THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Gospel according to Mark
Message Two—A Life Fully according to and for God’s Economy
Scripture Reading: Mark 4:1-20, 26-29; 12:30
I. God’s New Testament economy is to sow the living person of Christ into our being so that we may live a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy—Mark 4:1-20, 26-29:
A. Christ as the Sower is the Messenger of God, Christ as the seed is the message of God as the gospel of God, and Christ sown into our being to grow and develop in us is the building of God and the kingdom of God as the goal of God—Luke 17:20-24; Mal. 1:1; 3:1-3; Heb. 1:2; 1 Cor. 3:6-9; 2 Sam. 7:12-14a.
B. The Lord’s recovery is not a work, teaching, theology, or movement; the Lord’s recovery is the living Christ as the seed of life sown into our being.
C. The kingdom of God, which is Christ Himself as the life-giving Spirit, is a seed; the kingdom comes by the growth of the indwelling Christ in us—Mark 4:26; Luke 17:20-24; 1 Cor. 15:45b.
D. We must give the Lord our full cooperation for the inward operation of His growth process in us so that we may hasten His coming—Gal. 1:15-16a; 2:20; 4:19; Rev. 19:7; 2 Pet. 3:11-12.
II. In order to live a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy, we must allow the indwelling Christ as the seed of life to grow in the soil of our entire heart, thus making our heart His home and a duplication of God’s heart—Mark 4:1-20; 12:30; Eph. 3:16-17:
A. Although man’s heart is corrupt and deceitful and its condition is incurable, even such a heart can be a tablet upon which God writes His law of life by the spontaneous growth of Christ as the seed of life in man’s heart; this is God’s way, according to His economy, to deal with the heart of fallen man—Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; 4:26-29; Jer. 31:33; cf. 2: Cor. 3:3.
B. We must deal with the conditions of your heart to make our heart the good earth for the full growth of Christ in us—Col. 2:19; Gal. 4:19:
1. The wayside signifies the heart that is hardened to by worldly traffic and cannot open to understand, to comprehend, the word of the kingdom; the birds signify the evil one, Satan, who comes and snatches away the word of the kingdom sown in the hardened heart—Mark 4:3-4, 15:
a. The anti-God world system with its worldly traffic is the system of Satan, who is the ruler of the world; we must be strengthened into our spirit, our inner man, and remain in our spirit so that we can overcome the world and be kept from the evil one by remaining in the pneumatic Christ for Him to make His home in our heart—1 John 2:14-15; 5:4, 18; John 12:31; 14:30; Eph. 3:16-17.
b. We need to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly; His word works in us to separate us from anything worldly and to saturate us with the reality of the Triune God—Col. 3:16; John 17:17; Eph. 5:26.
2. The rocky places that do not have much earth signify the heart that is shallow in receiving the Lord’s word, having “no root”—Mark 4:5-6, 16-17:
a. The sun with its scorching heat signifies affliction or persecution; the scorching heat of the sun causes the seed that is not rooted to wither.
b. The heat of the sun is for the growth and ripening of the crop, which take place once the seed has been deeply rooted, but because of the seed’s lack of root, the sun’s heat, which should cause growth and ripening, becomes a deathblow to the seed.
c. In order to have Christ as the seed of life deeply rooted in us, we need to be deeply rooted in Him by having a secret life and secret history with Him—Col. 2:7; S. S. 4:12; Psa. 31:20; 32:7; 83:3; 91:1; 119:114.
3. The thorns signify the anxieties of the age, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things, which utterly choke the word, preventing it from growing in the heart and causing it to become unfruitful—Mark 4:7, 18-19:
a. Anxiety is the gear that makes the world move; to allow the Lord to deal with our anxiety is to allow Him to deal with the gear of our human life; our human life is a life of anxiety, whereas God’s life is a life of enjoyment, rest, comfort, and satisfaction; we must habitually fellowship with God in prayer to be infused with Him as life and peace, and antidote to anxiety—Phil. 4:6-7; John 16:33.
b. To be deceived by riches is to suppose “godliness to be a means of gain”; because of pride and desire for profit, for riches, some today are teaching differently; to maintain the victorious standard of the church, we need to be lovers of God for the economy of God, not lovers of money for the system of Satan—1 Tim. 6:3-10; 2 Tim. 3:1-5.
