At the start of this message in St Marks Gospel chapter 4 verses 21-25, Jesus starts bye saying, “Does anyone ever put a lamp under a bowel or a bed? Doesn’t he put it on the lamp stand? Whatever is hidden will be brought out into the open, whatever is covered up will be uncovered.”
The meaning of this is, if you have faith do not show it where no one can see it but let all see it. Do not only show your faith when you are with other Christians but show every one there is to show. You need to move you faith in to areas of darkness and show your faith to create light. If not it will be uncovered at judgement and used against you, because what is the point in having faith but not showing it.
The next idea that we get from St Marks Gospel and the K.O.G. is that we will be jugged on what we have done for the K.O.G.
Jesus told the parable of the growing seed (Mark chapter 4 verses 26-29) like this. “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed. The seed starts to grow and he does not know how it happens. The soil itself makes the crop grow and bear fruit. When the crop is ripe, the man starts to cut the corn with his sickle, because it is harvest time.”
The meaning of this story is this. The seeds are Jesus and his disciples; they spread the word of God. The sprit of God helps the K.O.G. to grow, like the soil the seed. They K.O.G continues to grow as more and more people believe, just like the seed. The K.O.G is complete just like the seed is completed and is now a crop. Just as the crop is harvested us as Christians will be harvested and judged on our contribution to the K.O.G.
Another idea that we get from St Marks Gospel and the K.O.G. is that the K.O.G. is like a mustard seed.
In chapter 4 verses 30-34 Jesus tell the parable of the mustard seed he tells it like this. “You should describe the K.O.G. like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After a while it grows up and become the biggest pf all plants. It puts out large branches and birds came and nested in its branches.”
The K.O.G starts off like a small mustard seed the smallest seed, Jesus and his dispels’. The mustard seed starts to grow, just like the K.O.G., as more people believe the message. The mustard seed then grows o be the biggest plant and birds come to nest in its branches. This is like the K.O.G. The K.O.G. becomes very large and with many followers, people from all different countries and backgrounds, just like the mustard seed.
Another idea that we get from the K.O.G. in St Marks gospel is that to enter the K.O.G. we should receive the K.O.G. like a child and that the K.O.G belongs to people like these.
In chapter 10 verses 13-16, some people brought children to Jesus. The disciples told them to go away and leave. When Jesus heard this he was very angry. “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the K.O.G. belongs to such as these. I will assure you whoever does not receive the K.O.G. like a child will never enter it.” Jesus then laid hands on the children.
When Jesus is saying this he means that we have to accept the K.O.G. like a child. A child believes things with belief and excitement. When a child is told and sees that something is true it is very hard to tell he or she otherwise. When you tell a child “I‘ll tell you a secrete” he or she will keep pestering you to find out what it is. In the same way should we accept the K.O.G. When Jesus says that the K.O.G. belongs to such as these he is saying that people like a child; disabled, homeless, elderly and poor are at the hart of the K.O.G. and we should help them.
Another idea that we get from the K.O.G. is that it is hard for a rich person to enter the K.O.G.
In chapter 10 verses 17-31 we read of how a man comes up and asked Jesus how too receive eternal life. Jesus said follow the 10 commandments. The man explained that he had all his life. Jesus said then go and sell all you have and give it to the poor and follow me. This was very hard for the man as he was very rich. He went of down the road upset. The Disciples were shocked at what he said, “Teacher you ask to much of this man.” Jesus said “It is much harder for a rich man to enter the K.O.G. than a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
When Jesus says this he is saying that it is hard for a rich man to enter the K.O.G. because they have a lot more to give up in life on earth. He then goes on to say though “those who leave home or brothers or sisters or their mother and father or children for me and the gospel will receive a hundred times more in the age to come and he will receive eternal life. Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
When Jesus says ‘who ever gives up family, money and houses for the gospel and him they will receive 100 times more’, he means that they will receive more in the K.O.G. When he says ‘those who are first will be last’ he means those with power and money who are considered of most importance in this world will have least importance in the K.O.G. ‘Those who are last will be first.’ When he says this he is supporting the idea that he said earlier. That the pore, are at the hart of the K.O.G. When he says this he means those who have least power on earth will have more in the K.O.G.
The last idea that we get from the K.O.G. and St Marks gospel is that the most important commandment is the lord our God is our only God. Love the lord with all you hart and with all your soul with all your mind and all you strength.
In chapter 12 verses 28-34 a man comes to Jesus with a question. Teacher what is the greatest commandment? Jesus replied with, ‘Love the lord with all you hart and with all your soul with all your mind and all you strength. The second most important is love you neighbour, as you love yourself. There is no other commandment more important than these.’ The teacher of the law replied. ‘Well done it is more important to keep these than to offer animal sacrifices to God.’ Jesus noticed how wise his answer was and told him ‘you are not far from the K.O.G.
These are the most important commandments because if you follow these you will love every one and not wish to hurt them, if you do not wish too hurt them you will never need to break the other commandments. When he tells the man you are not far from the K.O.G. he is saying that anyone you knows this and keeps this is not far from the K.O.G.
In St Marks Gospel we can learn a lot about the K.O.G. What we will get when we get there, how we can get there, how we can become of more importance in the K.O.G., what the K.O.G. is like. If I want to get into the K.O.G. I have to listen and put what is said into action. I must show my faith in areas of darkness to express my faith, do work for the K.O.G as I will be judge on what I do for it, I must love the lord with all my hart and with all my soul with all my mind and all with all my strength and love my neighbour, as I love myself. We also know what the K.O.G is, it is a growing mustard seed that will be the biggest off all. I know what I give up for the K.O.G. in this world I will receive 100 times more in the K.O.G. It is also hard for a rich man to enter the K.O.G. because they have a lot more to lose in this world. You can learn a lot about the K.O.G. in St Marks Gospel and it is a very interesting topic.
