Speaker sat in his boat a few steps from the shore.

Mc4.² And he taught them many things in parables And he would tell them in his teaching: — He taught them…According to Matthew 12:1, this discourse was delivered by Our Lord on the same day as his apology against the Pharisees (Mark 3:22 ff.). What a contrast between the two scenes and the two modes of teaching! Many things in parables. In our commentary on Matthew 13:1, we gave extensive details on the parables of Jesus: we refer the reader to it. Clement of Alexandria defines the parable: "This form of language, which does not indicate the object itself, but shows it through a slight disguise, leads the intelligence to the proper and true meaning; or, if you will, the parable is a way of speaking which names the proper word under other words, in the interest of our instruction" [Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, ch. 15.].

Mc4.³ «Listen. The sower went out to sow. — Listen. The Savior begins his series of parables relating to the kingdom of heaven by this vivid and solemn apostrophe, which has been preserved only by St. Mark. Listen. This word was not out of place in such circumstances, since Jesus was about to use veiled, figurative language, the understanding of which would present great difficulties. The sower went out to sow. After having, in a way, placed the audience and the Preacher before our eyes (v. 1), and after specifying the type of teaching adopted by the latter (v. 2), the Evangelist points out three of the parables offered that very day by Jesus. The first, the parable of the Sower, describes the difficult beginnings of the kingdom of God on earth: a thousand difficulties surrounded it, hindering its arrival in many hearts. The second parable, the parable of the wheat field, shows how, despite these difficulties, the messianic kingdom develops and grows surely, albeit slowly and quietly. The third, the parable of the mustard plant, presents us with the empire of Christ, the Sower par excellence, having achieved a marvelous spread and almost a perfect establishment. 

Mc4.⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them. — While he was sowing. From this verse to the end of the eighth, there is an almost verbatim coincidence between the account of St. Mark and that of St. Matthew. There are only three main variations to note in our Evangelist: 1) he speaks of the seed in the singular, while St. Matthew consistently uses the plural; 2) he adds, in verse 7, the words "and it bore no fruit"; 3) the verbs "which grew up and increased" in verse 8 are likewise a peculiarity of his narrative. Along the way. "It is not intentional that the sower places his seed at the edge of the path and in stony soil. It is an indirect consequence of the sower's intention to sow the entire field." - Cajetan. 

Mc4.⁵ Others fell on stony ground, where they did not have much soil, they stood up immediately, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun rose, the plant, struck by its heat and having no roots, withered. ⁷ Other grains fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them, and they did not produce fruit. — See the detailed explanation in the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 13:7. In the thorns, probably the Nabk or Nebek, a thorny plant that abounds in Palestine and in Syria. — They went up and smothered him. St. Matthew had expressed the same idea with a nuance. St. Mark's words indicate more clearly that the growth of thorns and the withering of the good seed were two simultaneous events. And it did not bear fruit. Jesus had said nothing of the sort about the first two parts of the seed, because it was quite obvious that they could produce nothing, given the conditions under which the sowing had taken place. But this time, one might have expected abundant fruit, the seed having initially grown remarkably well; that is why the barrenness is explicitly stated.

Mc4.⁸ Others fell on good soil, growing up and increasing, they bore their fruit, some yielding thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.» — Another part fell. Theophylact aptly describes the four very different fates of the grain sown by the Sower. The first part did not even germinate; another sprouted, but perished immediately; the third germinated and grew, but remained barren; only the fourth was fruitful. Thus, we obtain a beautiful gradation, in which we see three causes of sterility and only one of fertility at work. The fruit that grew and rose, See line 4. The word "fruit" does not refer to the grains, which will be discussed later, but to the ear of corn that contains them, and in which they will gradually form and ripen. Classical authors also use it in this sense [Cf. Homilia 2.1, 156; Xenophon, De Venaticus, 5.5]. "Which rose," as opposed to grains that had not even germinated. "And grew," as opposed to grains that had only undergone temporary growth: we see the ear emerging from its sheath, lengthening, and swelling. One grain yielded thirty, … another one hundred. We read in several manuscripts "up to thirty, up to sixty, up to one hundred"; and elsewhere, "in thirties, in sixties..." It is morally impossible to say what the original form of the text must have been. The use of "in" seems more in keeping with biblical style. — St. Matthew 13:8, in his enumeration, went from the largest number to the smallest: "a hundred for one, others sixty, others thirty"; St. Mark follows the opposite order, which is more natural and expressive. According to these figures, the total quantity of seed is thus divided, relative to the yield, into two very distinct parts, one of which was completely sterile, the other more or less fruitful. Within each of these parts, we then distinguish three degrees of either sterility or success.

Mc4.⁹ And he added: «He who has ears to hear, let him hear. — And he added. «As he said this, he shouted,» says St. Luke 8:8, using a very forceful expression. Having finished the parable, Jesus then spoke aloud the following words. Let him who has ears to hear… Ears to hear. A solemn formula, which all three Synoptic Gospels mention here together: Jesus pronounced it on six different occasions: Matthew 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:9; 4:23; 7:16; Luke 14:35. It is quoted eight times in Revelation: 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 12:9. — The phrase "to hear" is important: for, while all people have ears physically, how many lack them morally? "Many do not have inner ears to hear the divine harmonies.".

