馬可福音 4:26-34 Mark 4:26-34
- 馬克牧師
- Jan 14
- 15 min read
參考書目：每日靈糧天路系列 - 馬可福音讀經
種子長大的比喻
26又說：「神的國如同人把種撒在地上。 27黑夜睡覺，白日起來，這種就發芽漸長，那人卻不曉得如何這樣。 28地生五穀是出於自然的：先發苗，後長穗，再後穗上結成飽滿的子粒； 29穀既熟了，就用鐮刀去割，因為收成的時候到了。」
芥菜種的比喻
（太13‧31－32；路13‧18－19）
30又說：「神的國，我們可用甚麼比較呢？可用甚麼比喻表明呢？ 31好像一粒芥菜種，種在地裏的時候，雖比地上的百種都小， 32但種上以後，就長起來，比各樣的菜都大，又長出大枝來，甚至天上的飛鳥可以宿在它 的蔭下。」
耶穌用比喻講道
（太13‧34）
33耶穌用許多這樣的比喻，照他們所能聽的，對他們講道。 34若不用比喻，就不對他們講；沒有人的時候，就把一切的道講給門徒聽。
各位平安，我們今天要來讀的是《馬可福音》第四章另外兩個比喻。當我們讀《馬可福音》的時候，常常會注意到一件事：雖然經文的句子都很短，但裡面所隱藏的資訊量卻非常大。今天這一段裡面有兩個小故事，看似簡單，實際上卻包含了非常豐富、也非常深刻的屬靈信息。
首先，我們來看第二十六節，關於「種子長大」的比喻。耶穌說：「神的國，如同人把種撒在地上，黑夜睡覺，白日起來，這種就發芽漸長，那人卻不曉得如何這樣。」這個比喻非常巧妙，耶穌用了一個極其精準、而且含義深遠的方式來形容天國。在這裡，天國就像是撒種，而這個農夫所做的事情很單純：他撒了種，然後繼續過他的生活，睡覺、起來、日子照常過，而種子卻自己長起來了。
如果你曾經做過任何和農作有關的事情，或是你曾經種過東西，你就會知道，每一種作物的撒種季節不一樣，生長的節奏不一樣，成熟的時間也不一樣；需要多少水分、什麼樣的土壤比例，也都不相同。但即便如此，很多時候就算沒有人的干預，它仍然會生長，大自然會照著它該有的方式繼續運行。
舉個例子，就像葡萄這種農作物一樣。葡萄有非常多不同的品種，特別是在釀酒的過程中，葡萄的品種差異其實非常大。而每一種葡萄的種植時間，也都不太一樣。有些葡萄是早熟品種，有些是晚熟品種；有些葡萄因為成熟得快，糖分很早就足夠，而有些則必須等到更晚一點，糖分與風味才會真正到位，才能採收。
一個優秀的葡萄農夫，必須非常清楚每一種葡萄的特性與喜好。這一種葡萄適合什麼樣的土壤？要種在什麼位置？需要怎樣的氣候條件？只有真正了解這些差異，葡萄農夫才能夠種出好的葡萄，並且在後續的處理過程中，用正確的方式把它釀成好酒。
如果你只是單純地讓它長大，只是灑水、施肥，卻用同一種方式對待所有葡萄品種，那結果往往不會好。你不能用同一套方法，去要求每一種葡萄以同樣的速度、同樣的方式生長。如果你這樣做，葡萄反而會長得不好。做農夫，是一個非常貼切的比喻，因為農夫可以做一切有助於成長的事情，但他也知道，有些事情不能越界。如果你揠苗助長，刻意想要把它拔高，給太多肥料、太多水，希望它長得比原本該有的速度更快，結果往往不是更好，反而會弄巧成拙。
一個真正懂得農作的農夫，其實心裡非常清楚一件事：他所做的工作，並不是「讓作物生長」，而是盡可能創造一個好的生長環境。真正讓種子發芽、成長、成熟的，不是農夫，而是大自然 —— 也就是上帝。
這裡其實帶出了一個非常重要的原則：我們可以與上帝同工，而且上帝也樂意與我們同工。
耶穌在這裡，或許是在鼓勵每一位從事牧養的人。無論你是牧師、傳道人，或是小組長、團契輔導，你都需要明白一件事情：你所牧養的每一個人都不一樣。每一個人對真理的渴望程度不一樣，生命成長的時間也不一樣。有些人一開始看起來好像什麼都不想學、對信仰也無所謂，但後來卻成為了傳道人、成為了牧養別人的人。就像我自己一樣，我從小其實並不是基督徒，年輕的時候對基督信仰也沒有太多興趣，卻沒想到，上帝竟然呼召我成為一個牧師。
