Mark 4:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)
Mark 4
The Parable of the Sower
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. 2 He taught them many things by parables, 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.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 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 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 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. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 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.”
Mark 4:1-20 (New International Version, ©2010)
Mark 4
The Parable of the Sower
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. 2 He taught them many things by parables, 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.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 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 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 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. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 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.”
But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, AND MAKE ME UNFRUITFUL. That's me, specially the Worry part. Why can't I just let go??
ReplyDeleteI think that's where all to many of us find ourselves. Sincere, but distracted and unfruitful. Lord help us to throw of the sin that so easily binds us!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that I really liked about this passage is the multiplication at the end. It seems to me that this is about more than just growing our own "fruit of the spirit"--it is about spiritual reproduction! Someone sowed the word in us, and if we grow into healthy plants, we should be producing thirty, sixty, one hundred times what was sown--seeds that can be scattered far and wide.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good challenge for all of us. I don't think I've done much "reproducing" lately, but I'm working on changing that. God doesn't just want us to produce fruit so we can nourish ourselves and the people around us, he wants us to grow and be strong in his word so that we can die to our own purposes and reproduce new believers!
Mark shows us many different groups of people in chapter 3 and then in chapter 4, Jesus begins to speak in parables. In chapter 4, we see the haves and the have nots. Now, Jesus changes the way He teaches and begins to speak in parables. It is given to those who believe Him to understand what He is saying and the ones who have rejected Him and His message are now being cut off from forgiveness (Mark 4:11-12) This is actually showing a judgment of God falling upon those who chose not believe. Just as in Isaiah’s day, Israel was given a chance to get right with God before the impending judgment, so it is in the Lord’s earthly ministry.
ReplyDeleteRemember how John the Baptist asked the Pharisees and Sadduccess, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Also, it is important to keep in mind the message that is being taught at this time: Mark 1:15 KJV And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Staying with the flow of the information given, as I read these parables, I need to keep it in context, which is the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. These parables are now going to give the believing remnant within the nation Israel some added information about how they can make sure they will enter into that kingdom.
Matthew 10:22 KJV And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that ENDURETH TO THE END SHALL BE SAVED.
Such a contrast to the gospel of the grace of God, where the moment one believes that Christ died for their sins, was buried and rose again on the third day, they are, at that moment saved from the penalty of their sins and God imputes His righteousness to them.
In Matthew 3: 7-10, John the Baptist warns the Pharisees and Sadduccees that if the tree does not bring forth good fruit, it is cut down and cast into the fire. Those who are to enter into that earthly kingdom have to bear fruit. With that in mind, only those whose hearts represent the good ground are those that will be saved and enter into the kingdom.
The idea of bearing fruit implies that it is attached to something that is alive.
John 15:1-6 KJV I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Sometimes, I think it does not seem fair that we, in the dispensation of grace, are given so much freely by God as a gift and Israel is going to have to endure so much as they go through that final chastisement (Lev 26, Hebrews 12:6). Do I truly appreciate the “much more” that my Apostle Paul tells me about in Romans 5 and 6?
I have this especially confusing: "...in order that they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven." Why would God not desire that they turn again and be forgiven?
ReplyDeleteI think this passage is definitely getting at the different responses to the hearing of Jesus' message. We must have a fruitful response within ourselves to the hearing of the message.
I also find it very interesting that those around Jesus in v. 10-11 are given a "secret" or "mystery." The word "Sacrament" is derived from this.