Mark 4:10-12. Parallel. Matt. 13, 10-17; Luke 8:9-10.

Mc4.¹⁰ When he was alone, those who surrounded him, along with the Twelve, questioned him about the parables. — When he found himself alone. Alone, the Hebrews. The details that follow, up to verse 25, are therefore recounted here in anticipation. According to chronological order, their true place would be between verses 34 and 35. Indeed, Jesus was alone only at the end of the day, when he had finished his preaching and dismissed the people. Compare Matthew 13:10-36, and the commentary. Nevertheless, the logical order required that the reader immediately learn the reason why Jesus Christ had suddenly transformed his teaching method, and that the parable of the sower be immediately followed by its interpretation. Those who accompanied him with the Twelve. St. Mark, to whom this feature is particularly relevant, thus supposes that besides the Apostles there were then a number of other disciples with the Savior. Jesus' inner circle was surprised to see that, contrary to his previous habits, he had continuously used figurative language, and all wanted to know the reason for this extraordinary innovation. THE parables. The most widely accepted reading of the Greek text (manuscripts B, C, L, Δ, and several ancient versions) seems to be "the parables" in the plural; which is moreover more natural, since, according to what we have just said, the disciples' question, addressed only in the evening to Jesus, must have had a general meaning and concern all the parables of the kingdom of heaven. Cf. Matthew 13:10.

Mc4.¹¹ He said to them, «To you the knowledge of the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given, but to them who are outside, everything is proclaimed in parables, — You have been given. In his response, Jesus distinguishes between those who believe in him and unbelieving souls. To the former, who are eager to know the truth and who take the necessary steps to attain it, everything is revealed without restriction; the latter do not share this happiness, but it is their own fault. To "you," emphasized to designate all true disciples, present and absent, the Savior contrasts "those who are outside," those outside the circle of friends that then formed the early Church. This forceful expression is unique to our Evangelist; St. Paul will later use it on several occasions to represent the Gentiles. Cf. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13; Colossians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:2. Jesus thus divides the Jews into two categories, according to the nature of their relationship with his divine person. The mystery (St. Matthew and St. Luke use the plural "mysteries") refers to a series of truths that were obscure or unknown until then, especially the Gospel truths, and which men could only come to know through divine revelation ("was given"). From the kingdom of God clarifies the nature of the mysteries Jesus speaks of. The Messianic kingdom, like any other kingdom, has its state secrets, which the Prince confides only to his faithful. As for enemies or the indifferent, these secrets are only mentioned to them under the veil of secrecy and discretion. parables, in parables, for fear that they might profane or misuse them. Everything happens in parables, that is to say, "everything is represented". Cf. Herodotus 9, 46.

Mc4.¹² so that, seeing with their eyes, they may not see, nor hearing with their ears, they may not understand: lest they should turn and receive forgiveness of their sins.» — After the preliminary indication contained in verse 11, Jesus goes to the very heart of his answer, and indicates to the Apostles the true reason why he is now teaching in the form of parables. St. Matthew quotes the words of Our Lord in a much more complete manner. Matthew 13:13: That's why I speak to them in parables, because‘'When they see, they do not see, and when they hear, they neither hear nor understand'. » ; see Matthew 13:12-15 and the commentary: St. Mark at least gives a good summary of it; in a striking form. — So that.— Although St. Mark does not mention the name of the prophet Isaiah, whose words Jesus quoted here (See St. Matthew l. c. and Isaiah 6:8-10):⁹ He said, «Go and tell this people: ‘Hear but do not understand, see but do not perceive.’. ¹⁰ "Weigh down the hearts of this people, harden their ears, and close their eyes, so that they may not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor turn back and be healed." It is easy to recognize the prophetic passage in this condensed form.. «When God said to Isaiah: ‘Blind the heart of this people,’ it was not only the one who was kindness And even holiness itself may have no part in the malice of man: but he foretells the effect that the preaching of his word will produce in the hearts of the Jews, as if he were saying to them: enlighten this people, make them understand my will; but the light you present to them will only serve to blind them further. They will plug their ears and close their eyes, lest their eyes see, their ears hear, and their hearts be converted. This is why, in these instances, it can be said that all the glory is due to God and the confusion to man; because God only seeks to enlighten and heal man, and man, on the contrary, hardens his heart with the very things that should have led him to conversion. Thus, when an eye, already damaged by a bad temper, is exposed to the sun, it becomes even more diseased. And then the sun is not blamed for this harmful effect; but it is attributed to an eye ailment. » Cf. Isaiah translated into French with an explanation drawn from the Holy Fathers and Ecclesiastical Authors, by Mr. Le Maistre de Sacy, priest, Brussels, p. 49, edited by Eugène Henry Fricx, printer to His Imperial and Catholic Majesty, opposite the Church of the Madeleine, MDCCXXIV [1724]. With [Catholic] Approvals and Privilege of His Majesty. «Mark here draws inspiration from Isaiah 6:9-10, according to the Aramaic text (Targum), which foretold the failure of the prophet whose preaching was to aggravate the sin of the hardened people. This text was taken up again in the early Church concerning the failure of the Christian mission to the Jewish people, whose hardening of heart thus appeared to have been foretold by the prophets and included in God's plan (John 12:39-41; Acts 28:26-28). The phrase inspired by Isaiah is here introduced by a so that which does not express any desire on Jesus' part to hide his message and prevent those outside to convert, but the conformity of his failure with Scripture and God's mysterious plan. The ultimate reason for this plan is not given (see Romans 11, 7-16.29-32) and the idea of God's design in no way diminishes man's responsibility (...); cf. The Bible: Complete Notes, Ecumenical Translation, Notes on Mark 4:12, p. 2177, Paris, co-published by Cerf – Biblio, 12th edition, 2012. On the remarkable variant in St. Matthew, see the commentary on Matthew 13:11. They don't get forgiveness of their sins. Thus, a portion of the people is excluded from salvation because they themselves have rejected it. St. Chrysostom: They see, therefore, and yet do not see; they hear and do not understand. It is by the grace of God that they see and hear; but what they see they do not understand, because they reject this grace, they close their eyes, they pretend not to see, they resist the holy word; thus, far from the spectacle before their eyes and the preaching they hear obtaining a change in their sinful lives, they only become more wicked. Theophilus: God grants light and understanding to those who ask for them, but he leaves others in their blindness, so as not to have to punish more rigorously those who, understanding their duties, have refused to fulfill them. St. Augustine (Question on the Gospel) (Question 14 on St. Matthew) It is their sins that deprived them of the gift of intelligence. 