植物的成長，某種程度上還可以預估，但人的生命變化，卻是完全無法預測的。所以，這裡提到那個「農夫不知道種子怎麼生長」，其實是在提醒我們：我們不需要為成長的方式與時間感到焦慮。我們要做的事情，回歸到最基本的本分，就是努力地撒種，施肥，澆灌，除草，用心照顧。
身為一個農夫，你不要去指望結果：你不要一直盯著結果看，你要專注的是有沒有正確的過程。如果你在過程中忠心持守上帝要你做的事——認真地牧養、認真地解經、認真地教導、分享、禱告，在一切事上忠心持守 —— 即使一開始什麼都看不到，甚至覺得好像沒有任何成長，你也不要著急。
耶穌在這裡一直鼓勵我們的是：成長的時間，是由上帝來決定的。你只要專心撒種，只要把該守的原則守好，上帝會在祂所定的時候，讓這一切結出豐盛的果實。
接著，耶穌又繼續講到關於神的國。祂說：「神的國，我們可用什麼比較呢？可用什麼比喻表明呢？好像一粒芥菜種，種在地裡的時候，雖比百種都小，等到種上以後，就長起來，比各樣的菜都大，又長出大枝來，甚至天上的飛鳥可以宿在它的蔭下。」
在這裡，耶穌再次使用了一個猶太人非常熟悉的觀念——芥菜種。在猶太文化裡，芥菜種常常被用來形容「微不足道」、「小到不能再小」的事物，就像我們中文裡說的「小到不值一提」。
所以，當耶穌提到芥菜種的時候，聽眾立刻就能明白，祂是在講一個看起來毫不起眼、完全不被看好的開始。
而且，在舊約裡，猶太人其實非常常用「樹」來作為國家的比喻。無論是在《以西結書》十七章、三十一章，或是《但以理書》第四章，都提到飛鳥聚集在一棵大樹上，來象徵一個帝國的興盛，各國各民都來歸附在其蔭下。所以，當耶穌講到芥菜種長成大樹、天上的飛鳥可以住在它的蔭下時，當時的猶太人很自然會聯想到：有一天，猶大國要復興、要強盛，各族各民都要歸到這個國度之下。
但耶穌真正要說的，其實不是一個政治性的國家，而是神的國，是教會。祂在這裡所說的，是將來萬族萬民都要進到神的國裡，進到教會當中，一同來敬拜上帝。而這句話，事實上也完全應驗了。耶穌當年所開始的，只是一粒芥菜種——十二個毫不起眼的門徒；但在兩千年之後，卻成為遍佈全世界、跨越文化與國界、涵蓋萬族萬民的群體，成為人類歷史上最廣泛、影響最深遠的信仰群體之一。耶穌所說的，完全實現了。
這個比喻其實還帶出另一個很重要的訊息。如果你觀察過植物的力量，你一定會對生命的韌性感到驚嘆。一棵有生命的植物，在成長的時候，連水泥、磚塊都無法真正阻擋它。你會看到路邊的行道樹，把整個路面撐裂；種在房子旁邊的樹，甚至可能動搖房子的根基。一棵有生命的樹，會不斷地生長、不斷地擴張。
教會也是如此。當教會有真正的生命在其中時，沒有任何東西能夠長久地捆綁它、限制它。這樣的成長是必然的，是出於上帝的作為。最終，必定會有許多「天上的飛鳥」——也就是萬族萬民——來到這棵樹的蔭下，得著遮蔽與安息。
就連在第三十三到三十四節這短短兩節經文裡，耶穌也把「一位好老師應該如何教導」講得非常清楚。有時候，我們真的不要輕忽那些看起來很短的經文，因為越短的經文，往往藏著越深的智慧。
在第三十三節，經文說，耶穌「用許多比喻，照他們所能聽的，對他們講道」。這句話其實非常耳熟，幾乎就像我們華人文化裡所說的「因材施教」。意思是：他們能聽多少，就講多少；不要講過頭，也不要講不足。真正好的老師，必須懂得觀察學生的狀態。
有些學生學得慢，你就不能強迫他、不能急著灌輸太多內容；有些學生渴望學習，你就要看見，並且盡可能回應他們的渴望。這正是一位好老師的智慧——不是用同一套教材去灌在每一個人的頭上，而是盡可能地、細緻地、個別地培養每一個人。
