The Gospel of Mark
The Kingdom Grows: Mk 4,26-34
It would seem that Jesus is once again in the boat teaching the crowds. Verse 36 says "just as he was" suggesting Jesus never left the boat. There is no need for us to be concerned about how Jesus managed to be elsewhere for his private teaching to the disciples in verses 10-25.
These two parables about the kingdom of God are clearly presented as a pair by the evangelist. They tell us about two different aspects of the kingdom of God, especially about its growth.
In the first parable then is about the sower sowing the seed then not intervening (no fertiliser, no weeding, perhaps) until there is an abundant harvest. As usual it is important not to over interpret the parable, by, for example, identifying the sower. We do though see Paul and Apollos at work (fertilising, weeding) in 1 Cor 3,6. There, as in this parable, what matters is that God causes the growth. The kingdom of God will grow "he knows not how" (verse 27) and at the end of time, it will yield the havest. The nearest OT equivalent is Joel 3,13, developed in the New Testament by the Apocalypse (Apoc 14,14-20).
Whilst the first parable stresses the inevitability of the growth, the second stresses the size of the growth, the contrast between the tiny seed growing into a large bush with birds sheltering in its shade. An insignificant beginning is contrasted with the might outcome. The kingdom is like a mighty empire protecting all who live under its shade (Ezekiel 17,23. 31,6).
The concluding comments in verses 33-34 come from the evangelist as story teller. Earlier in verses 10-12, similar comments were spoken by Jesus himself.
For verse 33, I prefer the NRSV "As they were able to hear it" (the literal translation) over those translations which use "understand". The issue here is one of hearing or not hearing, as verse 12 makes clear. Do the people have eyes to see and ears to hear so as to make the transition from outsiders to insiders, from crowd to disciples?
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The Sunday Gospel
Chapter 17 of Ezekiel gives us the allegory of the eagle, Ezk 17,1-10. Then the image of the cedar (Ezk 17,3) is picked up and developed in our passage, Ezk 17,22-24. As an allegory, it can be interpreted point by point: Davids house of cedar being replaced by his dynasty (2 Sam 7), the branch is the Messiah (Is 11,1, Jer 23,5) and the mountain is Zion (Mic 4,1). This gives the allegory a more specific interpretation than the more general understanding appropriate for the parables, that of the mustard seed in this case.
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