Mark 4:13-20. Parallel. Matt. 13, 18-23; Luke 8:11-15.

Mc4.¹³ He added, «You don’t understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables ? — He added… Formulas of this kind usually indicate a more or less significant change of subject in the second Gospel. Jesus is indeed moving on to another thought. Answering his disciples' question directly in verse 10, he explains the first parable to them. You don't understand this parable? This exclamation does not express, as has been said, a severe reproach, but a kind of surprise and astonishment. You should understand, you to whom the mysteries of the kingdom have always been revealed. So how will you hear?…St. Mark alone has preserved these words of the Savior. The parable of the Sower was the first of those that Jesus offered concerning the kingdom of heaven, and contained, to a certain extent, the key to the others; if the disciples did not grasp it, how could they have understood the following ones? «He said this,» observes Euthymius, “to make them more attentive, to awaken them.” This saying of Jesus sheds vivid light on the current state of his best disciples; they are slow learners; at least they have the good will to learn and they are taking the right path to reach the light.

Mc4.¹⁴ The sower sows the word. — The sower sows… For the commentary on the Parable of the Sower, vv. 14-20, as well as for its exposition, vv. 3-8, there exists between the three Synoptic Gospels a remarkable coincidence: and yet each of the sacred writers demonstrates, through a few nuances in the details, complete independence. We invite the reader to make this interesting comparison. — The Sower in the Parable represents first and foremost Our Lord Jesus Christ: Just as Christ is both the Physician and the medicine, the Priest and the Eucharist, the Redeemer and redemption, the Lawgiver and the law, the Gatekeeper and the gate, so too he is the Sower and the seed. He also represents the Apostles and all their successors. The humblest priest who, before the humblest audience, preaches the word of God, sows good seed in souls; he sows the word. St. Peter and St. John also point out the relationship that exists between the seed and the preaching. Cf. 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9. Moreover, classical authors have very often compared speech in general to the role of the sower [See Hugo Grotius, Annotationes in Novum Testamentum, in h. l.].

Mc4.¹⁵ Those who are on the path are the men in whom the word is sown, and no sooner have they heard it than Satan comes and takes away the word sown in their hearts. — Just as the seed in the parable had four different destinies, Jesus similarly distinguishes, in this application, four kinds of souls with regard to the preaching of the divine word. — 1° Those who are on the path. Jesus first mentions hardened hearts, on which the divine word makes no impression whatsoever. «The way is a heart bruised and broken by the continual assault of evil thoughts» [Bede the Venerable, Homily, 3, 35]. Although the success of the seed depends to some extent on how the sower scatters it in the ground, it depends above all on the nature of the soil on which it falls. The same is true in the spiritual realm: the fruits of God's word are primarily dependent on the disposition of the listeners.

Mc4.¹⁶ Likewise, those who receive the seed on rocky ground are those who, as soon as they hear the word, receive it with joy., ¹⁷ But they have no root; they are fickle: when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately fall away. — 2° Similarly. After hardened hearts into which even the good seed cannot penetrate, there are superficial hearts which do indeed receive it, but which do not allow it to develop. They only last for a while. «They believe for a while, and at the time of testing they fall away,» says St. Luke, Luke 8:13. When a tribulation occurs. The word tribulation, derived from "tribulum," a machine for grinding wheat, vividly evokes and powerfully expresses the effect of the afflictions that God sends to men to test them. They are immediately outraged «They stumble, as it were, against the holy word and fall to the ground, like someone who throws his hand against a stone or a piece of wood» [Dom Augustin Calmet, Literal Commentary on St. Mark, h. l.]. And the scandal occurs immediately, at the first shock, as our Evangelist’s favorite adverb expresses it., right away.