我們要記得，我們不是在量產信徒，也不是在上課考試。我們所做的，是細心呵護每一顆上帝託付給我們的種子，讓這些種子能夠按照它們自己的時間、按照上帝所安排的方式，慢慢發芽、生長。
這段經文，也對每一位牧者、教師，發出了一個非常重要的提醒。身為老師、身為牧師，有幾個非常關鍵的原則。
首先，你必須能夠體諒初學者的狀態。你今天之所以能夠講這麼多，是因為你花了很多年讀書、學習、累積經驗，所以你對神學、對信仰，有比較完整的理解。但你不能把這一切，直接丟在一個剛開始學習的人身上。你必須願意從最基本的地方開始，從「一加一等於二」的層次開始陪他們走。這不是他們的問題，而是因為他們才剛起步。
第二，你必須有耐心。當老師最困難的一件事，往往不是教，而是學生聽不懂、學不會的時候，你還能不能保持耐心。這其實是一個很大的挑戰。我自己也很清楚，這是我需要不斷被上帝提醒、被對付的地方。容易發怒的人，其實很難成為一位好老師。你回想一下，身為學生時，最害怕遇到的是什麼樣的老師？往往就是那種沒有耐心的老師——你才問了兩個問題，他就嫌你煩、嫌你笨。這樣的老師，既沒有體諒學生，也沒有耐心教導，學生自然很難真正學習。
第三，老師不應該用自己的角色來羞辱學生。不要在眾人面前責備學生愚蠢、笨拙，這從來都不是老師該做的事。老師的角色，不是用來顯示「我比你厲害」，而是說：「我願意把我所知道的，分享給你，陪你走到你真的明白為止。」說到底，老師也只是比學生早學一點、久學一點而已。
我們不都是這樣走過來的嗎？沒有人天生就是老師。我們都是在學習的過程中，慢慢從學生走到今天的位置。而即使到了今天，我們也仍然是學生，繼續在上帝這位終極的老師面前學習。
短短的這幾句經文，已經包含了非常豐富的內容。我們在其中，不只看見上帝國度的原則，也同時看見祂對牧者、對老師所發出的勸勉：要有耐心、要有智慧、要懂得等候。
這段經文也清楚地告訴我們，該如何成為一位教育者——無論是教育我們的下一代、教育我們的會眾，或是教育我們的學生。聖經裡有非常非常多值得我們不斷挖掘的內容，讓我們反思，也讓我們學習智慧。當我們越仔細去讀，就越會發現，上帝早已在其中教導我們，該如何與祂同工、如何陪伴生命成長。
今日的屬靈反思
我今天所做的一切，是比較在意結果，還是比較在意過程呢？上帝提醒我們的，是忠心地種植、撒種、澆灌，而結果，自然會在祂所定的時間來到。對這句話，我心中有什麼感觸？
在我的生命中，我或許在某些方面是老師，但在某些方面，我同時也是學生。願我能夠常常保有一顆做學生的謙卑之心；也願我在成為老師、成為引導者的時候，能夠擁有耐心、寬容，並且樂於分享的心。
感謝你的聆聽，下一講，我們分享第四章最後的故事，在風暴中的平靜。願上帝祝福你！
Hello and welcome, This is Ps Mark. Peace be with you all. Today we are going to read two more parables from Mark chapter 4. When we read the Gospel of Mark, we often notice one thing: although the sentences are short, the amount of meaning packed into them is very great. In today’s passage, there are two short stories. They may seem simple on the surface, but in fact they contain very rich and very deep spiritual truths.
