Parable of The Sower
Notes
Transcript
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Why Mark?
Mark is the shortest and sharpest of the stories about Jesus. Many people think Mark’s gospel was the first to be written, and certainly it has all the punch of a quick story that’s meant to grab you by the collar and make you face the truth about Jesus, about God, and about yourself.
Something interesting about Mark. None of the other gospels present the disciples in such a pervasive negative manner.
Rather than saying they have “little faith” (Matt. 8:26), Mark’s words accused them of having “no faith” (Mark 4:40). In another parallel account, Luke presented the disciples in a most favorable light as he removed altogether Jesus’ rebuke of Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33). It is true that the disciples initially left everything and followed Jesus. But their motives never seem to have been in sync with the Kingdom principles Jesus repeatedly championed.
The more He healed, the blinder they became to His person. The more He taught, the more deaf they became to the truth. Not even the privileged insight bestowed to them (4:11) seem to have enlightened them. They seem to be the poster children for bad disciples. They are constantly described as fearful , they pursued selfish ambition, and they publicly displayed spiritual failure (9:14–29).
Their climactic act as a group was their corporate flight at the moment of Jesus’ arrest (14:5–52). A summary statement about the disciples could be put this way: They gave all they had and tried to the best of their human ability, but in the end they were sinners at heart in need of transformation (6:52). The answer to this discipleship dilemma is found in the Cross, which will change them from the inside out.
Parables Section:
Parables Section:
What is a parable? Why did Jesus use them? How are we to approach them?
A parable is, literally, something “cast alongside” something else. Jesus’ parables were stories that were “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth. His parables were teaching aids and can be thought of as extended analogies or inspired comparisons. A common description of a parable is that it is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
The classic definition of a parable, “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning,” falls short of what the reader will soon encounter from Jesus, for there was nothing self-interpreting about Jesus’ parables. From the disciples’ response in 4:10, we see that the parable of the sower confused or puzzled them rather than making clear Jesus’ instruction. Moreover, Jesus’ explanation regarding the purpose of teaching in parables may be the most baffling passage in the entire book. Jesus’ parables tended to challenge the status quo rather than offer straightforward, story-like explanations.
Parabolic teaching was not original with Jesus. In the Old Testament, the word “parable” may be used in conjunction with other terms such as proverbs, illustrative stories, or even used in conjunction with the concept of “riddle, as if one word is helping to define the other.”
Understanding the meaning and the application of a parable may be best explained by how it compares with other parts of the New Testament. For example, many Christians may find themselves more comfortable when they read the letters of Paul or James, which appear to be based more on principles, precepts, or instructions to follow than on stories that need to be carefully interpreted. Therefore, it might be fair to say that some folks are more “Pauline” in their orientation, while others may find themselves more “gospel” people.3 Though there are most certainly narratives that stand directly behind Paul’s letters, his epistle writing technique is much more prescriptive as he outlines propositional truths that should be integrated into a Christian life. Mark, however, is fashioned into the form of a story. On a whole, it is a parabolic story of the Kingdom, with meaning that does not lie on the surface but demands inquiry to gain insight and requires faith to follow.
For a time in His ministry, Jesus relied heavily on parables. He told many of them; in fact, according to Mark 4:34a, “He did not say anything to them without using a parable.” There are about 35 of Jesus’ parables recorded in the Synoptic Gospels.
It had not always been that way. In the early part of His ministry, Jesus had not used parables. Suddenly, He begins telling parables exclusively, much to the surprise of His disciples, who asked Him, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (Matthew 13:10).
Jesus explained that His use of parables had a two-fold purpose: to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent. In the previous chapter (Matthew 12), the Pharisees had publicly rejected their Messiah and blasphemed the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:22–32). They fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy of a hardhearted, spiritually blind people (Isaiah 6:9–10). Jesus’ response was to begin teaching in parables. Those who, like the Pharisees, had a preconceived bias against the Lord’s teaching would dismiss the parables as irrelevant nonsense. However, those who truly sought the truth would understand.
Jesus made sure His disciples understood the meaning of the parables: “When he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything” (Mark 4:34b).