Mc4.¹⁸ Those who receive the seed among the thorns are those who listen to the word., ¹⁹ But the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and other desires, entering into their hearts, choke the word, and it bears no fruit. — 3° There are others…It is dissipated hearts that first receive the good seed and allow it to grow for a time, but then let it be stifled by their many passions. The world's concerns. Jesus is referring by this to all worldly worries which, according to the etymology of the Greek word μέριμναι (from μερίς, part), divide a person into several parts, consequently filling them with distractions fatal to the divine word they have heard. We know Catullus's words: "Unhappy one, the goddess Eryx, driving the thorns of sorrow into your breast, has delivered you to eternal torments…" (Poem Carmen 64). the allure of wealth. After the category, "the worries of the world," we find several species, one of which consists of the deceptive riches of this world. The others are indicated collectively by the expression and other desires, Or, more clearly, according to the Greek text, the passions related to other points, for example ambition, lust, etc. This feature is specific to St. Mark. Entering their hearts : all this enters the heart, and stifles the word that had previously entered it.

Mc4.²⁰ Finally, those whose seed fell on good soil are those who hear the word and accept it and produce a crop, thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.» — 4° Finally. The heavenly seed, so unfortunate until then, nevertheless finds receptive hearts, in which it produces fruit more or less abundant, according to whether the spiritual soil has been more or less perfectly prepared. This good result makes the preacher of the Gospel forget all his previous failures. «Let neither the fear of thorns, nor a rocky or rough path, terrify us. We will one day succeed in not sow the word of God only in good soil. Man, receive the word of God, whether you are barren or fruitful. I will sow the seed; you must consider how you will accept it.»Saint Augustine of Hippo, De quarta feria, c. 2.]. — The Rabbis, like Jesus, divided the listeners of the heavenly word into four categories. Their classification is curiously original: «Among those who listen to the wise, there are four kinds: the sponge, the funnel, the filter, and the sieve. The sponge absorbs everything; the funnel lets out at one end what it receives at the other; the filter discards the liquid and keeps only the dregs; the sieve rejects the chaff to keep only the wheat.».

Mark 4:21-25. Parallel. Luke 8:16-18.

Mc4.²¹ He also said to them, «Is a lamp brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on a lampstand? — «It is easy to see that the things that follow, which Mark has assembled into a whole, do not agree with those that precede them, nor even with each other. But… I think that these do correspond with those that precede them.» Grotius, for these lines are his, is perfectly right. Verses 21–25 are not in the least a mere insertion of chance or whim. St. Mark and St. Luke place them there because the thoughts they contain were actually expressed by Jesus after the explanation of the parable of the sower. It is true that St. Matthew quotes them elsewhere, as an integral part of the Sermon on the Mount, or of the pastoral instruction addressed to the Twelve (cf. Matt. 5:15; 7:2; 10:26); but nothing prevents the Savior from having uttered these proverbs, which contained teachings of great importance, several times in various circumstances. In any case, they fit well with the context here, as the commentary will show. On the other hand, they are linked to and explain each other. He told them. See verse 13 and the explanation. The pronoun refers only to the disciples and cannot apply to the entire audience described at the beginning of the chapter, verse 1; the subsequent events assume that Jesus is alone with his followers. Cf. verse 10. Are we bringing the lamp… The oil lamp (as opposed to the candle) was generally made of terracotta or bronze, with a handle on one side and a spout for the wick on the other, and in the center an opening for pouring the oil into the lamp… There were many different shapes and models of lamps, depending on the nature of the materials from which they were made and the taste of the artist who worked with those materials; but, whatever their degree of ornamentation, however enriched they might be with accessories and whimsical details, they generally retained… the characteristic shape of a boat-shaped vase. Under the bushel. The bushel was a Roman measure roughly equivalent to our decaliter. Or under the bed. The Greek text does not refer to the bed itself, but to the couch-seat, which was used only for meals. Moreover, the idea would be the same in both cases. Therefore, no one would think of placing a lit lamp under a bushel or under a bed: that would be absurd. Isn't it to put it on the candlestick?. A chandelier or floor lamp was a portable lamp stand on which an oil lamp was placed. These stands were sometimes made of wood (Petronius, Satyricon, 95, 6); but most of the time they were made of metal (Cicero, Verrine Orations, 2, 4, 26), and intended to be placed on some other piece of furniture… They were meant to be placed on a table or rest on the floor; in this case, they were of considerable height, consisting of a tall, slender stem, imitating the stem of a plant; or else it was a tapered column, surmounted by a round, flat platform on which the lamp was placed. There was also the hanging candelabrum, which was attached to the ceiling or the wall; see the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 5:15. — Now, what does this proverb mean in the place assigned to it by St. Mark? Simply put, the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are not meant to remain hidden. Jesus communicates them to his disciples so that they may one day preach them from the rooftops; for the truth must not and cannot remain hidden.

