The reflection day theme is “make A Difference”. Your whole group will have a reflection day, which is when they reflect on the past year. The Youth Mission Team will also be performing and engaging in activities about the positive impact of the bible on youth today. The Gospel of Mark contains many messages and themes that can be understood by a wide audience. To ensure that they enjoy the day, I will engage the audience as much and as often as possible on the day of the year-9 Reflection Day. The best way to do this is to have volunteers from the year 9 help create a play depicting the?Parable of the Sower. This scripture passage is (?Mark 3:17 – 6/6a). Year 9 will then break into smaller groups and create artwork that reflects the Parable of the Sower. I will create a play to communicate my chosen message or theme in an unconventional way. The Parable of the Sower is about a sower that scatters seeds onto four types of ground. The seeds were prevented from growing because of the hard ground. Bird seed is formed when the seeds are unable to grow on the hard ground. The stony ground is sufficient soil to allow the seeds grow. However the plants fail to take root and become wilted in the sun. Although the thorny earth allows the seeds to grow, it chokes out the plants’ lives. The good ground eventually receives and produces the seed. This parable will engage Year 9 students. Every person receives the Word, but each person interprets it differently. I will be encouraging them to develop their faith through activities.
The Gospel according Mark is second in the New Testament. The Gospel of Mark was the shortest of all the gospels. It’s also believed to be the oldest gospel. It was written in the 70’s just before the destruction of Jesus Temple. The Gospel of Mark has three acts or sections. Act 1 takes place at the Galilee. This section focuses on Jesus and his power to bring God’s kingdom to Earth. Jesus healed the sick and oppressed, while at the same time forgiving their sins. Act 2 (called “on the way”) focuses on the struggles of the disciples to understand why Jesus is the messiah. Act 3 portrays Holy Week in addition to Jesus’ crucifixion. Some believe Mark never completed his gospel because he wanted to emphasize to the reader the shocking claim of Jesus’ resurrection and crucified status as Messiah. The four gospel writers found in the New Testament include Matthew, Mark and Luke. They are called the Evangelists. A evangelist is someone who seeks out people to convert to Christianity. They are often depicted according to their attributes. For example, there is the Angel of Saint Matthew, Saint Mark’s Lion, Saint Mark’s Ox, Saint Luke’s Ox, Saint John’s Eagle, and Saint Mark’s Lion. These symbols can be used to represent the Evangelists in some cases. St Mark is portrayed as a winged-lion, but it’s also possible to show a book that contains his gospel. The winged-lion symbol is used to signify a unique sign and source of power. The symbol of Saint Mark has no political or official meaning. However, it does have a religious and popular origin. The wingedlion is symbolic of a parish family that is active, healthy, strong, and in motion. It’s similar to Jesus Christ within the gospels of Mark. I chose Mark 3:7-6.6a as my scripture reading, with a particular focus on the Parable of the Sower (4.1-20). The Parable of the Sower displays a variety of messages and themes. From my chosen scripture, the most important themes can be drawn from are God’s unfailing Love for Us and Truths about God’s Kingdom. It is simply the seed of the good message of Jesus that Jesus’ disciples tell throughout the Parable of the Sower. The story’s farmer sows four seeds in different locations, just like Christians spread God’s news to many places. The seed’s physical growth will depend on where it is planted. In the case of Christians, the good news is that it can have positive or negative results for different people. The Parable of the Sower contains many messages that can be applied to students in year 9. This parable has many lessons for us. This means God will bless the disciples who trust and love him. We can see many similarities between this parable and the beatitudes.
Jesus said, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. Those on the outside hear only stories and parables, but those on the inside understand the true meaning.” – He stated to them that the secret of God’s kingdom had been revealed to him. The scripture refers to the fact that many things are important to people and they want to know more. If they cannot understand the Gospel messages and truths, then how can they learn anything more difficult? This is how we can understand the privileges that Christ followers enjoy. This is a reference that reveals the truths of God’s kingdom, which was one my key themes.
Jesus said, “The one who hears what I have to say and puts it into practice is the one who will be blessed.” (Mark 4:20) – “Others,” Mark 4:20. The Parable speaks of Christ’s followers who receive the Word from God. These followers will do all they can to show God that God loves them if the Word is received.
Jesus said, “The most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two most important commandments and all the other commandments come from these two.” Jesus answered, “The most significant one” ?Love God with all you heart and soul. The scripture reference asks us balance the two greatest commands which are to love God and to love our neighbors. These two commandments are fundamental to the Christian faith. We must follow them in order for God to reveal the truths about His kingdom and show us God’s unconditional love.
I needed to establish a research question relevant to the unit of my study, which was the Gospel of Mark. The focus was on young people. My research question was very specific and I needed to be able to draw from a variety of sources. This task was enjoyable because there were many options and choices to make. I also felt that it allowed me to have fun while answering my research question. This task was also enjoyable because I had to choose the research topic. I had a great time researching the Gospel of Mark and focusing on its relevance for today’s young people. On their reflection day, I was able create an interactive and fun activity (play + creation/creation of art) for year 9. The Gospel of Mark has three acts which give details about Jesus’ ministry and life. Mark, the author of one of The Gospels, is assigned a symbol that reflects his attributes. I was able find out that Mark’s symbol represents authority and power. The task began with the selection of a scripture passage. Mark 3 to 7 to 6:6a was the chosen scripture passage. It had a focus specifically on the Parable of the Sower. It tells readers about the spread of the gospel in many places and the possible impact it has on Christians. I was able find information through research and my question.
The Parable of the Sower highlights a broad range of themes and messages. The Parable of the Sower was chosen over the entire scripture text because it had key ideas that I could relate to. Jesus explains that the seed described in this Parable is a symbol of God’s Word. It is either sown by Christian followers or spread around the globe. Teenagers can struggle to understand religion and faith. The parable does not say that God will grant you blessings if your faith and trust is in him. His followers can discover many truths about God’s kingdom and unfailing love through their love. The parable teaches us about the wide range of people who live on this planet. Every person will react differently to the Gospel message. It depends on how the people interpret it.
Bibliography
Arte 2000 (2018), ‘The Lion of Saint Mark,’ viewed 17 August 2019.
Bible Gateway, 2011 – ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ viewed 13 August 2019,
Bible Hub, N.D., “Mark 4:11”, viewed on 19 August 2019
Bible Hub, 19th August 2019, ‘Mark 4.20’.
Bible Study Tools – Mark 12:29-31, viewed 19th Aug
Ditzel P. 2010, ‘The Parable of Jesus, viewed 13 August 2019
Encyclopedia.com. Mark, Gospel according To’, viewed on 14 August 2019.
Questions, 2019 – “What is the significance of the Parable of the Sower?” viewed 13 August 2019.
Jesus Film Project 2018, “What is the Parable of the Sower?” viewed 14 August 2019.
Saint Mark Parish, N.D., “Meanings Of Our Winged Lion”, viewed 15th August 2019,
Study guide, n.d. ‘The Four Evangelists,’ viewed 13 August 2019,
Wycliffe Associates. 2005. ‘Jesus Teach with Stories’. Viewed 13th August 2019.
