According to a standard interpretation, Mark's parable concerning the seed that grows by itself (4, 25-29) is to be understood in the light of its last sentence, in which the commentators detect a reference to Joel. This leads them to identify the harvest with the eschatological judgment and the harvester with God. Suggesting that this interpretation comes up against real difficulties, the author proposes his own interpretation, which emphasizes rather the dynamism inherent in God's Kingdom. Wherever received and welcomed, God's Kingdom will find its way, for it possesses in itself the vital strength that leads to growth and maturity. Two important implications are then drawn from this interpretation.