Mc4.²² For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nothing done in secret that will not come to light. — The same thought expressed in another way: Although I have shared these explanations with you in secret, you must later proclaim them publicly everywhere, for it is my will that they be made known everywhere. In verse 21, Jesus used a familiar comparison; here he employs a paradoxical form: these two approaches greatly emphasize the idea.

Mc4.²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.» ²⁴ And he added: «Be careful what you hear. According to the measure with which you have measured, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.”. — And he added. This transition, by which he brings together various sermons and parts of sermons, is familiar to Mark. Be careful what you hear. As Jesus insists on the necessity of attention, hadn't he just repeated, in the preceding verse, the formula already used a little earlier, v. 9? Cf. v. 3. But what he says is of the utmost importance to his followers. "He had foretold that his actions and words would be revealed and brought to light in due time. And since, in this passage, his intention was that this would be done by the disciples, he earnestly warned them to listen to his teaching attentively and carefully." Fr. Luc. We will measure you…The Savior explains his urgent invitation and, at the same time, indicates the great reward he holds in store for zealous preachers of the divine word. «As much as we give grace to those who are able to receive it, so much do we draw from it an overflowing grace.» (St. Cyprian). If the members of the teaching Church are attentive to the Gospel, they will be better able to share it with the faithful, and the more active their zeal, the more beautiful their crown will be in heaven. Let us therefore employ generous measures, since these will one day serve to determine our share of glory, happiness, and love.

Mc4.²⁵ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.» — The fourth proverb, which supports and develops the third, just as the second (v. 22) proved and explained the first (v. 21). Its meaning is clear and justified by countless examples of daily experience. See the explanation in the first Gospel, Matthew 13:12. When proverbs are applied to the subject at hand, for the sake of embellishment or rhetoric rather than to make it more certain and indubitable, a literal translation should not be required, but a general meaning that corresponds to that subject should suffice. According to this rule, the specific meaning of the proverb in our verse would seem to be: Whoever is attentive grows daily in the knowledge of the divine mysteries and becomes more capable of communicating them to others; whoever is inattentive forgets everything, for he soon loses what little he possessed. A word of warning to priests who might be tempted to neglect the study of the word of God and theology.

Mc4.²⁶ He also said: «The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. As we have said, this little parable of the wheat field has been preserved only by St. Mark, a circumstance which lends it particular interest. Commentators of the Strauss school have indeed tried to confuse it with the parable of the weeds, Matthew 13:24-30, which our Evangelist or tradition supposedly distorted; but the difference between the two pieces is too palpable for serious, unprejudiced critics to ever consider admitting their original identity. He also said. See verse 24. We resume the discourse, which had been interrupted after verse 9, because the account in Matthew 13:31, 36 clearly assumes that the parable of the mustard seed, recounted by Mark after this one (see verses 30 ff.), was spoken before the people. This is the case with the kingdom of God. The Messianic kingdom, in all its earthly phases and before reaching its consummation in heaven (cf. v. 29), bears a striking resemblance to the event described by Jesus in the following lines. Like a man scattering seed on the ground…Who is this man? It is surely Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has so aptly been called the Divine Sower. He came to earth, and he abundantly sowed, especially during his public life, the seed par excellence, from which his kingdom was to spring.

Mc4.²⁷ He sleeps and he gets up, night and day, and the seed germinates and grows, though he does not know how. — He sleeps and he gets up…When a farmer has entrusted his grain to the earth, he returns home and goes about his usual business, leaving the rest to the mysterious forces of nature and the care of divine Providence. He has done all he could for the success of his endeavor: the rest is no longer his concern. He therefore waits patiently for germination, then growth, then maturity to take place, without going like children to stir the earth from time to time to see if the seeds have sprouted and taken root. Night and day. This short description is vivid and picturesque. Naturally, "night" falls back on the verb "sleeps," and "day" on "rises." The seed germinates and grows…While the sower goes about his other tasks, the seed, which seems inactive, is the object of numerous and remarkable processes. Gently warmed by the fertilizing forces of the soil, moistened by dew or rain, it bursts open, sending out tiny organs above and below that it had carefully kept hidden within itself; soon it finally breaks through the soil. Without him knowing how. Assuredly, the sower was not indifferent to the fate of the seed he had sown. He often thought about it with the keenest interest; nevertheless, apart from a general protection that does not extend very far, everything that happens after sowing is beyond his control, as well as beyond his knowledge. But can this characteristic truly be applied to Christ? Several authors, believing it impossible to reconcile him with the perfections of his divine nature, have mistakenly thought that the parable did not refer to him at all, and they immediately restricted its application to the Apostles and other preachers of the Gospel. Others have supposed that the details contained in this verse are merely incidental embellishments, a kind of external drapery, and that they have no importance in relation to the main idea. But can everything not be explained without exaggeration of any kind? Jesus sowed, as we said at the beginning, as long as he lived on earth: in this way he laid the foundations of his kingdom. When the time appointed by his Father came, he ascended to heaven, not to descend visibly again until the end of the world, when the universal harvest will take place. Between these two periods, despite the assistance he perpetually gives to the divine seed, he resembles an ordinary farmer, who lets it grow on its own through a thousand good and bad chances. It is in this sense that he appears to sleep, to be unaware.

