Mark 4:30–34 (ESV) —
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
NOTE: It is interesting that we only get one of the explanations (the four types of soil), but many more of the parables were explained (it says everything) to the disciples. In the parable of the four types of soil, the bird was identified as Satan, who comes and snatches away the word. In this parable, a small seed grows to a large tree. Fruchtenbaum believes the tree to be Christendom and sitting in the branches of this large tree is the enemy. And that is certainly true now as it was in Paul's time, where false teachers slipped into the church and took advantage of the weak-willed.
There are birds (enemies of God) nestled in our churches. They look religious and do all the right things for appearance sake, but they worship a different god. They have accepted the culture of the world and rejected God's word on many issues, creating idols right in the church. Paul told us to be on the watch for false teachers. They attend our love feasts and have communion with us, but they are blemishes. There gluttony and selfishness reveals that there true love is their self.
PONDER:
- Do I hold to God's word as true or do I substitute human wisdom and philosophy?
PRAYER: Father, protect us from the world. We do not to be a bird used by the enemy to destroy the church. Help us to keep our focus on truth and on your word.
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