4. The good earth signifies a heart that gives every inch of its ground to receive the word that the word may grow, bear fruit, and produce even a hundredfold—Mark 4:8-9, 20, 26-29; Luke 8:15:
a. Today in the Lord’s recovery the Lord is sowing Himself into people so that He may have the good earth to grow Himself into the kingdom.
b. Day by day and morning and evening, we must keep our heart open to the Lord by repenting and confessing all our sins to Him; this is the way to deal with our heart to make it the good earth for the growth of Christ as the seed of life—Mark 1:4-5, 15; 2 Cor. 3:16; 1 John 1:9.
c. Giving the Lord the full way to grow in our heart will make our heart the duplicate of God’s heart, and we will live a life fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy to carry out His heart’s desire.
III. The Gospel of Mark conveys a heavenly vision of a life that lives and expresses God as a complete, whole, perfect, and entire pattern of God’s New Testament economy; this governing vision directs our steps, controls our living, and brings us into God’s consummation—Prov. 29:18a; Acts 26:19.
Ministry Excerpts:
With this message we begin a series of supplementary messages to the Life-study of the Gospel of Mark. These messages will be concerned with the life of the Slave-Savior as a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy.
In the Gospel of Mark we see a Person, the God-man, who lived a life that was fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy. If we would understand this life, we need to know what God’s New Testament economy is. In other words, it takes the entire New Testament to explain the life the Lord Jesus lived. This means that it takes all the other twenty-six books of the New Testament to define the Gospel of Mark. If we make a thorough study of the New Testament with respect to God’s economy, we shall see that there is no defect, deficiency, or shortcoming in the life of the Lord Jesus. The life He lived was absolutely according to and for God’s economy. In His life there is nothing contrary to this economy.
Although we may love the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Matthew, in these Gospels we do not have a complete biography of the Lord’s life. This complete biography, presented in its historical sequence, is found in Mark. In this Gospel we have a complete record of a life, the life of the Lord Jesus, that is according to and for God’s New Testament economy. In this life there is no deficiency with respect to God’s economy.
Mark is the base of Matthew, John, and even Luke, because Mark is a biography of the life of the Lord Jesus arranged according to historical sequence. If we want to understand a certain matter in the other Gospels, we need to come back to the Gospel of Mark.
At this point I would like to call your attention to the chart printed with this message. In this chart we can see how in the Gospel of Mark the record of the Lord’s life progresses step by step until we come to the highlight. Then we are brought into the Lord’s all-inclusive death and wonderful resurrection so that we may enjoy Him as our replacement. The result of taking Christ as our replacement is the new man. The new man is the reality of the kingdom of God, which issues first in the church, then in the millennium, and ultimately in the New Jerusalem.
Although the Gospel of Mark is short, it is all-inclusive. It contains all the factors of the New Testament. These factors are elements of the life of the Slave-Savior, a life fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy. (Life-Study of the Gospel of Mark, msg. 52)
THE BACKGROUND AND LOCATION OF THE LORD’S MINISTRY
Have you ever realized that the Lord Jesus came to the center of the inhabited earth to sow Himself as a seed into God’s chosen people? I do not know of any Christian writings that speak of the Lord’s sowing Himself into people. If you would ask Christians what the Lord Jesus came to do, some would probably reply that He came to save sinners, or that He came to die for our salvation. Of course, the New Testament says that Jesus Christ came to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). However, in the Gospel of Mark we see that the Lord Jesus came to preach the gospel of God (1:14).
THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The phrase “the gospel of God” does not simply mean that the gospel is of God in the sense of belonging to God. The main thought is that the gospel is something of God Himself. In the New Testament, expressions such as the life of God, the love of God, and the righteousness of God mean that life, love, and righteousness are actually God Himself. In the same principle, the expression “the gospel of God” indicates that the gospel is God Himself. Therefore, to preach the gospel of God actually means to preach God.
The gospel preached by the Lord Jesus was the gospel of the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is God Himself. Then what is the gospel of the kingdom of God? We may answer this question by saying that the gospel is the kingdom, and the kingdom is God. The gospel, the kingdom, and God are not separate; on the contrary, these three are one.