Mc4.²⁸ For the earth produces fruit of itself: first grass, then an ear of grain, and the ear is filled with wheat. — For the earth produces of itself. «Of itself» is the key phrase in the narrative. It admirably expresses the spontaneity with which the earth brings forth the seeds entrusted to it. Thus, the Greek classics and the Jewish philosopher Philo use it in the same sense as our Evangelist, to show that after sowing, the earth acts independently of humankind and its cooperation. It is found only once other in the New Testament, in Acts 12:10. First the grass, then the ear of corn…A beautiful gradation, copied from nature, showing us the three principal stages through which cereals and all other plants of the same kind pass between sowing and harvest. First, there is infancy, represented by the fresh turf emerging from the earth; then youth, symbolized by the ear of grain vigorously emerging from its sheath; and finally, maturity, the perfect state. For, as the old proverb says, «nature does nothing by leaps.» The same is true in the spiritual realm.

Mc4.²⁹ And when the fruit is ripe, the sickle is put in immediately, because it is harvest time.» — And when the fruit is ripe. The Syriac Peschito translates it as: "When the fruits yield a bountiful harvest," and Philoxenus' version: "When the fruit is perfect." The narrative thus assumes that the wheat is perfectly ripe and that it is time to harvest it. Immediately the sickle is put in place, the Latinism of St. Mark, or rather the Hebraism of Jesus himself. Cf. Joel 3 ¹³ Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe (...); שלחו מגל. The sickle is mentioned again in another passage of the New Testament, which we quote in full because it can help us better understand this one: «And I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And an angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, »Throw in your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is dry.« And he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.» Revelation 14:14-16. In our parable, as in these lines from Revelation, the harvest thus represents the time of the end of the world. Here now is the general meaning of this beautiful story of the seed that grows secretly. It can undoubtedly be applied to each individual soul and to the influence exerted upon it by the divine word preached by the ministers of the Gospel. Then the moral would be: «I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered; but it was God who gave the growth,» 1 Corinthians 3:6. The preacher sows the good seed, but he is not the one who makes it germinate. Therefore, let him not have any human preoccupation with its development: let him avoid excessive worry and impatience if the growth is not as rapid as he would like, for “the seed grows without his knowing it.” This first meaning is obviously contained within the parable, and it is certainly very comforting for us, since it shows us the secret, yet very real, energy of the divine word, which causes it to produce marvelous, though invisible, effects. However, we must also admit another, more universal meaning, which corresponds directly to Jesus' original intentions. Indeed, since this parable is classified among those that deal with the kingdom of heaven, it is clear that it must apply above all to the Church, to the messianic empire considered as a whole. From this point of view, as stated in the note to verse 26, it is through Our Lord Jesus Christ himself that the seed was sown: it is through him that the harvest will be gathered at the end of time. Between these two periods, the grain that represented the Gospel develops slowly, independently of human action; But it certainly develops, it has its successive stages, its magnificent progress, which causes the Church of Christ, at first like the humble grass timidly emerging from the soil, to gradually become a rich ear of grain, bending under the weight of the wheat it contains. Understood in this way, this parable truly adds a new idea to the other seven (see the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 13:52), and that is why the Holy Spirit It was preserved for us through St. Mark.

Mark 4:30-32. Parallel. Matt. 13, 31-32; Luke 13:18-21.

Mc4.³⁰ He also said, «To what shall we compare the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we describe it?” — What will we compare it to… by what parable?…These formulas are intended both to capture the listeners' attention and to provide a transition between two distinct ideas. They were frequently used by the Rabbis. — The preceding parable revealed to us the imperceptible growth of the kingdom of heaven on earth, the inner revolutions brought about by the Gospel, both in the world in general and in each soul in particular. This one shows us its outward and visible progress.

Mc4.³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth., ³² And when it is sown, it grows taller than all the other garden plants, and its branches spread so far that the birds of the air can find shelter in its shade.» — See the details in the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 13:32. St. Mark, although his account agrees with the other two, has a few minor variations of his own. He says that the seed was sown in the ground; St. Matthew and St. Luke used less vague expressions: «in his garden,» «in his field.» On the other hand, he expresses the plant’s marvelous development with two picturesque details; firstly grows large branches ; On the other side, the birds come to take refuge. under its shadow. — «The mustard seed is at first glance small, uninteresting, without taste or smell: But once it germinates in the ground, it immediately gives off an odor, a pungency, and one is astonished that such a small seed can contain such a great fire. Similarly, it seems at first glance that the Christian faith is weak, small, and vile, not revealing its power, without pride, without grace.»Saint Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 87, Appendix.] The Fathers generally like to point out, in connection with this parable, the acrid and burning power of the mustard seed [Cf. Tertullian, Against Marcion, 4, 30.]. Nevertheless, it is not on this specific point that Jesus focuses his comparison, but on the enormous difference that exists between such a small seed and the vigorous plant it produces. The divine Master could have chosen other seeds, that of the cedar for example, and pointed out even more astonishing disproportions; however, it was more appropriate to his purpose to point out one of the most insignificant plants. — See in Didron the frequent use that Christian art has made of this parable [Adolphe Napoléon Didron, Christian Iconography, p. 208.]. Assuming correctly that the mustard seed symbolized Jesus himself, from whose bosom the entire Church gradually emerged, it was once popular to represent "Christ in a tomb: from his mouth comes a tree on whose branches are the Apostles".