Interpreting a parable can present some challenges for the student of the Bible. Sometimes, interpretation is easy because the Lord Himself gave the interpretation—the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares are both explained in Matthew 13. Here are some principles that help in interpreting the other parables:
1) Determine the scope of the spiritual truth being presented. Sometimes, a parable is preceded by some introductory words that provide a context. For example, often Jesus preceded a parable with the words “this is what the kingdom of heaven is like.” Also, before the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, we read this: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable” (Luke 18:9). This introduction delineates the subject matter being illustrated (self-righteousness and spiritual pride).
2) Distinguish between the “meat” of the story and what is just ornamentation. In other words, not every detail of a parable carries a deep spiritual meaning. Some details are simply there to help the story seem more realistic. For example, in Jesus’ own interpretation of the Parable of the Sower, He does not comment on the fact that there are four (and only four) different types of soil. That detail was meaningless to the overall point Jesus was making.
3) Compare Scripture with Scripture. This basic principle of hermeneutics is invaluable when studying parables. Jesus’ parables will never contradict the rest of the Word of God, which He came to express (John 12:49). The parables are meant to illustrate doctrine, and the teachings Jesus illuminated are found clearly taught elsewhere in the Bible.
After telling some of His parables, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9, 23). This was a call to listen to the parables, not just as one would listen to an ordinary story but as one who is seeking the truth of God. May God grant us all ears to truly “hear.”
The Soils Section:
The Soils Section:
Read Mark 4:1-12
Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”
When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that
they may indeed look,
and yet not perceive;
they may indeed listen,
and yet not understand;
otherwise, they might turn back
and be forgiven.”
A brief preface may be in order before discussing the parable itself. First, the primary focus should be placed on the fate of the seed and the different kinds of soils upon which it falls rather than the sower. Second, one must remove any preconceived notions about the application of the passage. One of the chief commands in the book of Mark, “to listen” or “to hear,” sets the tone for Jesus as teacher and disciple. This is not a new instruction for first-century Jews since the command “to listen” is also the first word of the prayer every faithful Jew was to recite daily, the Shema (Deut. 6:4). Thus, Jesus’ words form an uninterrupted link with the ancient words of Moses.
This sower did his work with reckless abandon as he scattered and wasted good seed on bad soil. The broadcast method was the farming option of the day. The ground was plowed and then seed was cast liberally. Every farmer knew the risks; some seed would germinate and grow into a healthy harvest, while other seed would be lost for any number of reasons. Nevertheless, the sower was not afraid to sow seed profusely. Thus, Jesus anticipated repeated failure to some degree, even in His own ministry.
Patient endurance in the face of defeat is the call of this parable. Evil certainly falls under the lordship of Jesus, but it does not immediately disappear any more than people will universally respond to the Word of God. Seed is vulnerable to be devoured by birds (4:4), to be scorched by the sun (4:6), or to be choked by other plants (4:7). The closing words, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (4:9), imply that not everyone had ears attuned to Jesus, so not all who encountered His teaching would benefit from Him.
One of the most troubling passages in the entire Gospel is Jesus’ quotation of Isaiah 6:9–10, which He cited as scriptural support for His parabolic teaching model: “so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” (4:12).
I personally wrestled with this one this week. Was jesus intentionally teaching in parables to limit who would turn to him in repentance and would receive forgiveness? This doesn't seem to align with what we know about God?
It is possible to suggest that Jesus was being intentionally hard to understand, thereby excluding individuals from repentance and forgiveness. The original setting of the Isaianic prophecy will illuminate Jesus’ adoption of the quotation. The opening of the book of Isaiah describes the nation of Israel in rebellion against their God (1:2, 5, 23) and living in ignorance (1:3). After five long chapters, the reader senses hopefulness as God revealed himself to the prophet Isaiah in the Temple (6:1–13). In the midst of his call narrative, God informed Isaiah that his preaching would only harden the hearts of the people until God carried out His punishment. Isaiah’s people were just as spiritually blind as the people in Jesus’ day. The kingdom of God is concealed not by God’s divine choice but by human will.
In the case of the Israelites in Isaiah’s day, revelation did not come until destruction and expulsion from the land opened their eyes to reality (Isa. 6:11–13). In Jesus’ day, the mystery of the Kingdom remained concealed to onlookers until they comprehended that it was ushered in by suffering (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34) and servanthood (8:34–38; 10:31, 45). Moreover, this could not be fully realized until after Jesus’ death and resurrection (9:9–10).
