Mark 4:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

NIV: Again he said, 'What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?

NASB: And He was saying, 'How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

CSB: And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?

NLT: Jesus said, 'How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it?

KJV: And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

NKJV: Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

While studying the parables that describe the kingdom of God, it's interesting to note that earthly kingdoms, themselves, are a type of parable. A kingdom is a realm over which a monarch has authority to make decisions. Naturally, the kingdom will come to reflect the character of the king, whether that be strong, weak, benevolent, or corrupt.

The kingdom of God is not a sovereign state on earth, but whatever part of creation shows God's sovereignty and power. Whatever is holy, grace-filled, and obedient to Scriptures is God's kingdom. God uses different methods for illustrating His kingdom. During the time between Eden and the Flood, God interacted through personal conscience. This was an abject failure on the part of man, because people will not be "good" by choice. The Mosaic Law showed that people cannot manifest God's kingdom by threat of civil punishment, either.

The parable of the mustard seed is a description of the dispensation of grace. This is the time of the church when the Holy Spirit will dwell in each believer, giving them power to spread Jesus' message and draw even more people to a saving relationship with Him. The church will spread quickly, reaching more and more people. But, in the end, it will show that even with the Holy Spirit's influence in our lives, people are completely incapable of perfect obedience or fully bringing God's kingdom to earth.

Mark 4:30–34 is a lesson from Jesus about the power of His message. Jesus is preparing His disciples to preach the gospel. He's talked about the different types of students they'll encounter (Mark 4:1–20, 24–25), the need for teaching (Mark 4:21–23), and the fact that they can't make anyone listen (Mark 4:24–29). Like the growth of the tiny mustard seed, the gospel will cause a great movement that will change lives across the world. Mark finishes the section with a reminder of how and why Jesus uses parables to teach (Mark 4:33–34). This account is also found in Matthew 13:31–32, 34–35 and Luke 13:18–19.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.