The Mystery of the Kingdom

Mark 4 : 1 - 18

This parable is famous because it appears in all the synoptic gospels. Before Jesus explains the meaning of the parable, it ends with the sentence: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (verse 9). What does it mean? Of course, it’s not just physical hearing; it’s also spiritual hearing. And when we talk about the mystery of the kingdom, what does it mean in the Bible?

First, we need to emphasize that mystery is a gift. It is not something attained through our search for knowledge or our own effort. This is the same principle we see when talking about the true knowledge of God—it’s something given by God, not something we discover through speculation or logical conclusions.

There is a famous German theologian named Eberhard Jüngel, from the University of Tübingen, who explained the difference between a mystery and a riddle. Spiritual matters, such as the kingdom of God and even God Himself, are more like a mystery than a riddle. I think this differentiation is very important.

So, what is the difference between a mystery and a riddle? A riddle can be solved with cleverness, meaning it’s about human effort. Once you solve it, the riddle loses its attraction. A mystery, on the other hand, is something you can dig into deeper and deeper, and you still haven’t reached the bottom.

Sadly, when we hear the word of God, listen to sermons, and read theological books, sometimes we treat this knowledge like a riddle, rather than a mystery. What are the characteristics of treating it as a riddle rather than a mystery? You evaluate the theological knowledge as if there’s nothing new—no new insight—since you first heard it in Sunday school. Treating it as a riddle means you want to hear something new because you “already know” the knowledge. You might think that Christianity is for dummies, not for you.

It’s important for us to maintain a childlike spirit because children can be amazed by things that are not necessarily new. Many of us have experienced children watching the same film over and over, and we, as adults, wonder what’s so exciting about it. We might think their brains are damaged, but perhaps it’s our brains that are damaged instead.

Let’s go back to the parable of the kingdom, which is one of the most important parables. We know that Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of this parable. However, people did not really see or recognize Jesus as the center of it. It was as if the truth was kept not only as a mystery, but as a secret, so they couldn’t understand it at all.

There is an insider and outsider motive in verse 11. Jesus said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything is in parables.” From a superficial observation, one might think the “insiders” are the dedicated, observant Jews like the Pharisees, the Zealots, and the Sadducees, because they were religious and followed the law carefully. And the “outsiders” would be the tax collectors and prostitutes. But what we find here is a reversal: those thought to be insiders are actually outsiders, and vice versa.

What are the characteristics of those who are “inside”? First, they hear—spiritual hearing—then they believe, and then they bear fruit. This is not just about hearing new insights and evaluating them based on what you already know. The evidence that we have truly listened spiritually is that we will bear fruit according to the will of God. If we focus only on theoretical knowledge, we must remember that almost everyone knows about Christianity today. But that is not the definition of true faith.

There are four groups of people who hear the parable, and the last group is praised by God Himself. The first three types of hearing are expressed using the aorist tense, meaning they hear only once, with no effort to contemplate or internalize. In contrast, the last group, the one who is blessed, is described using the present tense. What does that mean? It means they hear continuously—it’s an ongoing hearing. They hear and contemplate, not a careless or inattentive hearing.

People go to church and hear sermons. But the question is, is it spiritual hearing in the present tense, or just physical hearing in the aorist tense? When people evaluate a sermon and then think that the riddle has been solved and that’s the end, no wonder we see so many Christians as hearers, but only a few who truly bear fruit. That’s why it’s so important to connect true hearing and listening with belief and fruit-bearing.

Three out of four groups of people (75%) somehow fail to understand the parable. It’s a bit of a pessimistic picture, right? But when I read a commentary, it’s interesting to note that the commentator focuses on the last group, the one that bears fruit. This is the climax of the parable—not the first three types of people. So, this is good news, not just a pessimistic picture, but a message of hope.

If we read again in verse 8: “And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold,” this multiplication is a mystery. How does it happen? How can it be a hundredfold?

For those living in Europe, Christianity may be considered outdated, old-fashioned, or belonging to the past. We try to reach out to people, but there seems to be no response, and it can be discouraging. But when we read this parable again, I think Jesus wants to teach His disciples that there is still hope in that last group of people who can bear fruit. This is actually the core teaching. Of course, we observe the failures of the first three groups of people and learn from them. However, the more important message is about the fourth group, who, by God’s grace, can bear fruit and multiply.

Let’s go into more detail about the explanation of this parable by Jesus Himself. In Mark 4:15, “And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.” Why can Satan take away the word so quickly? It’s because these people also immediately receive the word without any struggle, thinking, or contemplation. The word is easily taken away because it is not rooted at all.

In verse 16, we also see that people immediately receive the word with joy, but in verse 17, “they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” In our intercessory prayers, we often pray for persecuted Christians. But perhaps they should also pray for us, those of us who are in more comfortable situations, because maybe we are the ones who need true repentance and their prayers. There is no possibility of becoming a Christian without suffering. We are not glorifying suffering, but because we are in union with Christ, and the Christ we read about in the Bible is the persecuted Christ. So, when we are in fellowship with God, suffering is included. Perhaps the reason we don’t experience much suffering is because we are not Christlike enough, not in fellowship with Him.

Don’t misunderstand—the focus is not on suffering, but on Christ. God will use tribulation, persecution, and suffering as a means to purify true faith.

A simple illustration: if a husband and wife can only love each other during good times, it’s an untested love. But if they continue to love each other during difficult or afflictive times, that is true love. Suffering is like a test for true love.

In verses 18-19, we read: ‘And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.’ There is a danger in a ’therapeutic’ view of life. People may go to church and see Christianity as a problem solver, expecting certain solutions to their issues. Of course, God understands our burdens. But if we approach Jesus just as a problem solver, we are seeing life as a riddle, not even interested in knowing Him personally. We are not really interested in doing God’s will, but rather in how our problems can be solved. The goal is not to know Jesus, but to have a comfortable life. That’s why such people often become anxious about the cares of the world, and it chokes the word, so they never grow. And when the problems go away, they stop coming to church because there’s nothing left to solve.

The verses also mention the deceitfulness of riches choking the word. Why are riches deceitful? Because many people believe the real problem is poverty, and the solution is to have as much money as possible. They think that wealth will bring comfort. But those who worship money cannot bear fruit or experience spiritual growth, because we cannot serve both God and mammon.

The last group, however, hears the word, contemplates it, and, in the end, bears fruit. It’s continual hearing, meditating, and applying it in our own lives, and then we see that the fruit is given by God.

Let me close this contemplation with a beautiful story about a missionary who decided to move to a remote area with his family. He struggled to reach people with the gospel. It seemed there was no response and no repentance, at least from his perspective. To make matters worse, he also lost members of his family. Disappointed, he returned to his home country, thinking that God had not taken care of him and that he had been too naive to become a missionary. He then changed direction and worked as a businessman.

However, long story short, one day he heard about a preacher from Africa who was mightily used by God to reach thousands of people. It turns out that this African preacher was actually one of the fruits of his ministry back then with his family.

This story reminds us that God never fails to produce fruit, even in difficult spiritual conditions (perhaps similar to the ones we face in Europe). Sometimes, because of our shortsightedness, we fail to see the fruit. We tend to focus on the pessimistic picture, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t at work. So, let us persevere in reaching out, preaching the gospel, and, most importantly, bearing fruit in our own lives. May God bless us. (G.N.S.)