^4:26He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. ^4:27He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ^4:28By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ^4:29And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle³¹ because the harvest has come.”³²

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

^4:30He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? ^4:31It is like a mustard seed³³ that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground—^4:32when it is sown, it grows up,³⁴ becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds³⁵ can nest in its shade.”³⁶

The Use of Parables

^4:33So³⁷ with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. ^4:34He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.

Stilling of a Storm

^4:35On that day, when evening came, Jesus³⁸ said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”³⁹^4:36So⁴⁰ after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat,⁴¹ and other boats were with him. ^4:37Now⁴² a great windstorm⁴³ developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. ^4:38But⁴⁴ he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” ^4:39So⁴⁵ he got up and rebuked⁴⁶ the wind, and said to the sea,⁴⁷ “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then⁴⁸ the wind stopped, and it was dead calm. ^4:40And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” ^4:41They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this?⁴⁹ Even the wind and sea obey him!”⁵⁰

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Footnotes

31 The Greek word εὐθύς (euthus, often translated “immediately” or “right away”) has not been translated here. It sometimes occurs with a weakened, inferential use ( 2), not contributing significantly to the flow of the narrative. For further discussion, see R. J. Decker, Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect ( 10), 73–77.
32 Because the harvest has come. This parable is found only in Mark (cf. Matt 13:24–30) and presents a complete picture of the coming of God’s kingdom: (1) sowing; (2) growth; (3) harvest. Some understand the parable as a reference to evangelism. While this is certainly involved, it does not seem to be the central idea. In contrast to the parable of the sower which emphasizes the quality of the different soils, this parable emphasizes the power of the seed to cause growth (with the clear implication that the mysterious growth of the kingdom is accomplished by God), apart from human understanding and observation.
33 Mustard seeds are known for their tiny size.
34 Mark 4:31–32 is fairly awkward in Greek. Literally the sentence reads as follows: “As a mustard seed, which when sown in the earth, being the smallest of all the seeds in the earth, and when it is sown, it grows up …” The structure has been rendered in more idiomatic English, although some of the awkward structure has been retained for rhetorical effect.
35 Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. πετεινόν).
36 The point of the parable seems to be that while the kingdom of God may appear to have insignificant and unnoticeable beginnings (i.e., in the ministry of Jesus), it will someday (i.e., at the second advent) be great and quite expansive. The kingdom, however, is not to be equated with the church, but rather the church is an expression of the kingdom. Also, there is important OT background in the image of the mustard seed that grew and became a tree: Ezek 17:22–24 pictures the reemergence of the Davidic house where people can find calm and shelter. Like the mustard seed, it would start out small but grow to significant size.
37 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
38 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39 The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.
40 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response to Jesus’ request.
41 It is possible that this prepositional phrase modifies “as he was,” not “they took him along.” The meaning would then be “they took him along in the boat in which he was already sitting” (see 4:1). A boat that held all the disciples would be of significant size.
42 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
43 Or “a squall.” The Sea of Galilee is located in a depression some 700 ft (200 m) below sea level and is surrounded by hills. Frequently a rush of wind and the right mix of temperatures can cause a storm to come suddenly on the lake. Storms on the Sea of Galilee were known for their suddenness and violence.
44 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
45 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
46 Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
47 Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Ps 104:3; 135:7; 107:23–30. When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea he was making a statement about who he was.
48 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
49 Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about who he was exactly (Who then is this?). This verse shows that the disciples followed Jesus even though they did not know all about him yet.
50 This section in Mark (4:35–5:43) contains four miracles: (1) the calming of the storm; (2) the exorcism of the demon-possessed man; (3) the giving of life to Jairus’ daughter; (4) the healing of the woman hemorrhaging for twelve years. All these miracles demonstrate Jesus’ right to proclaim the kingdom message and his sovereign authority over forces, directly or indirectly, hostile to the kingdom. The last three may have been brought together to show that Jesus had power over all defilement, since contact with graves, blood, or a corpse was regarded under Jewish law as causing a state of ritual uncleanness.