Mark 4, 33-34. Parallel. Matt. 13, 34-35.

Mc4.³³ He taught them in this way through various means. parables, depending on whether they were able to hear it. — St. Mark, like St. Matthew, connects a general reflection to the parable of the mustard seed, in which he highlights the custom that Our Lord then adopted of teaching in the form of parables. However, while the first Evangelist, after noting this circumstance, shows its connection to a prophecy in the Old Testament, ours establishes a contrast between Jesus' public teaching and his private teaching. The two narratives thus complement each other. Many parables of this kind… St. Mark implies by this that he only provided his readers with a very brief extract of the parables of the Savior. He taught them: «"Them" refers to the mass of the people: this is very clear from verse 34, where this same pronoun is contrasted with "his disciples". Depending on whether they were able to hear it. «This can be explained in two ways. According to their capacity to understand it, that is, according to their level of understanding. Jesus Christ adapted himself to the capacity of his listeners, lowering himself to their limited intelligence in order to be helpful to them, and taking his parables common and trivial things. Others explain it in a completely opposite way: he spoke to them according to their disposition, he revealed truths to them as they were worthy of listening. Their pride, their lack of docility, did not deserve to be treated better, nor to receive greater understanding» [Dom Augustin Calmet, Literal Commentary on St. Mark]. The exegete then says, speaking of the second sentiment: «This is the true explanation of this passage.» We believe him, as he does, based on the context, since Jesus clearly stated earlier, in verses 11 and 12, that the new form given to his teaching had a penal character.

Mc4.³⁴ He didn't speak to them without parables, but, in particular, he explained everything to his disciples. — He didn't speak to them without parables. A very forceful expression: however, we should not rush to interpret its meaning, for, as D. Calmet rightly observed, whenever practical and moral truths were concerned, the divine Master always used clear and simple language. It therefore seems wise to restrict the sacred writer's commentary to dogma, and more specifically to the kingdom of heaven and the establishment of the Church. But, in particular, he explained everything to his disciples… According to manuscripts B, C, L, and Δ, the text, which appears to be authentic, plays on words in an interesting way: particularly to his specific disciples. He explained everything. Here again, the Greek text uses an expression worth noting, which can be translated as "he solved as if it were a riddle," a phrase found nowhere else in the New Testament. But St. Peter, in his second Letter, 2 Peter 1:20, when discussing interpretation, uses precisely a similar expression. Critics have not failed to point out these two expressions to demonstrate the stylistic similarities between the Gospel of St. Mark and the writings of St. Peter.

Mark 4, 35-40. Parallel. Matt. 8, 23-27; Luke 8:22-25.

Mc4.³⁵ That day, towards evening, he said to them, "Let's cross to the other side."« — That day. While the other two synoptic Gospels only vaguely mention the date of this miracle, St. Mark specifies it with great clarity. It was the very day that Jesus defended himself against the Pharisees against the idea that Beelzebub could cast out demons (Mark 3:20 ff.), the very day that he inaugurated his teaching in the form of... parables, Mark 4:1 ff. This day had been tiring for the divine Master; nevertheless, when evening came, he said to his disciples: Let's move to the other side, Let us go to the other side of the lake. Since Jesus was near Capernaum when he gave this command, and Capernaum was located on the western shore, this was tantamount to saying: Let us go to the eastern shore, to Perea. This was a famous journey, accompanied by all kinds of miracles, although it lasted only a day and a night. Jesus found there the opportunity to manifest his divine power in four different ways. First, he showed that he was the king of nature (Mark 4:35-40); then he revealed himself in turn as king of spirits (Mark 5:1-20), as king of bodies, and as king of death and life (Mark 5:21-43).

Mc4.³⁶ Having dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, just as he was, in the boat, and other small boats accompanied him. — And having sent the crowd away. The disciples gently dismissed the crowd, telling them that the Master was about to leave. Having done so, They took him away… just as he was That is to say, without any preparation for the journey. The departure was therefore immediate. Moreover, Jesus was already fully embarked, according to Mark 4:1. Later, in Mark 6:8, we will see the Savior recommending to his Apostles that they set out without any preparation when they undertake their first missions: he begins by preaching by example. And other small boats accompanied it…These other boats, which followed the one carrying Jesus, contained disciples eager not to be separated from the Savior. The small flotilla was probably scattered by the storm, for, upon landing, Jesus appears to have been alone with the Apostles.

Mc4.³⁷ Then a violent whirlwind arose, pushing the waves against the boat, so that it was already filling with water. — And a whirlwind arose…See the Gospel according to St. Matthew, 8:24. The description of the storm is even more vivid in St. Mark's account than in the other two: especially according to the Greek text, where several of the verbs are in the present tense. It refers to one of those violent storms that break out in the blink of an eye on the Sea of Galilee, the nearby gorges acting as corridors to channel the wind from the mountains. 