It is of vital importance for us to see that the gospel, the kingdom, and God are one. The gospel is God, and God is the kingdom. Likewise, the gospel is the kingdom, and the kingdom is God. Therefore, according to the New Testament, the gospel of the kingdom of God actually refers to the very God Himself. Here we have God as the kingdom, and the kingdom as the gospel. What should we be preaching today? We should preach God as the kingdom, and the kingdom of God as the gospel.
We should not think that besides the kingdom of God or in addition to the kingdom of God, there is something called the gospel. No, the gospel is the kingdom of God. Neither should we think that besides God there is something called the kingdom. No, the kingdom is actually God Himself. Hence, the Lord Jesus came to preach the gospel of God, which is the gospel of the kingdom of God. Now we must go on to consider how the Lord Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom of God.
THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
At this point I would like to say, by way of reminder, that when we read the Bible, we should not understand it in a natural way. We should not understand any word in the Scriptures in a natural way. The problem among Christians is that, for the most part, they read the Bible according to their natural understanding. Our need is for spiritual understanding. This was the reason Paul says in Colossians 1:9 that he asked on behalf of the saints that they would be “filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” This was also the reason Paul prayed, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge of Him” (Eph. 1:17). Paul knew that in this Epistle spiritual mysteries would be unveiled, and he knew that he had to use human language. He was concerned that the receivers of this Epistle might understand his writing merely in a natural way according to the letters in black and white. Therefore, Paul prayed that the Father would grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. This prayer indicates strongly that we should not try to understand the Bible in letter merely according to our natural mentality.
No doubt, since the Bible is something written, we need a proper understanding of the words written. However, the interpretation of what is written should not be according to our natural understanding. Instead, the interpretation must be according to spiritual wisdom and revelation. In particular, we need a spiritual understanding of how the Lord Jesus preached the gospel.
THE LORD’S WAY OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL
Mark 1:14 tells us that Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God. According to verse 15, He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the gospel!” The Lord’s word here is brief. There is no record in this chapter of a lengthy message given by Him. When He came to Galilee to preach the gospel, He did not say, “You all must realize that you are sinners. You became fallen in Adam. Now you need to repent and believe in Me as the One who has come to die for your sins. If you do not repent and believe, you will go to hell.” In Mark there is not such a message given by the Lord.
Only one chapter in the Gospel of Mark is devoted to the Lord’s preaching, and this is chapter four. Chapter four contains the only message of the Lord Jesus recorded in Mark. He did not give a message in chapters one through three; neither did He give a message in chapters five through sixteen. His one message recorded in Mark was not preached to sinners. Taking a boat as His Holy of Holies, He preached the gospel to His disciples.
SOWING HIMSELF AS THE SEED
What is the central thought of the Lord’s message in Mark 4? The central thought is that the Lord is the Sower sowing Himself into us as a seed. He opened His preaching in chapter four with these words: “Behold, the sower went out to sow.” Later, in 4:26, He said, “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth.” Here we have the Lord as the Sower sowing Himself as the seed into God’s chosen people.
Some may question why we say that the Lord Jesus came to sow Himself into people. They may wonder why we do not say that Jesus came to preach the gospel. The reason we emphasize the Lord’s sowing is that the proper understanding of preaching the gospel has been spoiled. Yes, the New Testament says that the Lord Jesus came to preach the gospel. However, He did not preach the gospel according to our understanding of the way the gospel is preached. On the contrary, in Mark 4 we see that the Lord preached the gospel by sowing Himself as a seed into people.
In Mark 1 we are told that the Lord Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of God. But how did He preach the gospel, and what is the gospel the Lord preached? We should not understand either the gospel itself or the preaching of the gospel in a natural way. Concerning this, many Christians are covered by a thick veil of tradition. They take for granted that they know what it means, according to the New Testament, to preach the gospel. As we have seen, chapter four of Mark reveals that to preach the gospel is to sow the seed. As we have pointed out in previous messages, the seed sown in Mark 4 is the seed of the kingdom.
If we want to have a proper understanding of the gospel and of the preaching of the gospel, we need to consider what is revealed in the Gospel of Mark. First, in 1:14 we see that the Lord preached the gospel of God. In verse 15 He spoke of the kingdom of God and the gospel. In Mark there is no further mention of the kingdom until chapter four. We have seen that 4:26 says, “So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth.” Therefore, in chapter four of Mark we see what the kingdom of God is, and we also see what it means to preach the gospel. According to this chapter, to preach is to sow.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD DRAWING NEAR
Mark 1:14 and 15 indicate that the kingdom of God is the gospel. In verse 14 the Lord Jesus preached the gospel of God. In verse 15 He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe in the gospel!” Hence, the gospel the Lord preached is the kingdom of God that has drawn near, and the kingdom of God that is near is the gospel. Furthermore, to repent and believe in the gospel is actually to repent and believe in the kingdom of God. Therefore, it is correct to say that the kingdom of God is the gospel.
