Mark 4:1-20
TNTT2623
Exegesis: Example 3
1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such
a very large crowd gathered around him that
he got into a boat on the sea and sat there,
while the whole crowd was beside the sea on
the land. 2He began to teach them many things
in parables, and in his teaching he said to
them:
3“Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed,
some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate
it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did
not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it
had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was
scorched, and since it had no root it withered
away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns
grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8Other
seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain,
growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty
and a hundredfold.”
9And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then
hear!”
10When he was alone, those who were around him
along with the twelve asked him about the
parables. 11And he said to them, “To you has been
given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those
outside everything comes in parables, 12in order that
‘they may indeed look but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ ”
13And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?
Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower
sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the
word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and
takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the
ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they
immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root and
endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution
arises on account of the word, immediately they fall
away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these
are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the age
and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in
and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20And these are the
ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Exegetical cycle
• 3 steps – 3 worlds:
• Step 1 – World behind the text
• Step 2 – World of/in the text
• Step 3 – World in front of the text
Step 1: World behind the text:
Introduction and Socio-historical
perspectives
• Introductory matters
• Authorship
• Dating
• Location
• Purpose of the entire writing
• Socio-historical setting
• Social-cultural issues of the
time
• Patterns and conventions
Step 2: World of/in the
text: Literary
perspectives
• Pericope in relation to the macro-
structure of the writing
• Translations: Compare and
consider differences
• Internal (micro) structure of the
pericope
• Relations between text units
• Hierarchical embeddedness (main
and supporting ideas)
• Grammar and style
• Themes and key words, concepts
• Characterisation
• Summary of the content
Macro-structure of Gospel of Mark
• Jesus as Son of God – every time at the start of a
new section
• 1:14-8:26 Jesus Christ as Son of God revealed
through his work among people
• 8:27-10:52 Jesus Christ as Son of God made
known through witness from heaven
• 11:1-16:20 Jesus Christ as Son of God, rejected
by people but glorified by God
The Message
Mark 4:1-20
1-2He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to
such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using
the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge.
He taught by using stories, many stories.
3-8“Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed.
As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds
ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put
down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.
Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among
the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and
came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his
wildest dreams.
9“Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
The Message
Mark 4:1-20
10-12When they were off by themselves, those who were
close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the
stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s
kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t
see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness,
nudging them toward a welcome awakening. These are
people—
Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”
13He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All
my stories work this way.
The Message
Mark 4:1-20
14-15“The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed
that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear
the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16-17“And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When
they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But
there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear
off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18-19“The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear
the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the
things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress
strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.
20“But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who
hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their
wildest dreams.”
Micro-structure: Mark 4:1-20
Mark 4:1-2 Introduction and setting
Mark 4:3-9 Parable told
Mark 4:10-12 Purpose of parables
Mark 4:13-20 Explanation of the parable
Step 2: World of/in the
text: Literary
perspectives
• Pericope in relation to the macro-
structure of the writing
• Translations: Compare and
consider differences
• Internal (micro) structure of the
pericope
• Relations between text units
• Hierarchical embeddedness (main
and supporting ideas)
• Grammar and style
• Themes and key words, concepts
• Characterisation
• Summary of the content
Step 3: World in front of
the text: Reception
• Exegetical issues / problems
• What is tricky, troubling or difficult to
understand?
• Reception-history
• Reading and “use” of the text in different
contexts
• Role of ideology and particular contexts in the
past
• Traditional interpretations of the text and your
own interpretation
• Exegetical impact of the text
• For contemporary times
• Intermediate position underway to the
homiletical/congregational setting