Mark 4
Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-9)
Jesus left the city to sit by the shore of Lake Galilee. A great multitude gathered, so Jesus entered a boat, using it as a platform to address the multitude on the shore.
The first parable is about a sower who scatters seed in his field. As can happen, the scattered seed does not always land in the best soil. Some fell on the path of hard-packed earth and rock near the field; others fell on unprepared, rocky ground; still others were in good soil, but it was out toward the edges where the weeds easily sprouted, but the rest fell on the fertile field.
Birds ate the seed on the path. The seeds on the rocky soil grew for a while but quickly died because they did not have sufficient roots. The seed on the edges also grew, but the weeds also came up and choked out the wheat. However, the seed on the field grew to produce more seed, though each produced varying amounts.
Jesus ends the parable with the admonition, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:9). In other words, those inclined and able to understand what was said should pay attention to its meaning. It warns that more is being said than what appears on the surface.
It is sometimes difficult to put ourselves in the position of Jesus’ audience, which is hearing his words for the first time. In this parable, we benefit from learning its meaning from Jesus’ later discussion. We have heard preachers talk about these parables many times, and we have pondered them ourselves. Would we have understood the parable any better than the people gathered or Jesus’ disciples if this was our first exposure to it? I highly suspect that most of us would have scratched our heads, thinking, “The words are true, but what’s his point?”
Why Parables? (Mark 4:10-12)
Not surprisingly, the disciples could not figure out what the parable meant. When they could talk to Jesus privately, they asked what it meant and why he was speaking in parables.
Jesus stated that some things his disciples needed to know, the multitude did not need to know. Therefore, he spoke in parables, stories with hidden meanings, while in public so that only those who sought understanding would understand his message. In part, the meaning could be what Paul referred to in I Corinthians 2:6-11: “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:6-11). Thus, one reason for the hidden message was to teach without changing important upcoming events.
The mystery Jesus refers to is discussed at length in the New Testament. A major point in the hidden message was that the kingdom was not limited to the Jews. It would be open to the Gentiles through faith, not physical birth (Romans 16:25-27; Ephesians 1:7-10; 3:1-12; Colossians 1:25-28; I Peter 1:10-12, 20).
Jesus also stated that he spoke in parables to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. The parables are not difficult to understand once you get the sense of how they operate, yet the great religious minds of the day would completely miss the points while humble hearts of common people eager to learn would grasp them. Thus, the lack of understanding would prove how poorly these great minds knew God’s Word. The disciples were particularly blessed because the things they would understand were things prophets in the past eagerly desired to learn but could not do so.
Explanation of the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:13-20)
Understanding the Parable of the Sower is important because it is the foundation for understanding the other parables. As Jesus told his disciples, if you can’t grasp this one, you won't be able to understand the rest.
The key to understanding parables is to identify the symbols: The seed is the word of God being spread, and the ground represents the type of people receiving the word of God. Four types of people are described as receiving the word.
The hard ground of the path represents people who hear the teachings of God, but it doesn’t enter them – that is, it makes no impact in their lives. What little they receive is quickly lost to sin.
The stony ground represents people who gladly receive God's word but have no roots in themselves. That is, their faith is shallow, oftentimes based on the actions of others, and not a faith that comes from a deep personal conviction. Examples would be children who become Christians solely because their parents are Christians or their friends are Christians. When the going gets rough and challenges to their faith arise, these shallow-rooted Christians have nothing to draw upon to sustain them, and they die away.
The thorny ground represents people who receive the word but do not leave the world behind. While trying to hold on to both, the cares and distractions of the world eventually choke out their faith in God (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). An example is people who convert to Christianity because life is hard and they need help, but when the strain of life eases, they no longer see a need for God and slide away.
The good soil represents those who, with noble and good hearts, both hear and understand the word. That is, they accept the word of God because it makes sense to them. They have a personal conviction that it is right, and they find strength in its teachings to carry them through the good and bad times in their lives. These people aren’t just pew sitters. You can see who they are because they are actively involved, bringing others to Christ. They won’t all be equally effective, as circumstances will impact their effectiveness toward God’s cause. Some will bring some to Christ, others will bring many to Christ, but the common trait is that they are winning souls. Luke’s account also reminds us that they do so with patience; they have a long-term view of their work and are willing to invest the effort required even if the results are not seen immediately.
Parable of the Lamp (Mark 4:21-23)
The parable of the lamp warns us not to take the idea of hidden too far. The kingdom spreads across the world in a fashion hidden from the rulers of the world, thus preventing them from stopping it. However, the spread is caused by each individual Christian letting his faith shine before others.
A lamp is worthless if its light is kept hidden. In fact, a hidden light will shortly go out. A lamp is meant to be placed prominently so that its light can reach the dark corners.
The meaning of Mark 4:22 is debated, but I believe Jesus is setting the stage for a detailed discussion that will come later. Jesus used parables not to obscure the gospel's spread but to hide the meaning from those who could cause it damage – just as a newly lit flame is protected in the cup of a hand until the wick ignites. When the time comes, the light of the gospel will need to be publicly displayed to do what was intended. It is the apostles and Christians after them’s responsibility to broadcast the message.
What You Gain from Parables (Mark 4:24-25)
How a person listens to the parables affects what he gains from the parable. The more a person knows, the more he will understand. Those who attentively listen will gain more knowledge, but those who do not have a mind to follow God will not benefit from the teachings (James 1:22-25).
Parable of the Farmer (Mark 4:26-29)
Patience is a required character trait in a farmer. It takes a year’s worth of effort to bring in a crop, and until that crop is gathered, you do not know how effective your efforts have been. The farmer prepares the soil and scatters the seed, but the actual sprouting is not under his control. Exactly how it happens is not something he needs to know. The farmer plants the seed, but God causes it to grow. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (I Corinthians 3:5-7).
Those who work toward spreading the kingdom need reminders that growth doesn’t come all at once. The word of God is scattered, and eventually, some of it grows. Even then, it takes time for the Christian to mature to the point that he can begin spreading the word in turn (I Peter 2:1-3; Hebrews 5:12-14). We may not know how the word causes a Christian to mature, but we can see the results in a Christian’s life.
Some read Mark 4:29 as saying that when a Christian is fully mature, God comes to gather him into His heavenly kingdom. A major problem with this view is that it changes the meaning of who is the farmer. We started by stating that the kingdom (the church) is like a farmer. That meaning should be retained until the end.
A farmer does not benefit from his crop until it is fully matured and has yielded seeds of its own. The church cannot benefit from its work until those it has taught and nurtured to maturity have, in turn, developed the ability to spread the word of God to others. You can see this throughout the world. Some churches grow by leaps and bounds as their members produce an abundant harvest, while others dwindle away because there are not enough seed bearers. The growing churches are often the strongest in faith and love for God. The dying churches are consumed with internal problems.
Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
The next parable focuses on the growth of a seed. Notice how Jesus engages the minds of his audience by asking them first to think of an illustration for the kingdom. He then gives them the perfect illustration. You cannot necessarily tell by looking at the seed's size what the plant's resulting size will be. For example, the mustard plant has extremely tiny seeds, but it can become large enough for birds to roast in its branches when it grows. In Palestine, mustard plants can reach a height of ten feet.
When teaching the word of God, you cannot tell in advance the type of Christian who will result. The seemingly smallest beginning might surprise you by becoming the strongest Christian who is able to bear and support others (Proverbs 4:18). This theme frequently appears in Christ’s teachings (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30).
But here, the focus is on the church. Jesus explains that the church will appear small and insignificant at its beginning, but it will soon grow much larger than anyone would expect (Isaiah 11:9; Malachi 1:11).
Jesus’ Continued Use of Parables (Mark 4:33-34)
Jesus continued to use parables in his public teaching. Jesus' public statements were in parables, but privately, he explained his words so that later, the disciples could spread the message.
Calming of the Sea (Mark 4:35-41)
Jesus tells his disciples to depart for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. We know they eventually land in Gadarenes on the east side of Galilee. We cannot be certain where he departed, but it will likely have been Capernaum on the north. Jesus frequently crossed the sea to reduce the number following him since travel by land was slower and not everyone could access a boat.
A set of boats left the town; as they sailed across the lake, Jesus slept on a cushion in the stern of the boat. Given the demands placed on his time, these crossings gave him a rare opportunity to get some sleep. Though he was God in the flesh, the needs of the flesh must still be satisfied.
A large storm arose while Jesus slept. Because of the location of the Sea of Galilee, sudden squalls are quite common. The waves in this storm were large enough to pour water over the sides and cause the boat to swamp. Fearing they would sink, the disciples woke Jesus and pleaded with him to save them. They could not believe that he had so little concern over their predicament. But he rebuked them for having too little faith.
Where was the lack of faith? After all, they did come to him for help. You see, the disciples knew and acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah. They knew that Jesus had a mission to accomplish. Did they think that God would allow the Christ to drown before that mission was completed? If they thought about it, they should have no cause to fear drowning in a storm-tossed sea.
Jesus tells the storm to be still, and it becomes so. It is not that the winds simply died down. They suddenly stopped. Even if the wind had stopped in a typical situation, the waves would still continue to churn for a while, but they did not. The sea suddenly became still. The disciples were already afraid, but this incredible display of power scared them even more. They had seen Jesus do many miracles in the past, but to see him control a storm with merely a rebuke was a sample of power they had never seen before – or heard of, for that matter. No such power is mentioned as being shown by the prophets in the Old Testament.