We have pointed out emphatically that, according to Mark, to preach the gospel is to sow the seed. Mark 1:15 says that the kingdom of God has drawn near. But how does the kingdom of God draw near? The kingdom of God draws near through sowing. Apart from the sowing, there is no drawing near of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God drew near by Jesus’ sowing, and His sowing was His preaching.
PREACHING BY SOWING
I doubt that many evangelists realize that their preaching of the gospel should be a sowing. To preach the gospel is to sow Jesus Christ as a seed into human hearts.
In Mark 1 we have preaching, and in Mark 4 we have sowing. The sowing in chapter four is equal to the preaching in chapter one. Sowing is preaching, and preaching is sowing. Furthermore, the kingdom of God in chapter four is equal to the gospel of God in chapter one. This means that to preach the gospel of God is to sow the seed of the kingdom of God.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDOM SEED
The Lord Jesus not only preached the gospel by sowing, but He is also the seed sown. This means that He Himself is the seed of the kingdom. After this seed is sown into us, it develops into a kingdom. If we read the entire fourth chapter of Mark carefully, we shall see that the seed of the kingdom is Jesus and that the development of the seed in the aggregate of the believers is the kingdom. According to Paul’s Epistles, this aggregate is the church.
Paul’s word in Romans 14:17 indicates that the kingdom of God is the church: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” If we read carefully chapters twelve through fourteen of the book of Romans, we shall see that the kingdom of God in these chapters is actually the church life. In chapter fourteen Paul speaks concerning the receiving of the saints, a matter related to the church life. This indicates that the church life today is the kingdom of God. This kingdom is the development in the believers of the Lord Jesus as the kingdom seed.
THE WHEAT AND THE WEEDS
Because of the influence of culture and the religion of Judaism in that day, many people cared for religion, ethics, morality, and the improvement of character. Suddenly there appeared the One who came forth to sow Himself into God’s chosen people. As He was about to begin His ministry of sowing, the first thing the Lord Jesus did was to have Himself baptized. When He was baptized, the things of culture and religion were buried with Him. This means that the Lord Jesus terminated culture and religion. After He came out of the waters of baptism, He began to sow Himself into God’s people.
The Lord Jesus sowed Himself as the seed into the “soil” of God’s chosen people. The Lord’s intention was that He as the real wheat would grow in this soil. We may say that the things of culture and religion are “weeds” that are also growing in the soil. Have you ever thought of religion as a weed, as something that grows in competition with Christ as the wheat? Culture, religion, ethics, morality, philosophy, improvement of character—all these are weeds that are competing with the wheat.
Although we may have been Christians for years, we still may not be clear concerning our situation. We need to see that many things other than Christ as the wheat are still growing within us. All these things are weeds, replacements of Christ, and need to be uprooted. Included among these weeds are the ten matters mentioned in the foregoing messages: culture, religion, ethics, morality, human philosophy, improvement of character, and the effort to be spiritual, scriptural, holy, and victorious. These things should not be allowed to replace Christ; instead, they all should be replaced by Christ. As we have pointed out, Christ is the entire, universal replacement. Nevertheless, in our actual living these ten items may become a replacement of Christ within us.
GOD’S PURPOSE AND OUR ENJOYMENT
In this message we have seen that the things of culture and religion were terminated when the Lord Jesus was baptized. We have also seen that in His ministry He sowed Himself into God’s people for the development of the kingdom of God. This kingdom fulfills God’s eternal purpose, which is to build up the church for the eternal expression of the Triune God. The kingdom of God is also for our enjoyment. Therefore, the kingdom of God fulfills God’s purpose and also satisfies us with the divine enjoyment. According to the Gospel of Mark, the Lord Jesus came to the center of the inhabited earth to sow Himself into God’s chosen people in order to develop into a kingdom for God’s purpose and our enjoyment. (Life-Study of Mark, msg. 64)