I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Mark 4-5

Most of today’s passage focuses on the power of faith and how just a small amount of faith can produce mighty results.  I suspect that today’s blog will be somewhat scattered, sort of like the first parable in the passage.  Let’s start there.  The parable of the farmer sowing seed has a lesson I don’t think I have ever heard anyone comment on and one which I never noticed before.  The parable describes different types of soil, some of which is better for grain to grow on than others and some of which is completely inhospitable.  However, in the parable the farmer spreads his seed equally on all of it.  Which brings us to the point, we should not attempt to only bring God’s word to those we think will be receptive.  We should spread God’s word to all and sunder.  Better to “waste” some of it on the hardened path where it will not root than to miss that small patch of fertile soil in the midst of the beaten down path.

Which brings us to Jesus’ teachings on faith which permeate this passage.  Why should we spread God’s word, even to those we are sure will not listen?  Because we should have faith that God can “plow up the hard ground of their heart”.  The parable of the growing seed goes into this a little more.  Just as the farmer does not need to understand how the seed grows into the plant which produces food, so we do not need to understand (and generally will not understand) how God’s word will work its way into someone’s heart to allow the Holy Spirit to transform them.  Mark’s account of the parable of the lamp gives us insight into how we spread God’s word to those around us.  We put our faith on a stand where everyone can see it.  No hiding it in under a basket or a bed.  Let the light of our faith illuminate everything we do.  That means studying God’s word and listening to His Spirit to determine what He wants us to do, and then doing it.  When we do the things which we understand we will come to understand more.  Finally, Jesus tells us to put into practice what little faith we have, because even a tiny grain of faith will grow into a mighty plant if given the chance.