Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 4:1–34, James 1:21, Isa.

6:1–13, Ps. 104:12, Dan. 4:10–12.

Memory Text: “Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear.

With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to

you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will

be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken

away from him’ ” (Mark 4:24, 25, NKJV).

This week's study is on the parables in Mark 4. The Gospel of

Mark has the fewest parables of any of the Synoptic Gospels

(Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

For many years scholars have argued over the meaning and interpretation of Jesus’ parables: How to interpret what they mean, why Jesus used

them, what kind of lessons they were intended to reveal, and how literally

they were to be taken, or whether they were purely allegory, and so forth.

Obviously we are not going to solve all these issues in this week’s

lesson. Instead, we are going to look at them and, by God’s grace, come

away with an understanding of the points Jesus made through these

parables.

Mark 4 has just five parables—the sower, the lamp, the measure,

the growing seed, and the mustard seed. The majority of the chapter

revolves around the parable of the sower. This parable is told first, followed by the reason for parables, and then the interpretation of the parable. This three-step pattern will be the focus of the studies for Sunday,

Monday, and Tuesday. Then the other parables will be the subject of

study on Wednesday and Thursday.

* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 27