Symbiosis, partnership, and restoration in Mark's parable of the sower
Reflecting on the dynamics of Galilean ecology can deepen our understanding of Mark's parable of the sower. The extraordinary yield of the final sowing in rich soil is generally celebrated as a success, while the first three sowings that produce no grain are dismissed as failures. But success a...
| Published in: | Theology today |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publ.
[2017]
|
| In: |
Theology today
|
| IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Symbiosis
B Bible B Ecology B Mark's Gospel B Old Testament B soil fertility B Success B Bible Parables B Parables B Bible. Mark B Promise B Partnership B Restoration B Narrative B parable of the sower B farming B Healing B Failure B Hope |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Reflecting on the dynamics of Galilean ecology can deepen our understanding of Mark's parable of the sower. The extraordinary yield of the final sowing in rich soil is generally celebrated as a success, while the first three sowings that produce no grain are dismissed as failures. But success and failure are deeply intertwined in Galilee. Rich soil is fragile, and easily exhausted by over-cultivation, while the processes in the first three settings help to restore fertility. Keeping the land productive depends on symbiotic interactions between all four settings portrayed in the parable, and in that sense all four contribute to the final yield. These symbiotic relationships among plant communities resonate powerfully with Old Testament patterns of covenantal partnership between people, creation, and God identified by Walter Brueggemann. At the time of Jesus' ministry, Roman policies were disrupting ways of life that depended on traditional farming practices; the covenant seemed to have failed. Jesus' listeners knew the land well, probably recognized the sower's images of land restoration, and could have understood them as metaphors for covenant renewal. From that perspective, the parable can be read as a figurative synopsis of the "good news'' proclaimed by Jesus and an invitation to follow him. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2044-2556 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Theology today
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0040573616669560 |