First, let us look at verse 26, the parable of the growing seed. Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he knows not how.” This parable is extremely skillful.
Jesus uses a very precise and deeply meaningful image to describe the kingdom of God. Here, the kingdom of God is like seed being sown, and the farmer’s role is very simple: he scatters the seed and then continues with his life—sleeping, waking, living his days as usual—while the seed grows on its own.
If you have ever done any kind of farming, or if you have ever planted anything, you know that every crop has a different planting season, a different growth rhythm, and a different time of maturity. Each crop requires different amounts of water and different soil conditions. Yet even so, many times, even without human intervention, plants still grow. Nature continues to operate according to the way it was designed.
For example, take grapes. There are many different varieties of grapes, especially in winemaking, where the differences between grape varieties are very significant. Each type of grape has a different planting and harvesting schedule. Some grapes ripen early, while others ripen late. Some develop enough sugar very quickly, while others must be harvested later in order for the sugar content and flavor to fully develop.
A skilled vineyard grower must clearly understand the characteristics and preferences of each type of grape. What kind of soil does this grape need? Where should it be planted? What kind of climate suits it best? Only by understanding these differences can a grower produce good grapes and then process them correctly to make good wine.
If you simply water and fertilize everything the same way, treating all grape varieties identically, the results will usually be poor. You cannot expect every grape to grow at the same pace or in the same way. If you try to force that, the grapes will actually grow worse. Farming is a very fitting metaphor, because a farmer can do everything that helps growth, but he also knows there are boundaries he must not cross. If you try to force growth—pulling plants up, adding too much fertilizer or too much water, hoping they will grow faster than they should—the result is usually not better, but harmful.
A farmer who truly understands agriculture knows one very important thing: his job is not to make the crops grow, but to create the right environment for growth. What truly causes seeds to sprout, grow, and mature is not the farmer, but nature—that is, God.
This brings out a very important principle: we are invited to work together with God, and God is pleased to work together with us.
Here, Jesus may be encouraging everyone involved in pastoral ministry. Whether you are a pastor, a preacher, a small-group leader, or a fellowship mentor, you must understand this: every person you care for is different. Each person has a different level of hunger for truth, and each person grows at a different pace. Some people may seem uninterested at first, as if they do not want to learn anything about faith, yet later they may become pastors or leaders themselves. I am an example of this. I was not a Christian growing up, and I had little interest in Christianity when I was young. Yet I never expected that God would one day call me to be a pastor.
Plant growth can be estimated to some degree, but human transformation cannot be predicted at all. That is why the phrase “the farmer does not know how the seed grows” is so important. It reminds us that we do not need to be anxious about the timing or the method of growth. Our responsibility is to return to the basics: to sow, to fertilize, to water, to weed, and to care faithfully.
As a farmer, you should not fixate on the results. You should not keep staring at the outcome. What matters is whether the process is faithful and right. If, in the process, you faithfully do what God has entrusted to you—faithfully shepherding, faithfully teaching Scripture, faithfully instructing, sharing, praying, and remaining faithful in all things—even if at first you see nothing happening, even if it seems there is no growth at all, you must not rush.
What Jesus continually encourages us here is this: the timing of growth belongs to God. Your task is simply to sow faithfully and guard the principles you are given. God will bring the harvest at the time He has appointed.
Next, Jesus continues speaking about the kingdom of God. He says, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. 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.”