Mc4.³⁸ He, however, was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; they woke him and said to him, "Master, do you not care that we are perishing?"« — He (…) asleep…As St. Mark has carefully noted all the circumstances, St. Matthew and St. Luke merely mention Jesus' sleep; but to this main fact, our evangelist has added two particular details that bring the entire scene to life for us. First, he indicates the part of the boat where Jesus was: it was the stern, which is usually reserved for passengers in small boats because the pitching is less noticeable there. He then describes the divine Master's posture: he was sleeping in the stern, on a cushion, in Greek with the definite article: the cushion that was in the boat. Jesus, tired from his day's work, rested his head on a cushion, and soon fell asleep. Michaelis has supposed, without the slightest reason, that the Savior had taken charge of the rudder, but that sleep had suddenly overtaken him in his duties as pilot. Jesus slept during the storm, as did Jonah; Hence the following comparison made by St. Jerome, Comm. in Matth. 8, 34: «We read the type of this sign in Jonah, when he was safe while others perished; when he slept and rose again. And when, by the power and mystery of his Passion, he freed those who were rising.» [St. Jerome of Stridon, Comm. in Matth., 8, 34]. Another interesting point: this is the only Gospel passage in which we see Jesus sleeping. It is important to note the circumstances in which we find him doing or undergoing something human. We like to recall the mystical interpretation of some of the Fathers, according to which Jesus’ pillow is none other than the sacred wood of the cross, on which he fell asleep during his Passion. Satan took advantage of this sleep to stir up a terrible storm against the fledgling Church; but Jesus awoke by the Resurrection, and immediately stopped the storm. They woke him up. The disciples, believing themselves lost, turned to the One whose omnipotence they already knew. Master, do you not care that we perish?…This cry indicates a movement of impatience on the part of those who uttered it, caused by the imminence of the danger: St. Mark alone has preserved it for us in this characteristic form. According to St. Matthew, the Apostles said, «Lord, save us, we are perishing!»; according to St. Luke, even more simply: «Master, we are perishing!» As we can see, these are not merely variations in the words, but real divergences in tone and sentiment. It is probable that the three phrases were uttered simultaneously, each disciple speaking according to the feeling that dominated him.

Mc4.³⁹ Jesus, having awakened, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Be quiet, be calm." And the wind subsided and there was a great calm. — What majesty in Jesus' attitude. What majesty in his words. Be quiet, calm down, "He cried out, speaking to the sea and using two synonymous verbs to give more force to his command. Only St. Mark records the words of the Thaumaturge. Note the gradation in the Savior's commands: he begins by rebuking the wind, which was the cause of the storm; he then silences the angry waves, reprimanding them as a teacher reprimands his rebellious pupils. Here we find two beautiful personifications of the forces of nature." And the wind ceased : in Greek, ἐκόπασεν, an extraordinary word, which is used only three times in the New Testament (here, Mark 6:51 and Matthew 14:32) and which indicates a rest resulting from a kind of weariness. He became very calm. The corresponding Greek verb applies specifically to the calm of the sea and lakes. The wind submitted to the all-powerful word of Jesus: the waves obeyed in turn, and, contrary to what usually happens in such cases, immediately regained perfect equilibrium. When Jesus healed the sick, there was no convalescence; when he calms a storm, he stops it abruptly without transition.

Mc4.⁴⁰ And he said to them, «Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?» And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, «Who then is this, that the wind and the sea obey him?» — The disciples also deserved rebukes: Jesus addresses them for their instruction — Do you still lack faith? The Recepta reads: How is it that you do not have faith? But manuscripts B, D, L, and Sinaiticus have the variant "not yet," which the Coptic and Italic versions read, as did the Vulgate. "If the disciples had had faith, they would have been persuaded that Jesus could protect them, even though he was asleep." Theophylact. And they were seized with great fear…In the Greek text, these words begin a new verse, which is the 41st of chapter 4. — Fear once again seized the souls of the Apostles, but it was a fear of a different kind: previously, in verse 38, they had been afraid of the storm that threatened to engulf them; now, the dazzling miracle of Jesus filled them with supernatural awe, and, sharing their impressions with one another, they asked: So what is this one?…Previously, in Mark 1:27, after the healing of a demoniac, the onlookers exclaimed, «What is this?» Today, attention is directed rather to the person of Jesus himself: What must he be who performs such wonders? — Tertullian, adv. Mark 4:20, connects this miracle to several prophetic passages: «When Jesus crosses over, the psalm finds its fulfillment: »The Lord,’ he says, ‘is upon the great waters.’ When he calms the waters of the sea, what Habakkuk had said is fulfilled: ‘He scatters the waters before him’ (Hab 3:15). When the sea threatens, it is Nahum who is vindicated: ‘He rebukes the sea,’ he says, ‘and dries it up’ (Nahum 1:4).” And also when he was bothered by the winds” [Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, 4, 20.].