GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 4:34
A Lesson Plan
In teacher education classes, professors always place an emphasis on lesson plans. They emphasize that each subject requires a unique lesson plan. For example, a lesson plan for arithmetic would be quite different from a lesson plan for English. Teachers, then, spend large amounts of time constructing lesson plans. The prudent teacher uses time before class, usually away from the classroom, to construct lesson plans. For the new teacher, constructing lesson plans is a huge task. Once lesson plans are written, they must be constantly updated, amended, enriched, or elaborated. If the emphasis for a class changes, a teacher, even a veteran teacher, has to start building a new lesson plan. For the experienced teacher, though, constructing lesson plans becomes a bit easier, for he or she knows how to undertake the task—perhaps no less time-consuming but a bit more efficient.
A majority of Bible scholars believe that St. Mark received most of his instruction about Jesus from the Apostle Peter. Mark was certainly around other disciples, but most of his instruction came through Peter, one of Jesus’ original disciples. Peter listened to Jesus teach on many different occasions and in different places, so he likely told his young apprentice, “And without a parable, he did not speak to them; however, privately, he explained all things to his disciples.” (Mark 4:34) In this pithy statement, there are two important features of Jesus’ teaching methodology. First, Mark wrote that Jesus used a particular lesson plan: “And without a parable, he did not speak to them.” Early in his ministry, Jesus tried one teaching strategy: he spoke directly to his audience about his mission, his relation to the Father, and the Kingdom of God. However, his audience did not grasp his message, so he switched strategies: he began using parables. He found that method so effective that he switched to using it.
Second, Mark also said that “privately he explained all things to his disciples.” The conscientious student does not go away to forget. He goes away to think over what he has heard. He digests it. The ancient Greek teacher Epictetus lamented that some of his students did not master his lessons. He said that men ought to use the lessons they learned, not to talk about them, but to live by them. When Jesus was alone with his students, his disciples, he built upon what they had heard, made it applicable, and explained it to each individual disciple so they could live by it. These disciples were not only interested in the lesson; they sought to know the teacher himself, for his message lay not only in the lesson but in the person. The student who wishes to learn from Christ must keep company with him. If he does, he will win not only learning but life itself.
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