Albert Barnes Commentary Mark 4:30

"And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?" — Mark 4:30 (ASV)

Whereunto shall we liken, etc. This shows the great concern Jesus had to adapt his instructions to the capacity of his disciples. He sought out the most plain and striking illustrations—an example that all ministers of the gospel should follow.

While pulpit instructions should be dignified—as our Savior's always were—they must also be plain, adapted to the capacity of the audience, and easily understood. To achieve this, the following things are necessary in a minister:

1. Humility. A freedom from a desire to shine and astonish the world with the splendor of his talents, and by his learning and eloquence.
2. Good sense. A satisfaction in being understood.
3. Acquaintance with the habits of thought and manner of speaking among the people. To achieve this, frequent interaction with them is necessary.
4. A good, sound education. It is men of ignorance, with some superficial learning, and with a desire to confuse and astonish people by the use of unintelligible words and by the introduction of material wholly unconnected with the subject, who most often shoot over the heads of the people. Preachers of humility, good sense, and education, however, are content with being understood and are free from the affectation of saying things to amaze and confuse their listeners.

The kingdom of God. See Barnes on Matthew 3:2.