This parable is not as much about the sower or the seeds themselves, but its about the type of soil its going into....Or to open it up what type of heart posture is God’s word being planted?
The disciples were understanding this parable....So Jesus actually explains it to them…We later read that He explains all His parables to them in private (4:34)
Read Mark 4:13-20 “Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables? The sower sows the word. Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them. And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.””
“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”. Jesus’ interpretation reframed the metaphor with clear, evangelistic thrusts. Each seed was equated with different types of people and their respective responses to the gospel. Jesus did not allow the parable to be understood as describing a mere intellectual challenge.
Rather, what was unfolding was a cosmic battle being waged between God and Satan.The seed along the path alerts the readers of Mark that Satan comes quickly to snatch away the Word and distort the message. The rest of Mark depicts many such people, predominantly displayed in the behavior of the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, the Herodians, and later in narrative with the chief priests. Upon hearing Jesus, they sought to destroy Him (3:6, 11:18; 12:13; 14:1, 55). Jesus was stating emphatically that disregarding the clear teaching (words) of Jesus is equivalent to having Satan snatch away the word and leave only a human perspective of the world in its place.
“Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy” . But they are incapable of establishing deep roots. “When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” (4:17). The term “fall away” is a key to determining the identity of these people. Many people are initially amazed with Jesus but quickly turn away once trouble appears on the horizon. The people in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth were offended (same word, literally “scandalized”) by Him. Later, at the Last Supper, Jesus predicted that all His disciples will be offended by Him once they discovered His true nature and mission
“Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 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 (4:18–19). Several persons in Mark’s story epitomize this third soil. For example, the rich ruler who came to Jesus seeking answers to eternal questions sensed that the cost of discipleship was far too expensive (10:17–22). The same qualities can be found in the person of Herod, who demonstrated high regard for John the Baptist’s teaching and ministry (6:20), but when life called for him to act on his beliefs, his lust for personal honor choked out any spiritual awakening (6:21–29).
The spiritually aware readers will be simultaneously determining their own soil fate, asking the question, “Where do I stand with reference to Jesus?” The answer is best found in the description of the third soil, the seed sown among thorns. Thomas Boomershine writes insightfully:
The description of the responses of the listeners begins with those who are troubled by the possibility of persecution and progresses to those who allow other concerns such as money or pleasure to affect their hearing of the parables or the Gospel. I would argue, for example, that no listener in the entire history of the reading of Mark’s Gospel from then until now can honestly say that their hearing of parables of the Gospel has not been affected by the possibility of persecution or tribulation, the anxieties of this world, the delight in riches, and the desire for other things.
According to Boomershine, no listener can conclude candidly, “I am the good soil.” The logical progression of the parable prevents it. Thus, Mark subtly led his readers to assume the role of “outsiders.” Furthermore, the dullness of the disciples in later parts of the narrative shows that possessing the mystery itself in no way guarantees proper alignment with the expectations of God.
Finally, some people, “like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop” (4:20). One might expect a detailed explanation to the success of these people. Yet, all Jesus revealed is that they “accept it” (present tense meaning “continually receive it”) and “produce a crop” (present tense meaning “continually bearing fruit”).
Jesus taught that it is one’s obedience to the will of God that is the essence of one’s position in the Kingdom (3:31–35). Mark’s readers will hear the disciples’ behavior analogous with that of “outsiders.” To these twelve men, Jesus had given and interpreted the secret of the kingdom of God. Yet the narrative displays their hubris and hard hearts to be the cause of their ultimate downfall, finally depicted in their total abandonment of Jesus in 14:50. They trusted Jesus on their own terms and primarily on their own comprehension of the events. May we be on guard of falling into a similar fate.
As Christ followers we must go and share the beautiful news of Jesus that He came down lived a perfect life, showed what it means to be a true servant first, suffered and died for our sins and then defeated death once and for all at His resurrection, making salvation possible. But we don’t get to decide what types of soil other people are! we just faithfully go out and speared the seed and allow God to do the work only he can do by growing the seeds!
What Soil am I Section?
What Soil am I Section?
So now comes the question we must all ask ourselves....Which soil are you like?
So now comes the question we must all ask ourselves....Which soil are you like?
