The Parable of the Sower, Seed, and Soil (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20)

The Context

—SUMMARY OF MARK: GOSPEL PROJECT VIDEO—

In the previous chapter, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, which caused controversy with the Pharisees, who began plotting how they might kill Jesus (3:6). Jesus left the town of Capernaum and went to the seashore. A large crowd followed him, and Jesus healed many. Afterward, Jesus went up the mountain and appointed the Twelve. When he returned to Capernaum, he was met again by a large crowd that limited his movement. Jesus’s family claimed he was insane, and the scribes accused him of being in league with Satan. Jesus used the allegory of a divided house to rebut their claims. Right before this parable, Jesus received word that his family wanted to speak to him. Remember that previously his family claimed that he was insane. Jesus explained that his family are those who do the will of God.

This parable is in the middle of Mark’s first Act, in which he tells stories that answer the question: Who is Jesus? And the parable expresses that finding the correct answer to that question depends on whether or not a person is truly hearing and observing all the evidence.

In addition, this the first of a series of three parables about seeds. Following this parable is the Parable of the Growing Seed (4:26-29) and the Parable of the Mustard Seed (4:30-32).

The Setting

Jesus used a boat as a pulpit. Verse 1 describes him getting into and sitting in a boat while the crowd was on the shore. Looking back to 3:9, Jesus had instructed the disciples to have a small boat ready, presumable for an “escape” from the crowds who were about to “crush him,” a hyperbolic description of the mass and urgency of the crowd. Instead, the boat became a pulpit, and the sloping beach of the shore served as a “theater” for all to hear Jesus’s teaching clearly.

HOW TERRAIN AFFECTS OUTDOOR SPEECH

Jesus gave numerous speeches around the Sea of Galilee, and the region’s combination of hills, vales, and land ascending away from the shore provided natural amphitheaters for addressing large crowds.

This point was sufficiently proved by an experiment in the 1970s by lay archaeologist B. Cobbey Crisler and professional sound engineer Mark Miles. Crisler and Miles set up equipment at a cove on the shore of the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha, also near Capernaum. They chose this specific location to reproduce the event of Mark 4:1 where Jesus, pressed by the crowd, retreated to a boat from where he presented the parable of the Sower. Crisler and Miles did not use a boat, but a large rock protruding out of the water a little more than thirty feet (ten meters) off the shore served the purpose.

To begin, Miles set up his sound generator on the rock. The device emitted a “shrill, sustained tone” whose signal strength Miles measured while walking away from the shore along a couple lines centered on the rock and radiating outwards at roughly a thirty degree angle. (Think of a thin slice of pie with its point at the rock and the rim on the shore.) The signal was clear all the way to a road about three hundred feet (one hundred meters) distant that runs east-west between Tabgha and Capernaum.

The second experiment involved Crisler’s standing on the rock and breaking balloons while Miles stood at various distances from the shore. Miles clearly detected the bursting balloons—as did everyone else passing along the road during the experiment.

Crisler and Miles initially embarked on investigating whether the natural terrain served as an auditorium with Jesus at the “stage” (the boat) and the crowd in the “seats” (the slopes). But Crisler and Miles unexpectedly found that the reverse also occurred: speech from the “seats” was clearly heard at the “stage.”

Their experiments demonstrated that natural terrain can act as an outdoor auditorium. No doubt Jesus was aware of this and took advantage of natural features around the Sea of Galilee to speak to large crowds. For example, the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand took place somewhere around the city of Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). The feeding of the four thousand occurred in the Decapolis (Mark 8:1–9; see 7:31). Both locations have excellent acoustical topography. In short, natural amphitheaters exist all along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus used them as “public address systems” to teach the crowds.

Yes, the crowds had no problem hearing what Jesus said. But Jesus knew that hearing was not enough. One has to hear with the heart, not just with the ears. Note Jesus’s insistence on hearing in the parable of the sower: He begins the parable with “Listen” (Mark 4:3 ) and ends with “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen” and “Pay attention to what you hear” (4:23–24). How interesting that Jesus used the surrounding terrain both for acoustic enhancement and as an illustration of the receptivity of the human heart to his message.

