Dates: July 18, 2021
Primary Text: Mark 4:3-25
Summer is full of stories of nature & the outdoors! Jesus was an epic storyteller, but he never told stories for purely entertainment purposes. His stories always had a deeper meaning. Many of those listening would have been very familiar with the ins and outs of farming...the topic of the story we are looking at today. Jesus always told stories that were easily related to by his audience; however, he didn't always decipher the stories for them. Leaving us (as readers) the gift of being able to interpret them. Parables are often told in such a way that we could easily identify with any number of the characters. In the case of this story, we might identify with the farmer, the seeds, or even the type of soil/surface the seed are scatter in/on.
Discussion:
Primary Text: Mark 4:3-25
Summer is full of stories of nature & the outdoors! Jesus was an epic storyteller, but he never told stories for purely entertainment purposes. His stories always had a deeper meaning. Many of those listening would have been very familiar with the ins and outs of farming...the topic of the story we are looking at today. Jesus always told stories that were easily related to by his audience; however, he didn't always decipher the stories for them. Leaving us (as readers) the gift of being able to interpret them. Parables are often told in such a way that we could easily identify with any number of the characters. In the case of this story, we might identify with the farmer, the seeds, or even the type of soil/surface the seed are scatter in/on.
Discussion:
- What is the traditional interpretation of this parable?
- If you shift the focus of the parable among the three key players (farmer, seeds, soil), how does it change the interpretation?
- Do you think one of the key players in this parable is meant to represent God?
- Why do you think Jesus spoke in parables so frequently?
- Close your time together in prayer.