GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 5:21
A Hill of Beans
The American idiom “that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans” grew out of the agricultural practice of planting beans in small mounds of dirt. In an enormous field, one small mound of dirt with a bean in it seemed insignificant or of little value when compared with the entire field. The phrase appeared in various publications in the mid-19th century to refer to something insignificant or of little consequence. In the 1942 film “Casablanca,” Humphrey Bogart’s character, Rick, said to Ilsa that “the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” That seemingly offhanded phrase became part of the nation’s idiom, referring to something seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
In 1959, my friend Jack introduced me to his friend Alice. That introduction led to a double date, which led to more dates, and to a marriage with Alice that began on June 17, 1961. A seemingly insignificant introduction had major consequences. I dare not say that the introduction did not seem to amount to a hill of beans, but in the grand scheme of things, it was a small event.
A television personality recently told about a woman who went to the counter of a convenience store to purchase a scratch-off lottery ticket. The clerk tore off one ticket and handed it to the woman, who protested that she wanted a different ticket. The next woman in line told the clerk that she would take the ticket, paid the clerk, and he handed her the returned ticket. When the second woman scratched off the ticket, she found that it was worth one million dollars—a seemingly insignificant incident had huge consequences. The refusal of the lottery ticket didn’t seem to amount to a hill of beans.
In a seemingly insignificant sentence, St. Mark said, “And after Jesus had crossed over in the boat again to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was beside the sea.” (Mark 5:21) This sentence could be what some writers call a “beat,” a small fact inserted between important scenes. There was nothing dramatic about the voyage—Jesus and his party got in a boat, traveled north, and got out of the boat—a seemingly insignificant detail not worth a hill of beans. But like many other hills of beans—an innocent introduction or the casual purchase of a lottery ticket—this event had huge consequences. Jesus left one major event, traveled north, and faced another major event. Small, insignificant details are often prologues to major events.
The Prophet Zechariah wrote, “Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” (Zech. 4:10) Men would rejoice to see the king measure out the land for the foundation of the temple—a small thing. Even the largest building begins with the first shovelful of dirt—a small thing. Compared to the huge building the small shovelful of earth doesn’t seem to amount to “a hill of beans.”
Keep your eyes open for the small things—things that don’t seem to amount to a hill of beans.
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