Mark part seven

We are at Mark 4:17.  Jesus has just told the disciples that he will explain parables to them but not to outsiders. He then proceeds to chastise them for not understanding the parable of the sower. The farmer is the person "sowing" the word of god. The different types of soil are the different types of people who hear the message. Their receptiveness and retention of the word  determines whether or not they become "fruitful." Being fruitful is open to interpretation here. Perhaps it just means producing more people willing to sow the word, kind of like multi-level marketing.

Next, without any context or explanation, Jesus tells the disciples, " Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or bed? Instead don't you put it on a stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open." I am not going to talk about how the other gospels interpret this. We are reading Mark as if it is a stand alone book, which it must have been when it was written. In Mark, there seems to be very little to take away unless you assume that "lamp" refers to the word of god, as in Old Testament poetry. If what is hidden is meant to be disclosed, why doesn't Jesus disclose the meaning of the parables to everyone?

Next, again without context or explanation, Jesus says, ..."with the measure you use, it will be measured to you--and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." What are we measuring? What do we have or not have? Your guess is as good as mine. It could be money/generosity. It could be faith. It could be something else. Whatever it is, it seems patently unfair to give someone who has abundance of something more, while depriving the person who has less.

In verses 26-29, Jesus tells a parable about the kingdom of god. Again, a man scatters seed. Whatever the man does during the other parts of his life, the seed grows, in spite if his level of understanding  of the growth process. It reaches maturity and is harvested. Jesus does not explain this parable. Presumably the seed is still the word of god. What is the harvest?

The next passage is another parable about the kingdom of god. This time it is like a mustard seed, "the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet....it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade." This author was obviously not a gardener, or he was not talking about the plant we know as mustard today. That plant in never any larger than a small shrub. My study bible says the point is that the kingdom of god appeared to start out insignificantly but will grow to magnificent proportions. If it is like the mustard plant mentioned, it won't even exist. The chapter ends by saying Jesus continued to speak in parables  and to explain them to his disciples when he was alone with them.

"That day when evening came," (what day was that?) Jesus and his disciples got in a boat on the lake. There were other boats as well. There came a bad storm with waves crashing over the boat. Jesus was  asleep. The disciples woke him up. Jesus told the storm to sit down and shut up. Jesus berated his disciples for the perfectly natural fear that they experienced, accusing them of having no faith. The disciples were terrified by Jesus's power over the elements. I'm guessing that most people instinctively know that gods are not usually available in times of natural peril. Even those that have faith can still be killed by drowning while they pray. Not many people are keen on dying.

Heaven part thirteen and wrap up.

We have reached the end of the references to heaven (singular) in Strong's concordance. There a few more under heavens (plural). In Acts 2:29-34, we are told that David died and was buried, and remains in his tomb, he did not ascend to the heavens. I feel this brings up an important point. In christianity, many believers tend to think their love ones ascend to heaven immediately after death. This negates many of the New Testament teachings about a resurrection of the dead and a final judgment, especially what we find in Revelation 20. You can't have it both ways.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1, the author says, "If the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from god, an eternal house in the heavens, not built by human hands." Okay. So, this house in the heavens, is it in the new Jerusalem that's going to come down from the heavens after the judgment? Do any of the letters attributed to Paul speak of a Holy City or new Jerusalem? I ran those phrases through the search on Bible Gateway. A new Jerusalem is not mentioned anywhere but Revelation. Of all the New Testament books, the phrase holy city is only in Matthew and Revelation. Matthew is referring to the city of Jerusalem that existed in the first century.

Did Paul not know about the new heaven and new earth? I looked up those phrases as well. They are only mentioned in Revelation and in 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter three has a description of the end times that is not couched in symbolism like that of Revelation, but it coincides with events mentioned. In verse 7, the author says, "the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." In verse 10, the author says, "the heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire , and earth and everything in it will be laid bare." Verses 12-13 go on to say,"That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." Paul's  letters do not mention those phrases at all.

In reality, the earthly and heavenly dwellings mentioned by Paul in 2 Corinthians are referring to supposedly earthly and heavenly personal bodies. Paul was big on talking about how believers would get new indestructible bodies. He doesn't seem to have mentioned much else about the afterlife and the actual place those bodies will reside.

Let's see if we can find anything else new and interesting in the New Testament under the word "heavenly." 1 Corinthians chapter 15 discusses the resurrection, but even though the author rambles on about it, he doesn't say much that is concrete or substantial. Like I said before it is mostly about the difference between earthly bodies and heavenly bodies, the resurrection of physical bodies, and their transformation into spiritual, imperishable ones. This will all happen "in a flash, in the tinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." Nothing about heaven, the holy city, or what will go on in the afterlife.

In 2 Timothy 4:18, Paul says, "The lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom." Is this the same kingdom that will be the New Jerusalem coming down out of the heavens after the judgment?

Hebrews 11:16 says that a heavenly country and city are prepared by god for the faithful. In Hebrews chapter 12, the author speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living god. Again the writer of Hebrews tells us that earthly things are just representations of the heavenly reality. In verses 26-28, we are told that the earthly or created things will be removed so that what cannot be shaken, god's kingdom, remains.

Does any of this coincide with what you have learned about heaven? It certainly isn't what I was taught and what I continue to hear from Christians around me.

The sermon on the mount, part four

The next section of the sermon on the mount is Matthew 5:17-20. Here, Jesus says he did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them. "Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished." There are many disagreements in christendom as to what that means. Heaven and earth have not disappeared. Does that mean the law of moses is still in effect? Some would say yes. However, others would say Jesus accomplished everything/fulfilled the law when he died on the cross. Now there is a new law, the law of the heart. The old law is dead. What do you think is the true meaning of this passage?

Jesus goes on to say that anyone who breaks the commandments, or teaches someone else to break them, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. (But do they still get to be part of the kingdom?) "Whoever teaches and practices the commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven...I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the pharisees and teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (That answered my question.) It seems clear to me that Jesus wanted people to obey the law of Moses. Was that teaching just for those people there on the mountainside, or for everyone, for all time?

What about those pharisees and teachers of the law? My study bible says that they were excessively legalistic, following the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. Frankly, I question the existance of a spirit of the law. It is not evident in the Old Testament. The phrase "spirit of the law" does not exist in the whole bible. Plus, isn't it even more legalistic for Jesus to insist that his followers become more righteous than even the Pharisees are? How is it less legalistic? He says you won't get into the kingdom of heaven otherwise! I wonder what those faith vs. works people think of this passage.

Luke slightly echoes this in 16:16-17, which is not part of the comparable sermon. It says, "The law and the prophets were proclaimed until John (the baptist). Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of god is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. (??? What does that mean? How can someone force their way into the kingdom?) It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the law." This statement comes after Jesus has berated some pharisees, telling them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but god knows your hearts." Again, he has raised the standard. It is not enough to do right, you must think right as well.

As far as I can tell, this is not in Mark or John.