Jesus described what the Parable of the Sower means, but let’s take it a step further and put each one into context of today’s living. Where do you stand?
For starters, the seed represents the Word of God. What type of soil is in our hearts will determine whether the seed of God’s Word, love, and grace will flourish within us or not.
1. Seed that fell on the path:
1. Seed that fell on the path:
The Seed that fell on the path is like God’s Word falling on deaf ears – either because it isn’t understood or there is no effort to understand. The message never gets absorbed before it’s snatched away by the evil one.
Is your faith falling on the path? Signs that your faith may be falling on the path:
Do you pray from your heart or do you recite prayers from memory while your thoughts wander?Do you read the Bible? Do you reflect, learn, and grow from reading or does it feel empty?Is Jesus your regular companion or do you think about Him or pray weekly, or less? Or you honestly don’t care to much and only do it because someone you care for does? an you don’t want to disappoint them?
2. Seed that fell on the rocky ground:
2. Seed that fell on the rocky ground:
The Seed that fell on the rocky ground is like getting excited about your New Year’s resolution to lose weight, exercise, or stop some sort of bad habit. You start off the beginning of the year with great enthusiasm but before long, it’s become a chore and it’s easier to forget the resolution and keep doing what you were doing last year.
Many will grab on to the faith in a very surface level way....BUt will quickly let go when the prayer doesn't get answered quick enough....Or we find it to difficult to live the same way we once did....Trying to hold Jesus in one hand…and our sin in the other.....
Is your faith falling on rocky ground? Signs that your faith may be falling on rocky ground:
Do you make time for God in your busy schedule or do you give God time only if you have any left?Does your faith stand up to challenges and criticisms or does it crumble when tested by troubles or doubts?Do you go “all-in” for Jesus, then go for long periods where he’s hardly a thought?
3. Seed that fell among thorns:
3. Seed that fell among thorns:
The Seed that fell among thorns is like wanting something very badly, but letting other things keep getting in the way of accomplishing it. For example, wanting to spend more quality time with your children, but choosing to work unnecessary overtime instead.
Is your faith being choked out by thorns? Signs that your faith may be choking on thorns are:
Do you take an honest look at your faith and strive to grow closer to God or are you satisfied with your current relationship with Him?Do you strive to lead God’s will for your life or do you get drawn away by worldly goals, like wealth, outward beauty, or status?Do you work on building your trust in God or do you get consumed by worldly worries?
4. Seed that fell on good soil:
4. Seed that fell on good soil:
The Seed that fell on good soil is like seeking Jesus with all your heart as He asked us:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13
Good soil makes Jesus a priority. It means making time for Him, rather than trying to squeeze Him into your busy schedule. It means pursuing a personal relationship with Him as you would pursue a relationship with a love interest – getting to know Him, speaking to Him often, trusting Him, making time for Him, and treating Him with love, kindness, and respect. Seeking Jesus is an insatiable longing. The closer you get, the more you want to get even closer. This relationship spills over into the person you are, the way you treat others, and the way you live your life.
Is your faith falling on good soil? (Signs that your faith is falling on good soil are:
Is God’s will the highest priority in your life?Is Jesus a regular part of your day, in your thoughts, prayers, actions?Do you want to learn more, do more, and be more for Jesus?Does your heart swell with Jesus and does it spill over into every aspect of your life?
So what if you’re not the type of soil you want to be? Use this as an opportunity to grow. Make an effort to Seek Jesus
God’s grace is only a whisper away. He only wants us to turn to Him and He’s ready and willing to forgive us and welcome us with open arms.
If you’re not where you want to be spiritually, today is a fresh start to plant your seeds in good soil so you can strengthen your relationship with Jesus as Our Father wills you to do.
Will you make that decisions to repent and turn to Jesus? What are you waiting for? Let The Holy Spirit cultivate the soil of your heart and begin to do a new work in your life......
Week 3 Questions:
1.Did God speak/lay anything on your heart during the service today?
2.Why do you think the disciples didn't understand this parable at first? Why can we sometimes not understand what Jesus is trying to say?
3.What type of soil are you? Do you think you have been different types of soil throughout your life?
4.Would you say your heart is postured towards God? Do you feel you are surrendering and repenting before God daily? Or is your heart postured towards yourself and the world?