Mark 4:1-20

2 Samuel 7:4-17

Psalm 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30

Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.

A very large crowd gathered around him

so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.

And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.

And he taught them at length in parables,

and in the course of his instruction he said to them,

"Hear this! A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,

and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots.

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it

and it produced no grain.

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.

It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."

He added, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

And when he was alone,

those present along with the Twelve

questioned him about the parables.

He answered them,

"The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.

But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

they may look and see but not perceive,

and hear and listen but not understand,

in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven."

Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?

Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows the word.

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.

As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once

and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.

But they have no roots; they last only for a time.

Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,

they quickly fall away.

Those sown among thorns are another sort.

They are the people who hear the word,

but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,

and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,

and it bears no fruit.

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it

and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."

Opening Prayer: Lord, through your covenants, you bring humanity into your divine family. That was your plan from the beginning of time. Help me to be faithful in the New Covenant established by your Son so that I can enjoy eternal life with you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Covenant with David: The Lord is never outdone in generosity. When David manifests to Nathan his intention to do something for the Ark of the Lord, Nathan encourages him to do what is in his heart. But the Word of God comes to Nathan that night and says that David will not be the one to build him a house. At the same time, God is pleased with the intention of David’s heart and in response makes a covenant with David. Before making the covenant oath, the Lord first recalls what he has done for David and the people. He brought them out of Egypt, gave them judges to govern them, and called David to be the ruler over his people. He reminds David that he protected him, destroyed his enemies, and made David’s name great. The Lord recalls how he has given David and the people of Israel rest from their enemies. The Lord promises to make a house – a royal dynasty – for David. David’s son will build a house for the Lord and the Lord will establish his royal throne forever. David’s son will be a son to the Lord. 

2. The fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant: The promises made to David are initially brought to fulfillment under his son King Solomon but ultimately await their fulfillment with Jesus. Solomon built the Temple made of stone and by human hands, but the risen Jesus is the true Temple of God (John 2:21) who establishes the Church as the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) and the beginning of the Kingdom of God.

3. Parables of the Kingdom: The Kingdom that Jesus has been announcing since the beginning of his public ministry and now expounds in parables is the fulfillment of the covenant promise made to David. The Kingdom Jesus establishes will last forever. Although David’s royal line never failed, his kingdom was subject to division, invasion, exile, and occupation. After Solomon, the ten northern tribes of Israel broke away from the southern kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom was invaded and exiled by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and the southern kingdom was invaded and exiled by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Judah was subject to the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. Despite this, the prophets promised that the Kingdom of David would be restored and that all twelve tribes would be gathered from the nations. When Jesus proclaims the mystery of the Kingdom, he is proclaiming the fulfillment of these prophecies and the restoration of Israel.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God in your words and actions. He entrusted the Kingdom to your Apostles at the Last Supper. I am part of your royal family. Guide me today as I work to build and extend your Kingdom in the world.

Resolution: By our baptism, we have become members of the Kingdom of God. And Jesus has taught us, in the Beatitudes, the characteristics we ought to have as royal subjects of this Kingdom. These include being meek and humble of heart, practicing justice and mercy, being pure of heart, suffering persecution, and promoting peace. Which of the eight beatitudes do I need to practice today?