Mar 4:14 The sower sows the word.
There is nothing remarkable here in terms of language, but the statement is remarkable for another reason entirely.
Notice that the sower does not spread love, faith, or hope. Nor does he sow forgiveness, pardon, or atonement. He does not sow awe, obedience, or any other idea common to religious teaching.
What does he sow? He sows the "word." In Greek, the term is logos. It is the word from which we get "logic" in English. It means not only spoken words, but all works of the mind: calculations, values, and judgment. It also means a rule or principle of law.
So, if we assume that Christ is describing himself and his mission, this is the closest he comes to explaining his purpose and how people react to it. Remember, Christ's central message is usually translated as "the kingdom of heaven at hand," or, in a closer translation to the Greek, "the universal rule is underway." If Christ is teaching the "universal rule," it only makes sense that he should be spreading its logic or principles.
The second line of Christ in the Gospels says the importance of this very clearly. When Christ is tempted to turn the stones into bread, he says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that falls from the mouth of God. In other words, our lives arise not from food, but from the rules of the universe are created by God. These are the words that Christ spreads, the basis of our lives.
"Sower" and "sow" are from speirô (speiro), which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field."
"Word" is from the the Greek logos (logos), which means "word," "computation," "reckoning," and "value." It is also "an explanation," "an argument," or "a rule or principle of law."
There is nothing remarkable here in terms of language, but the statement is remarkable for another reason entirely.
Notice that the sower does not spread love, faith, or hope. Nor does he sow forgiveness, pardon, or atonement. He does not sow awe, obedience, or any other idea common to religious teaching.
What does he sow? He sows the "word." In Greek, the term is logos. It is the word from which we get "logic" in English. It means not only spoken words, but all works of the mind: calculations, values, and judgment. It also means a rule or principle of law.
So, if we assume that Christ is describing himself and his mission, this is the closest he comes to explaining his purpose and how people react to it. Remember, Christ's central message is usually translated as "the kingdom of heaven at hand," or, in a closer translation to the Greek, "the universal rule is underway." If Christ is teaching the "universal rule," it only makes sense that he should be spreading its logic or principles.
The second line of Christ in the Gospels says the importance of this very clearly. When Christ is tempted to turn the stones into bread, he says that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that falls from the mouth of God. In other words, our lives arise not from food, but from the rules of the universe are created by God. These are the words that Christ spreads, the basis of our lives.
"Sower" and "sow" are from speirô (speiro), which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field."
"Word" is from the the Greek logos (logos), which means "word," "computation," "reckoning," and "value." It is also "an explanation," "an argument," or "a rule or principle of law."
posted by Gary Gagliardi at 9:54 PM
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