Here, Jesus once again uses an image very familiar to Jewish listeners—the mustard seed. In Jewish culture, the mustard seed was often used to describe something extremely small and insignificant. So when Jesus mentions the mustard seed, His audience immediately understands that He is describing a beginning that seems trivial and unimpressive.
In the Old Testament, trees are often used as metaphors for nations and kingdoms. In Ezekiel chapters 17 and 31, and in Daniel chapter 4, birds gathering in the branches of a great tree symbolize nations coming under the protection of a powerful kingdom. So when Jesus describes the mustard seed growing into a tree where birds rest in its shade, Jewish listeners would naturally think of a future kingdom where many peoples gather.
But Jesus is not speaking about a political nation. He is speaking about the kingdom of God—the church. He is describing a future in which people from every nation will enter God’s kingdom and worship Him together. And this has indeed been fulfilled. What Jesus began with—a mustard seed of twelve ordinary disciples—has, over two thousand years, grown into a global community that crosses cultures and borders and includes people from every nation. What Jesus said has come true.
This parable also conveys another important message. If you have ever observed the power of plants, you will be amazed at how resilient life is. A living plant can push through concrete and break apart pavement. Trees planted near buildings can even damage foundations. A living tree keeps growing and expanding.
The church is the same. When the church has true life within it, nothing can permanently restrain or bind it. This growth is inevitable because it comes from God. In the end, many “birds of the air”—that is, people from every nation—will come and find shelter and rest under its shade.
Even in verses 33 and 34, short as they are, Jesus clearly shows what it means to be a good teacher. Sometimes we must not overlook short passages, because the shorter the text, the deeper the wisdom it often contains.
Verse 33 says that Jesus spoke the word to them “as they were able to hear it.” This sounds very much like the principle of teaching according to one’s capacity. He taught according to what they could receive—neither too much nor too little. A good teacher understands the condition of the learner.
Some students learn slowly, and you cannot force them or overwhelm them. Some students are eager to learn, and you must recognize that and respond. True wisdom in teaching is not using the same material for everyone, but nurturing each person carefully and personally.
We must remember that we are not mass-producing believers, nor are we conducting exams. What we are doing is caring for every seed God has entrusted to us, allowing each one to grow according to its own timing and according to God’s design.
This passage also gives an important reminder to every pastor and teacher. There are several key principles.
First, you must be able to empathize with beginners. You may be able to teach deeply because you have studied and learned for many years, but you cannot place all of that knowledge on someone who has just begun. You must be willing to start from the basics and walk with them step by step. This is not their fault; they are simply at the beginning.
Second, you must have patience. One of the hardest things about teaching is when students do not understand or learn quickly. This requires great patience. I know personally that this is something God continues to work on in me. People who are quick to anger often struggle to be good teachers. Think back to your own experience as a student—what kind of teacher did you fear most? Usually, it was the impatient one who dismissed questions and made students feel foolish.
Third, teachers should never use their position to humiliate students. Teaching is not about showing superiority, but about saying, “I am willing to share what I know and walk with you until you truly understand.” In the end, a teacher is simply someone who learned earlier and longer.
We have all walked this path. No one is born a teacher. We all grow from being students. And even today, we remain students, learning before God, our ultimate Teacher.
These few verses contain an abundance of wisdom. They reveal principles of God’s kingdom and give encouragement to pastors and teachers—to be patient, wise, and willing to wait.
They also show us how to be educators, whether we are teaching our children, our congregations, or our students. Scripture contains endless depth for reflection and growth. The more carefully we read, the more we discover that God has already shown us how to work with Him and how to accompany life as it grows.
Spiritual Reflection for Today
In what I am doing today, am I more focused on results, or on the process?God reminds us to sow faithfully, water faithfully, and trust that the harvest will come in His time. What does this mean for me personally?
in my life, I may be a teacher in some areas and a student in others.May I always keep the humility of a learner, and when I am called to teach or guide others, may I do so with patience, grace, and a willing heart to share.
Thank you for listening. In the next message, we will continue with the final story of chapter four—the calm in the storm. God bless!
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