We are speculating that this parable is a very abbreviated version of The Wheat and Tares Parable of Matthew 13. This speculation is founded on the observation that Mark 4 mentions the Parable of the Sower (4:3-9 and 14-20), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (4:30-32), and other material present in Matthew 13.

However, even if it is a shrunken version of the Wheat and Tares Parable, it never mentions tares, and can certainly be viewed as a little story of its own.

4:26. It may make no difference whatsoever, but it is worthy of note that in Matthew’s account, the parables liken the stories to the “Kingdom of Heaven.” Mark and Luke seem to report Jesus’ words as “Kingdom of God.”

The “man” of this verse we would initially be inclined to identify as Jesus — the sower of the Gospel message. But this creates problems in the next verse. So, it seems best to make this parable a lesson parable as opposed to a prophetic one. The “man” is just a farmer who plants, expecting growth. In other words, it is more of a generic than a specific parable.

4:27. Jesus doesn’t “go to bed” and get up, but a farmer does. The seeming implication of the parable is that the Gospel Age is allowed to progress without any particular interventions — just as a farmer’s field progresses through rainy days, sunny days, days of varying winds and temperatures, etc. In other words, when the message was “planted” at the beginning of the age, the Lord allowed “natural forces” to prevail during the growing season. Jesus alludes to this in the Wheat and Tares Parable when he says, “allow both to grow together until the Harvest.” We would not assume that this means that the Lord didn’t have constant interventions on the Church’s behalf. But he did let everything at least appear to be growing naturally.

4:28. The above interpretation fits the concepts of this verse. Crops “just grow” if soil conditions allow their kind of growth.

The growth of the ultimate (wheat) crop is slow and steady — but with an eventual goal in mind: the wheat. But first there are only grass-like blades. Then comes a blossoming “head.” The blossoms become seeds — the desired fruitage of a wheat stalk.

4:29. When the desired fruitage has appeared, the farmer “immediately” (Revelation 14:15) puts in the sickle “BECAUSE” that was the intent from the beginning.

Other than an outline of the Gospel Age, this parable seems relatively uninteresting. Mark may well have failed to include what Matthew recorded — which makes Matthew’s version vital to Christian history.

If nothing else, however, this Mark version shows God’s age-long patience in developing the crop He wants — and that it will not be recognized until the age has ended.