Feb 13, 2020 4 min read

February 13: Mark 4

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

4 Once again Jesus went to teach the people on the shore of Lake Galilee^[a] and a massive crowd surrounded him. The crowd was so huge that he had to get into a boat and teach the people from there. ²He taught them many things by using parables^[b] to illustrate spiritual truths, saying:

³“Consider this: A farmer went out to sow seeds. ⁴As he cast his seeds some of it fell along the beaten path and soon the birds came and ate it. ⁵Other seeds fell onto gravel with no topsoil and the seeds quickly sprouted since the soil had no depth. ⁶But when the days grew hot, the sprouts were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. ⁷Other seeds fell among the thorns, so when the seeds sprouted so did the thorns, crowding out the young plants so that they could produce no grain. ⁸But some of the seeds fell onto good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty—and some even one hundred times as much as was planted! ⁹If you understand this, then you need to respond.”^[c]

The Purpose of Parables

¹⁰Afterwards, Jesus, his disciples and those close to him remained behind to ask Jesus about his parables. ¹¹He said to them, “The privilege of intimately knowing the mystery of God’s kingdom realm has been granted to you, but not to the others,^[d] where everything is revealed in parables.

¹²“For even when they see what I do, they will not understand, and when they, hear what I say, they will learn nothing, otherwise they would repent and be forgiven.”^[e]

¹³Then he said to them, “If you don’t understand this parable, how will you understand any parable? ¹⁴Let me explain: The farmer sows the Word as seed, ¹⁵and what falls on the beaten path represents those who hear the Word, but immediately Satan appears and snatches it from their hearts. ¹⁶The seed sown on gravel represents those who hear the Word and receive it joyfully, ¹⁷but because their hearts fail to sink a deep root into the Word, they don’t endure for long. For when trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, they immediately wilt and fall away. ¹⁸And the seed sown among thorns represents those who hear the Word, ¹⁹but they allow the cares of this life and the seduction of wealth and the desires for other things to crowd out and choke the Word so that it produces nothing.

²⁰“But the seed sown on good soil represents those who open their hearts to receive the Word and their lives bear good fruit—some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times more than was sown!”

Parable of the Lamp

²¹He also gave them this parable: “No one lights a lamp^[f] only to place it under a basket or under the bed. It is meant to be placed on a lampstand. ²²For there is nothing that is hidden that won’t be disclosed, and there is no secret that won’t be brought out into the light! ²³If you understand what I’m saying, you need to respond!”^[g]

²⁴Then he said to them, “Be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything you hear, for as you do, more understanding will be given to you. And according to the depth of your longing to understand,^[h] much more will be added to you. ²⁵For those who listen with open hearts will receive more revelation. But those who don’t listen with open hearts will lose what little they think they have!”^[i]

Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶Jesus also told them this parable: “God’s kingdom realm is like someone spreading seed on the ground. ²⁷He goes to bed and gets up, day after day, and the seed sprouts and grows tall, though he knows not how. ²⁸All by itself it sprouts, and the soil produces a crop; first the green stem, then the head on the stalk, and then the fully developed grain in the head. ²⁹Then, when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts the sickle to the grain, because harvest time has come.”^[j]

Parable of the Tiny Mustard Seed

³⁰And he told them this parable: “How can I describe God’s kingdom realm? Let me illustrate it with this parable. ³¹It is like the mustard seed, the tiniest of all the seeds, ³²yet when it springs up and grows, it becomes the largest plant in the garden. And with so many enormous spreading branches, even birds can nest in its shade.”^[k]

Jesus Always Taught Using Parables

³³Jesus used many parables such as these as he taught the people, and they learned according to their ability to understand. ³⁴He never spoke to them without using parables, but would wait until they were alone before he explained their meanings to his disciples.^[l]

Jesus Stills a Storm

³⁵Later that day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶After they had sent the crowd away, they shoved off from shore with him, as he had been teaching from the boat,^[m] and there were other boats that sailed with them. ³⁷Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious tempest arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was all but swamped.^[n] ³⁸But Jesus was calmly sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion. ³⁹So they shook him awake, saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!” Fully awake, he rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Hush! Calm down!” All at once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm.

⁴⁰Then he turned to his disciples and said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Haven’t you learned to trust yet?” ⁴¹But they were overwhelmed with fear and awe and said to one another, “Who is this man who has such authority that even the wind and waves obey him?”