May 28, 2018
Focus Reading: Mark 4:26-34
Granny Smith, one of the early midwives in the settlement of Sydney Australia, once threw out some little red crab apples. One sprouted and grew a tree that bore big green apples, great for eating and cooking. These apples, "granny smiths", became a world wide favourite. When asked about the Apples she is reported to have said "isn't that just like God - the very stuff we chuck away, He uses to bring in a new thing."*
Parables use common imagery to get our attention and get us to think about things in a new way. Sometimes the meaning is clear sometimes it is hidden. Mark 4:34 tells us Jesus had to explain the meanings of the parables in private. An important key to parables is that they are usually about the Kingdom of God. In each story a seed is planted and amazingly something huge grows. When we plant the seed of the Gospel then something amazing grows.
Questions for thought or discussion.
What experiences have you had of big things growing from modest beginnings? Read today’s gospel reading and reflect on its meaning. Why did Jesus tell parables? Do parables make meaning clear or unclear? What reasons might Jesus have had to make his meaning unclear?
*For more on the Granny Smith Apple CLICK HERE The linked file was retrieved from the Fusion Australia web site in around 2004.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA