And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mark 4:1-20
The Meaning
The Lion teaches, and His preferred method is storytelling.
And while stories have been holding listener’s attention since the dawn of time parables have another purpose as well. Parables always seek to communicate a deeper spiritual truth, hence parables will usually compare or examine two concepts at one time. Sometimes the concepts are opposites, other times they are alike, either way there is a spiritual truth or moral lesson that is being conveyed. Typically one concept or line of thought that is well understood is being used to shed light on another that is not as easily comprehended.
You’ve probably already figured out that it takes an adept spinster to tell a compelling story and share a greater truth within the thread of the story line. In the parable we just read Jesus quotes the book of Isaiah as the reason He teaches in parables:
By using parables Jesus will be able to share the same great truth with everyone but each will receive their hearts desire. Some will listen, but won’t understand. Others will watch but never learn. Still others will listen and watch, but their hearts will be far from Him, hence they will not turn to Him for healing. God has revealed to Isaiah what the result of his ministry will be and in quoting Isaiah Jesus is telling His disciples to expect the same.
Those that want the truth will hear it, and in hearing it they will identify it, listen and heed it, and hold those truths close to their heart. Those that don’t want the truth will never hear it, no matter how plainly it is taught, it will only serve to drive them deeper into their rejection, not only of the plain truth, but also of the truth Himself.
Now that we understand why Jesus taught in parables, how can we learn to unlock the truth hidden within the story? Remember, typically we are comparing one element within the story to another element in real life. Let’s get our feet wet with the concept by looking at a well known Old Testament parable and see if we can grasp the deeper spiritual truth.
Rich Man, Poor Man
In 2 Samuel 11 the context is unfolded. The great King David walks upon the roof top of his residence and is taken with the beauty of Bathsheba. David inquired regarding her and finds out she is the wife of one of his fighting men. Not to be dissuaded he sends for her, they lie together, and she becomes pregnant! David seeks to cover up “Bathshebagate” by sending for Uriah, her husband and his soldier, so that he may lie with her too, and cover up this sordid ordeal.
The problem is that Uriah isn’t complicit with the plan. He feels badly that he is being wined and dined at the King’s table while his buddies are still out there fighting and dying for king and country. Uriah can not bring himself to go and lie with his wife. Having tried everything else David sends a directive to Uriah’s commander by Uriah’s own hand, put Uriah at the front lines where the fighting is fiercest so Uriah will get struck down and die. And so Uriah was struck down, and after mourning Bathsheba went to live at the King’s residence with David and bore him a son.
Some time later the Lord sent David’s friend, trusted advisor, and prophet of God, Nathan, to share a tale of heartache and intrigue.
The comparison is obvious right? The rich man is David, the poor man is Uriah, the rich man owned many things and David had an entire kingdom at his disposal, the poor man owned one lamb, Uriah’s wife is all he had. The rich man could have chosen any one of his lambs to prepare one meal for his guest, hence David could have chosen any woman in his palace but he chose the one that was not his to take. The rich man lost nothing, the poor man lost everything, and so it was with David and Uriah. Uriah had lost everything including his life!
The story has its desired effect, David flies into a rage and pronounces judgment on the rich man, however he still does not recognize the object of the story, Nathan has to identify David as the rich man. The revelation cuts David to the bone. David fears death but Nathan assures him that he will not die, but the son of the adulterous affair will not be so lucky. David had sinned against the Lord and dragged the name of Jehovah through the mud with his actions, David would be forgiven the sin but suffer the consequence.
Sower, Seed, and Soil
Now that we know how to listen and apply the parable let us go back to our story of the Sower and see if we can decipher the meaning and peel back the layers of application.
Before Jesus began to unpack His tale of the seed He asked those present two very important questions that we shouldn’t gloss over.
A farmer throws seed.
At this point four different soils make their appearance in our story.
And while stories have been holding listener’s attention since the dawn of time parables have another purpose as well. Parables always seek to communicate a deeper spiritual truth, hence parables will usually compare or examine two concepts at one time. Sometimes the concepts are opposites, other times they are alike, either way there is a spiritual truth or moral lesson that is being conveyed. Typically one concept or line of thought that is well understood is being used to shed light on another that is not as easily comprehended.
You’ve probably already figured out that it takes an adept spinster to tell a compelling story and share a greater truth within the thread of the story line. In the parable we just read Jesus quotes the book of Isaiah as the reason He teaches in parables:
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Isaiah 6:9-10
By using parables Jesus will be able to share the same great truth with everyone but each will receive their hearts desire. Some will listen, but won’t understand. Others will watch but never learn. Still others will listen and watch, but their hearts will be far from Him, hence they will not turn to Him for healing. God has revealed to Isaiah what the result of his ministry will be and in quoting Isaiah Jesus is telling His disciples to expect the same.
Those that want the truth will hear it, and in hearing it they will identify it, listen and heed it, and hold those truths close to their heart. Those that don’t want the truth will never hear it, no matter how plainly it is taught, it will only serve to drive them deeper into their rejection, not only of the plain truth, but also of the truth Himself.
Now that we understand why Jesus taught in parables, how can we learn to unlock the truth hidden within the story? Remember, typically we are comparing one element within the story to another element in real life. Let’s get our feet wet with the concept by looking at a well known Old Testament parable and see if we can grasp the deeper spiritual truth.
Rich Man, Poor Man
In 2 Samuel 11 the context is unfolded. The great King David walks upon the roof top of his residence and is taken with the beauty of Bathsheba. David inquired regarding her and finds out she is the wife of one of his fighting men. Not to be dissuaded he sends for her, they lie together, and she becomes pregnant! David seeks to cover up “Bathshebagate” by sending for Uriah, her husband and his soldier, so that he may lie with her too, and cover up this sordid ordeal.
The problem is that Uriah isn’t complicit with the plan. He feels badly that he is being wined and dined at the King’s table while his buddies are still out there fighting and dying for king and country. Uriah can not bring himself to go and lie with his wife. Having tried everything else David sends a directive to Uriah’s commander by Uriah’s own hand, put Uriah at the front lines where the fighting is fiercest so Uriah will get struck down and die. And so Uriah was struck down, and after mourning Bathsheba went to live at the King’s residence with David and bore him a son.
But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Samuel 11.27
Some time later the Lord sent David’s friend, trusted advisor, and prophet of God, Nathan, to share a tale of heartache and intrigue.
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
2 Samuel 12.1-4
The comparison is obvious right? The rich man is David, the poor man is Uriah, the rich man owned many things and David had an entire kingdom at his disposal, the poor man owned one lamb, Uriah’s wife is all he had. The rich man could have chosen any one of his lambs to prepare one meal for his guest, hence David could have chosen any woman in his palace but he chose the one that was not his to take. The rich man lost nothing, the poor man lost everything, and so it was with David and Uriah. Uriah had lost everything including his life!
The story has its desired effect, David flies into a rage and pronounces judgment on the rich man, however he still does not recognize the object of the story, Nathan has to identify David as the rich man. The revelation cuts David to the bone. David fears death but Nathan assures him that he will not die, but the son of the adulterous affair will not be so lucky. David had sinned against the Lord and dragged the name of Jehovah through the mud with his actions, David would be forgiven the sin but suffer the consequence.
Sower, Seed, and Soil
Now that we know how to listen and apply the parable let us go back to our story of the Sower and see if we can decipher the meaning and peel back the layers of application.
Before Jesus began to unpack His tale of the seed He asked those present two very important questions that we shouldn’t gloss over.
- Don’t you understand this parable?
- How then will you understand any parable?
A farmer throws seed.
At this point four different soils make their appearance in our story.
- trodden down
- rocky
- thorny
- good
After Jesus’ interlude regarding the purpose of parables and reiteration regarding the importance of this one, He breaks it down.
The farmer (or sower) is not specifically identified however two options readily avail themselves;
- the sower is Jesus, or
- the sower is anyone who throws the seed.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1.1
Since the seed is the Word, which is Christ, then the sower would be anyone who spreads the Word of Christ. So we have the farmer and the seed identified, now come the soil types. The soils are representative of the heart of man. They are identified by the penetration of the seed in the soil.
The soil along the path is hard, trampled down by the feet of man going to and fro upon its surface. The seed that falls along this hard path is subject to be scooped up by birds since there is no penetration and the seed lies along the surface. The birds are identified as Satan, who soars in and scoops up the Word that was sown there. There is no repentance of the heart, no prick of the conscience, no hope for the soul, and no spring of life, and there likely never will be because there never was to begin with. The Word was never able to gain a foothold, it was removed before it could perform its work.
The soil along the rock hears but does not listen, perceives but never understands, and considers but never decides. The seed that falls on this ground makes quick progress and as long as the going is easy will continue its growth. The first sign of resistance signals the beginning of the end for this quick sprouter, it knows not how to overcome obstacles, solve problems, or weather persecution. When the plant has sucked out the last remaining bit of sustenance in the soil the growth spurt will sputter. The plant will turn back, wither, and die.
The soil among the thorns is perhaps the most tragic. The seed sown here is by all outward appearances healthy and robust, ready to burst forth with fruit at any moment. But along the way gets sidetracked by worries, wealth, and want. Worry is like a virus that left unchecked will spread voraciously into every thought, wealth has within its means the capacity to drown out the sorrows of many with the contentment that one has all they need, and the want of more has driven many to the brink of madness and delusion. The Word sown here has been believed but not committed to, the fruit promised, but never fulfilled.
The good soil holds, protects, and nourishes the seed. The seed sown here has heard, believed, accepted, and practiced the gift of the Word. It does not take the Word for granted, refuse to decide, or commit to the Word, it does all those things and more. It produces because it has an abundance of all that is needed in order to go forth and multiply. There is no argument that it heeds, no obstacle that it can’t overcome, and no distraction that changes its focus. The seed here is sold out and committed.
Lion of the Harvest
The harvest is quoted as being thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more than was planted. This can be interpreted one of two ways. Many have looked at the yield and decided the closer one walked with God the more fruitful one would naturally be, however if we put to use another principle for studying the Bible, another alternative emerges that may better fit the passage.
In the city of Corinth division had fractured the church. Paul had swung through on one missionary journey and planted the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of people. Apollos came after and watered the seed that Paul had planted through accurate and eloquent Bible teaching. This caused many in Corinth to call themselves followers of Paul or Apollos!
In writing back to the Corinthian church Paul reminds the believers that Paul and Apollos are just servants of God who do what the Lord has given them to do. In their case Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered, but it was the Lord who made it grow. Paul goes on to say that neither the one who plants or the one who waters are near as important as God who makes the seed grow (1 Cor 3.6). Both the one who plants and the one who waters work together for the same purpose and for the same Master. Both will be rewarded by God.
In John 15.4 Jesus teaches His disciples about the vine and the branches. (I told you we would be getting dirty in this book!) Here Jesus reveals that He is the true grapevine and God the Father is the gardener. God prunes those branches that don’t produce fruit and He prunes those branches that do so they will produce even more. Jesus then exhorts His disciples to remain (reside, abide) in Him (Jesus) so that they will produce fruit. He then warns His disciples saying that those who do remain (reside, abide) in Him will produce fruit but apart from Him they can do nothing!
It is apparent from this passage that Jesus is responsible for the production of the fruit. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and produce the Harvest. We simply need to do as He leads and directs. Note verse six where the warning is repeated but amplified, “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.”
There are three types of soil that produce no fruit and are in danger of being burned up, the uninterested, undecided, and uncommitted. There is one type of soil that nourishes the seed planted, that abides in the true vine, and produces loads of fruit. Which soil are you?
So we see from this passage that our focus is on the work we are doing where God is working! God will provide the increase. We also see that there are no more important people in the work of God. Whether you lead a church, teach Sunday school, prepare meals, mop floors, take out trash, or plan preschool you are engaged in the work of God and you are important. While the speaker may lead people to Christ by his words, you may lead people to Christ by your example. He plants by his sermon, you water by your work, but it is God who makes it all worthwhile.
Gifts and Talents
In the book of Matthew Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. Jesus tells the story of three men who are entrusted with varying sums of money, gold, or talents (a talent is a form of currency used during the time of Jesus) by their Master before going on a long journey. One man is entrusted with five talents or bags of gold, another is entrusted with two, and the last man is given one.
When the master returned he called the slaves together so each could give an accounting of the money he had left with them. The slave to whom five were left had gained five more. The slave to whom two were left had gained two more. The slave to whom one was left had gained none, instead of investing, working, or earning interest he had simply dug a hole and buried the money.
Thus, it would appear that just as the Master had given his slaves differing amounts of gold or talents to begin with so it makes sense that our Lord has given each of us differing gifts and responsibilities. Some of these gifts (or talents) may have the potential to yield more than others, however the focus should not be on the amount produced. The person entrusted with more gifts (or talents) should make the most of what the Lord has given them without looking down on the one who has been given less. The point is that each slave (that’s you and me!) should do the very best with what we have been given and not be concerned with the amount of the yield. If we see yield then we are doing the work! The Lord (our Lion) will be responsible for the amount of the yield. He is after all the Lord of the Harvest!
Let’s also consider why the two slaves were able to multiply their initial investment. The answer is commitment. Who were they committed to? The master of course. What were they committed to? The master’s work. How did they go about the master’s work? One invested and the other worked, each did as they were gifted to do and produced fruit. This is how kingdom work is done!
The warning comes from the slave who buried his treasure. Not only was there no reward, but there was punishment. He operated under wrong assumptions about his master and reaped the consequences. I believe the incorrect thinking and the actions that resulted are very indicative of the way Christians think today. The Jesus of the 21st century seems to be a rather weak and unassuming figure, hardly someone who musters any confidence at all in those that follow him. But as we’ll see in the chapters that follow Jesus was not some enlightened pacifist running around trying to marshal a following. Jesus was much, much more!
The harvest is quoted as being thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times more than was planted. This can be interpreted one of two ways. Many have looked at the yield and decided the closer one walked with God the more fruitful one would naturally be, however if we put to use another principle for studying the Bible, another alternative emerges that may better fit the passage.
In the city of Corinth division had fractured the church. Paul had swung through on one missionary journey and planted the seed of the Word of God in the hearts of people. Apollos came after and watered the seed that Paul had planted through accurate and eloquent Bible teaching. This caused many in Corinth to call themselves followers of Paul or Apollos!
In writing back to the Corinthian church Paul reminds the believers that Paul and Apollos are just servants of God who do what the Lord has given them to do. In their case Paul planted the seed, Apollos watered, but it was the Lord who made it grow. Paul goes on to say that neither the one who plants or the one who waters are near as important as God who makes the seed grow (1 Cor 3.6). Both the one who plants and the one who waters work together for the same purpose and for the same Master. Both will be rewarded by God.
In John 15.4 Jesus teaches His disciples about the vine and the branches. (I told you we would be getting dirty in this book!) Here Jesus reveals that He is the true grapevine and God the Father is the gardener. God prunes those branches that don’t produce fruit and He prunes those branches that do so they will produce even more. Jesus then exhorts His disciples to remain (reside, abide) in Him (Jesus) so that they will produce fruit. He then warns His disciples saying that those who do remain (reside, abide) in Him will produce fruit but apart from Him they can do nothing!
It is apparent from this passage that Jesus is responsible for the production of the fruit. If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and produce the Harvest. We simply need to do as He leads and directs. Note verse six where the warning is repeated but amplified, “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.”
There are three types of soil that produce no fruit and are in danger of being burned up, the uninterested, undecided, and uncommitted. There is one type of soil that nourishes the seed planted, that abides in the true vine, and produces loads of fruit. Which soil are you?
So we see from this passage that our focus is on the work we are doing where God is working! God will provide the increase. We also see that there are no more important people in the work of God. Whether you lead a church, teach Sunday school, prepare meals, mop floors, take out trash, or plan preschool you are engaged in the work of God and you are important. While the speaker may lead people to Christ by his words, you may lead people to Christ by your example. He plants by his sermon, you water by your work, but it is God who makes it all worthwhile.
Gifts and Talents
In the book of Matthew Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. Jesus tells the story of three men who are entrusted with varying sums of money, gold, or talents (a talent is a form of currency used during the time of Jesus) by their Master before going on a long journey. One man is entrusted with five talents or bags of gold, another is entrusted with two, and the last man is given one.
When the master returned he called the slaves together so each could give an accounting of the money he had left with them. The slave to whom five were left had gained five more. The slave to whom two were left had gained two more. The slave to whom one was left had gained none, instead of investing, working, or earning interest he had simply dug a hole and buried the money.
Thus, it would appear that just as the Master had given his slaves differing amounts of gold or talents to begin with so it makes sense that our Lord has given each of us differing gifts and responsibilities. Some of these gifts (or talents) may have the potential to yield more than others, however the focus should not be on the amount produced. The person entrusted with more gifts (or talents) should make the most of what the Lord has given them without looking down on the one who has been given less. The point is that each slave (that’s you and me!) should do the very best with what we have been given and not be concerned with the amount of the yield. If we see yield then we are doing the work! The Lord (our Lion) will be responsible for the amount of the yield. He is after all the Lord of the Harvest!
Let’s also consider why the two slaves were able to multiply their initial investment. The answer is commitment. Who were they committed to? The master of course. What were they committed to? The master’s work. How did they go about the master’s work? One invested and the other worked, each did as they were gifted to do and produced fruit. This is how kingdom work is done!
The warning comes from the slave who buried his treasure. Not only was there no reward, but there was punishment. He operated under wrong assumptions about his master and reaped the consequences. I believe the incorrect thinking and the actions that resulted are very indicative of the way Christians think today. The Jesus of the 21st century seems to be a rather weak and unassuming figure, hardly someone who musters any confidence at all in those that follow him. But as we’ll see in the chapters that follow Jesus was not some enlightened pacifist running around trying to marshal a following. Jesus was much, much more!
Contemplate
So to wrap up our parable of the sower, the good seed sown in good soil will produce. They have heard the word, accepted it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times what was sown. Our job is to remain committed to the seed that was entrusted to us, keep it, protect it, and watch it bear fruit when and where the Lord allows. Then rejoice when we see the Lord at work.
How often has something peeked your interest, i.e. losing weight, learning a different language, or continuing your education, but you never thought much about it again until a situation cropped up that made you think about it?
How many times have you actually had the wherewithal to actually sit down and make a plan to start something but after getting into it you realized there was far more to making your plan a reality that you had envisioned? So, after a couple of starts and stops you decided this just wasn’t the right time in your life for this particular endeavor.
Or perhaps you were actually on your way to accomplishing something in your life that would make a difference. You had planned accordingly, stuck to your plan, but inevitably those realities of life kept popping up. In all likelihood they weren’t little things either, perhaps it was a change in your work situation, a family crisis, or a friend going through a difficult time that stole your time and zapped your energy.
There a ton of good reasons why we fail to do the things we ought to do. I’m sure you can come up with many more than I have, but in the end it all boils down to a lack of commitment. If you are sold out to accomplish something I assure you that you will. You will overcome any obstacle to make it a reality. I’ve seen people overcome enormous difficulty to make something happen. And guess what, they aren’t any better than you are! You can do the same, it just takes commitment.
Now that we have examined the soils let’s take a closer look at the seed. Most farmers I know have a pretty good idea what kind of fruit they expect from a certain seed. You wouldn’t plant a seed for watermelon if you wanted to grow cantaloupe for instance, so you would make sure you had the right kind of seed to produce the fruit you were looking to grow.
Can we know what kind of fruit God is seeking to grow in us? Of course we can, follow me to a little church in Galatia and a letter written long ago.
So to wrap up our parable of the sower, the good seed sown in good soil will produce. They have heard the word, accepted it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times what was sown. Our job is to remain committed to the seed that was entrusted to us, keep it, protect it, and watch it bear fruit when and where the Lord allows. Then rejoice when we see the Lord at work.
How often has something peeked your interest, i.e. losing weight, learning a different language, or continuing your education, but you never thought much about it again until a situation cropped up that made you think about it?
How many times have you actually had the wherewithal to actually sit down and make a plan to start something but after getting into it you realized there was far more to making your plan a reality that you had envisioned? So, after a couple of starts and stops you decided this just wasn’t the right time in your life for this particular endeavor.
Or perhaps you were actually on your way to accomplishing something in your life that would make a difference. You had planned accordingly, stuck to your plan, but inevitably those realities of life kept popping up. In all likelihood they weren’t little things either, perhaps it was a change in your work situation, a family crisis, or a friend going through a difficult time that stole your time and zapped your energy.
There a ton of good reasons why we fail to do the things we ought to do. I’m sure you can come up with many more than I have, but in the end it all boils down to a lack of commitment. If you are sold out to accomplish something I assure you that you will. You will overcome any obstacle to make it a reality. I’ve seen people overcome enormous difficulty to make something happen. And guess what, they aren’t any better than you are! You can do the same, it just takes commitment.
Now that we have examined the soils let’s take a closer look at the seed. Most farmers I know have a pretty good idea what kind of fruit they expect from a certain seed. You wouldn’t plant a seed for watermelon if you wanted to grow cantaloupe for instance, so you would make sure you had the right kind of seed to produce the fruit you were looking to grow.
Can we know what kind of fruit God is seeking to grow in us? Of course we can, follow me to a little church in Galatia and a letter written long ago.
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