Matthew and Mark, Peter the Rock and Rocky Soil

[patrick457]

Interestingly this parable was the subject of the gospel reading this past Sunday. In the gospel reading Jesus, intrerprets the parable of the sower. To say that this somehow applies to Peter by trying to draw some connection between Petros and “rocky ground” is tenuous at best. The Gospel says that the seed that fell on rocky ground withered away. Peter didn’t wither away. He went through a period of trial but withered away? Hardly.

For the record, I’ve first heard of this idea from Mary Ann Tolbert’s Sowing the Gospel: Mark’s Work in Literary-Historical Perspective.

In Tolbert’s reading, the key focus in Mark is not on the seed, but on the kind of ground onto which it falls. Thus, the parable (which for her functions as an introduction to the first half of Mark’s gospel, which in her interpretation runs from 1:14 to 10:52) introduces the typology for each of the major groups in the story. In addition, the parable also functions as a synopsis of the next section.

Seed on the footpath=scribes, Pharisees, Jewish leaders
Seed on rocky ground=the disciples, especially Peter, James and John
Seed among thorns=Herod (6:14-29), rich young man (10:17-22), possibly also Pilate
Seed on good soil=those healed by their faith

Another interesting thing is, the name Satan only appears four times within Mark’s gospel. Two of these instances include 4:1-20 (the parable proper) and 8:31-33 (Jesus’ rebuke to Peter). The way Mark crafts his narrative, one can’t help but wonder at any connections:

And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

So it goes double ways: by opposing God’s plan, Peter and the disciples have also made themselves the victims of Satan’s attempt to take away the word that has just been sown in them (Peter’s confession of Jesus’ true identity in 27-29?)

 

[Big_Ro]

I have been meaning to come back to this thread for quite some time. I originally encountered it when you first started it patrick457. You may not believe it but I had an interesting coincidence regarding the parable and your take on it. I am no scholar nor do I profess and expert knowledge of the bible as you seem to posses. I am an ordinary man on a journey to our Lord.

In any case, I was preparing for Mass by reading the daily scripture one Sunday morning. This was the Gospel reading. I have read the parable many many times and have even read several commentaries and expositions on it on various occaisions. So, like most people, I figured I had a pretty good handle on it. I had never read anything which followed your line of thinking. As I read it though, I was struck by an unusual thought. I came to the very same conclusion as you. The parable is very much describing Peter’s journey with Christ. It was a tremendously powerful experience. It was like I was blinded to it and suddenly given sight. So, I decided to come this forum and post a thread and see if anyone else had ever heard of this line of thinking. And pow!! There was your thread. The Lord’s ways are mysterious indeed!

I think though that we could extend this line of thought further. I believe we could apply it to the development of the Church itself and to how an individual might dvelop a fullness of faith over a lifetime. I had always looked at it as describing three seperate groups of belivers, or unbelievers, as it were, but now see that Christ may be actually telling us that in our journey we may occupy one or more of those categories. To me, it’s a tremendous message of hope. We may have our eyes distracted from his truth for a time. The ways of the world my weigh us down or keep us from living fully in him. But, there is always an opportunity to return to a state of being that rich soil that produces ten fold.

Are you aware of any literature that extends the thought this far out?

 

[patrick457]

I have been meaning to come back to this thread for quite some time. I originally encountered it when you first started it patrick457. You may not believe it but I had an interesting coincidence regarding the parable and your take on it. I am no scholar nor do I profess and expert knowledge of the bible as you seem to posses. I am an ordinary man on a journey to our Lord.

In any case, I was preparing for Mass by reading the daily scripture one Sunday morning. This was the Gospel reading. I have read the parable many many times and have even read several commentaries and expositions on it on various occaisions. So, like most people, I figured I had a pretty good handle on it. I had never read anything which followed your line of thinking. As I read it though, I was struck by an unusual thought. I came to the very same conclusion as you. The parable is very much describing Peter’s journey with Christ. It was a tremendously powerful experience. It was like I was blinded to it and suddenly given sight. So, I decided to come this forum and post a thread and see if anyone else had ever heard of this line of thinking. And pow!! There was your thread. The Lord’s ways are mysterious indeed!

I think though that we could extend this line of thought further. I believe we could apply it to the development of the Church itself and to how an individual might dvelop a fullness of faith over a lifetime. I had always looked at it as describing three seperate groups of belivers, or unbelievers, as it were, but now see that Christ may be actually telling us that in our journey we may occupy one or more of those categories. To me, it’s a tremendous message of hope. We may have our eyes distracted from his truth for a time. The ways of the world my weigh us down or keep us from living fully in him. But, there is always an opportunity to return to a state of being that rich soil that produces ten fold.

Are you aware of any literature that extends the thought this far out?

Well, as I mentioned, the grand poobah of this whole idea is Mary Ann Tolbert and her work, Sowing the Gospel: Mark’s Work in Literary-Historical Perspective.