MARK 4:1-20

ITS PLANTING TIME!

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE STORY

Mark

[1] Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge.

Here we go again! Jesus is on the shore of the lake trying to talk to the crowd. But the crowd is pushing in and causing a problem. Jesus gets in a boat and goes out on the water to get away from the crowd. The lake Galilee was an area of business and pleasure. A great place to draw a crowd. Mark 4:2-8

[2] He taught them many things by parables, What is a parable?

An earthly story that holds a heavenly / spiritual meaning.

Verse 2 continued:

and in his teaching said:

[3] "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."

We have heard this piece of scripture many times.

But, what is the message we should take away from it? A quick review

Sowing seed; especially grain seed, was mostly done by hand; or scattering / broadcasting the seed over the area to be planted. People were well acquainted with the example of sowing seed.

A path is typically an area which is packed soil from much traffic. Seed stands little chance of germinating (hard packed soil and being kicked around by foot traffic) so it was like a big "bird feeder" and the seed was eaten up by the birds.

Rocks typically are a bad place to grow anything. With the little amounts of soil around the rocks the seed actually sprouts quickly due to the warmth of the sun. But then with little shallow root growth and little water, the new tender plants wither and die. Thorns are another detrimental garden problem. Thorns send out many roots close to the surface and not much else can grow. The seed starts growing but basically gets choked out or starved by the thorns and doesn't have the necessary nutrients to produce a grain crop. Basically worthless plants.

Now the seeds that fall on the good soil sprout, take root, grow and produce a crop. Some plants produce a few seeds, some three or more. Some yield many more.

Mark

[9] Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear .

Now this is a statement that makes you think.

Didn't most or all of the people present have ears?

They heard what Jesus said!!!

But did they actually HEAR what he said?

They heard the words but didn't take them to heart. Mark 4:10-12

[1 0] When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. [1 1] He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables [1 2] so that, " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven ! "

Did Jesus just say that he didn't want people to be forgiven?

WOW! So in a more intimate setting Jesus opens up an important truth.

The disciples who have heard his teaching questioned him.

What is this parable about?

The wisdom of Jesus gives an amazing answer.

You already know what it takes to achieve the kingdom of Heaven. But many have heard the WAY / SECRET and have not been enlightened by the Holy Spirit to desire the change required. Once a person truly understands, then true transformation takes place.

Jesus is both revealing and concealing the truth.

The whole point is that without seeking, prayer and humbleness which opens us up to the leading of the Holy Spirit and leads to the TRUTH, then without that leading the truth won't mean a thing. Humbleness defined: Showing a modest / low estimate of one's importance. (Oxfod Dictioary)

1 Corinthians 2:14

[1 4] The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Matthew 7:13-14

[1 3] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. [1 4] But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Mark 4:13-20 NIV

[1 3] Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? [1 4] The farmer sows the word. [1 5] Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. [1 6] Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. [1 7] But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. [1 8] Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; [1 9] but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. [20] Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

At this point Jesus really puts the heat on the disciples. If you don't understand this parable then your hopeless.

They should have understood but didn't.

So Jesus teaches them how to understand.

What should this passage mean to us? Are we in tune with Jesus by:

1. Seeking truth through God's Word?

2. Praying for understanding of God's Word?

3. Humbling ourselves and listening for his guidance as we read God's Word?