The second short parable about seeds bringing forth fruit and giving more to those who already have is something which has been used by many Christians to justify the idea that Christianity need not be a religion of the poor. Instead, it can be a religion of the rich as well: so long as you have sufficient faith in God then whatever you give to the church or invest with Christian financial advisors will be returned to you manyfold.
This message has been called the “prosperity gospel” and “name it and claim it” theology. According to those who promote this idea, God wants his followers to prosper. Anyone who follows God and gives generously to his ministries can have anything — and everything — they want. Have faith, give money, and receive anything in return. Who can resist?
Even more popular among Christians is the third parable involving the mustard seed. Elsewhere mustard seeds are used to represent faith: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). Here, however, the mustard seed is used to represent the Kingdom of God: it starts out small, smaller and less important than anything comparable, but in the end it will become great and glorious. Sometimes the parable is interpreted as referring to the community of believers: it starts out small in the band of disciples but will eventually grow large and powerful.
These parables have in common an emphasis on the growth and development of the Word of God. They also share in common the premise that only a few insiders are given the ability to truly understand what Jesus means; everyone else will remain blind to the true message until some undetermined point in the future (if ever).
Mark further emphasizes two important points: first, that Jesus did not speak to the crowds in any way other than through parables; and second, that he only explained these parables later on to his disciples once everyone else had left. It seems clear that the author of Marks wants to make sure readers understand that most people weren’t to know what Jesus was doing while his apostles were the beneficiaries of special insights into his teachings.
