Walking With Jesus: Mark's Gospel, Chapter 4

Sowing Good Seed

Another time He began teaching by the sea. And a very big crowd was gathered together to hear Him — so many people that He had to sit in a boat out on the water, with the crowd gathered along the shore down by the water. He was using illustrations and stories to teach them many things.

As He taught, He said, “Listen to this. Look! The fellow who sows seed went out to sow. And it so happened as he scattered the seed, that some fell along the road, and the birds of the sky came and ate all of it. Other seed fell in a rocky area where the dirt is shallow. Now these sprang up quickly, since there was no depth of soil. But they were scorched when the sun came up, and since they had no root, they dried up. And other seed fell into the thorns, but the thorns grew bigger and choked them, so they produced no fruit.

“But the other seed fell into good soil, and it produced fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, and some sixty, and some a hundred times.”

Then He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Now when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the illustration. And He said to them, “It has been given to you to know the mystery of God’s kingdom. But to those outside everything appears as symbolic illustrations, so that seeing they may see, yet not recognize, and hearing they may hear, but not understand. Otherwise, they would turn [to God] at any time and their sins would be forgiven.”

Then He asked them, “Can’t you see the meaning? How then will you understand all parables?

“The sower scatters the Word [of God]. And these are the ones by the road, where the Word is sown: When they hear, Satan comes immediately and steals the Word that was sown in their hearts. Likewise, the ones sown in rocky areas are those who receive the Word with joy as soon as they hear it. But having no root in themselves, they don’t last. As soon as trouble or mistreatment comes along because of the Word, they topple over.

“And the ones sown among the thorns are people who listen to the Word, but their worries about this life, and the false glitter of riches, and the desires for other things come in and choke out the Word, so that it produces no change in their lives.

“But these are the ones sown on good ground: They hear the Word and take it into their hearts, and their lives produce fruit, some thirty, others sixty, and others a hundred-fold.”

He then said to the people, “Who would bring in a candle and then put it under a basket or under the bed? Isn’t it put in a candleholder? So then, every hidden thing shall be made plainly visible to all; whatever has been concealed shall be opened up. Whoever has ears to hear, let him listen.”

Then He told them, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you measure out, it will be measured back to you. And to you who listen, more shall be given. For anyone at all who has [faith], to that person more will be given. And to the one who has none? Even what little he has will be taken from him.”

Then He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man scattering seeds on the ground, and then he sleeps and rises, night and day. The seed springs up and grows tall. He doesn’t know how. Because the soil itself produces the results: first a green shoot, then a top, and then a full head of grain. Yet when the grain offers itself, he immediately sends out the sickle, because the harvest is ready.”

He also said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what will we use to illustrate it? It’s like a tiny mustard seed, which when it is being sown on the dirt, is the smallest of all the seeds in the soil. But after it is sown, it grows up to become largest of all the herbs, making branches so big that the birds of the sky can roost in its shade.”

And He spoke the Word to them with many illustrations such as these, according to their ability to receive it. And He didn’t speak to them except by parables. But in private He explained everything to His own disciples.

Commanding the Elements

Now that same day, as evening arrived, He said to the disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side.” So they sent the crowd away, got into the boat with Him and left. Other small boats also went along with Him.

Then a huge storm developed, with fierce winds. And the waves came crashing into the boat, quickly filling it up. But Jesus lay on the cushion in the back of the boat, sleeping. The men woke Him up, saying, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re being destroyed?”

And being stirred awake, He rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be still! Settle down!” And the wind suddenly stopped, and there was a great calm. Then He said to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you still have no faith?”

And they became even more terrified, asking each another, “Just who is this man, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

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