(Perry G. Phillips, “Natural Amphitheaters along the Sea of Galilee,” in Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels, ed. Barry J. Beitzel and Kristopher A. Lyle, Lexham Geographic Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 267.)

The Characters

A sower: This could be almost anyone in the community. If not the owner of a field, it was common for people to hire themselves out to landowners to work the field. As mentioned above, the sower broadcasted the seed over the entire surface of the prepared field, even to the edges. After the seed was scattered, he used a crude wooden plow to scratch the surface of the soil and work the seed down into the soil.

With this in mind, the sower in the story can represent any believer who is actively “sowing the seeds of the gospel”; in other words, preaching and teaching God’s Word. Ultimately, however, in view of the context of Jesus’ teaching, the sower represents Jesus.

The Hearers: Mark makes it very clear that Jesus told this parable to “a very large crowd” that had gathered around him. Later, “when he was alone” with the Twelve (4:10), Jesus gave a private interpretation of the parable. As one reads through the Gospel of Mark, Jesus continues to grow in popularity. While the Pharisees and others are trying to silence Him, crowds of people continue to flock to Jesus and follow Him wherever He goes. One of the themes in Mark’s Gospel is the movement of people from being a member of the crowd to becoming a follower of Jesus. As we learned a couple of week’s ago when we were asking why Jesus taught in parables, we learned that he did so, so that those with open ears, minds, and hearts would be provoked to know more and truly listen to Jesus’s teachings. Those who were against Jesus and not open to his teachings would be frustrated until they were open to truly listen to what he was teaching.

The Content & Culture

Wheat

Since wheat was a staple of the diet in Palestine, the procedure of raising wheat would have been very familiar to the Lord’s hearers.

Farming

In preparation for sowing the seed, the ground was cleared of all old growth. This caused the entire field to look the same. The sower had no idea of what roots or rocks lay beneath the top soil. The soil was not plowed as is done today, but rather the seed was broadcast by the sower on the surface of the soil. The seed was then scratched into the soil with a primitive wooden implement. The sowing was done before the early rains that caused the seed to germinate. The sower waited through the growing period for the coming of the latter rains that brought the grain to full fruition and thus provided a bountiful harvest.

Seeds

The word seed in Scripture was used in two ways: (1) it refers to agricultural seeds that farmers planted; (2) it also was a metaphor for child-bearing. In Genesis 3:15, we read, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” In the original text, the word for offspring in Hebrew is the word for seed. The biblical world viewed seed as the potential for life.

The Problem

The main problem this parable explores is how the truth of Jesus’ teaching is received and the types of responses we can expect from people.

Jesus’ Answer

Jesus tells the story of a sower who went out to sow seed, scattering it across the field.

Jesus described seed falling on a variety of types of soil: a pathway, rocky soil, thorny (weedy) soil, and good (soft and fertile soil).

What happened after the seed was sown depended upon the type of soil it fell upon.

Birds ate up the seed on the pathway before it had a chance to germinate.

The seed on rocky soil germinated and sprouted, but due to the depth of the soil, the scorching sun above and the rocky base below kept the plant from taking root and it withered away (Jesus used the same word hear as Mark’s word to describe the withered hand of the man Jesus healed in the synagogue (3:1).

Other seed fell on soil that still underneath still contained the roots of thorns and weeds, which grew up along side the wheat and eventually choked it out so that it did not produce fruit.

Still, some seed fell on good soil, which nurtured not only germination, but a strong root, and plenty of nutrients and moisture for the plant to grow and produce an abundant crop.

Interpretation & Application

The Lord himself interpreted the parable in private to his disciples:

The Sower: Though not explicit in the story, the context and setting implies that Jesus is the sower in the story.

The Field: Those who hear Jesus’ words.

The Seed: It represents the Word (and more specifically, Jesus’s teaching about the Kingdom of God.

The Soil: Both the sower and the seed are intrinsically good. However, not all of the field is good. We’ve noted that the responses to Jesus’s words depended on the type of soil that received the word. There are varying responses to the same seed sown by the same sower. The response doesn’t depend on the seed or the sower, but on the soil. This implies that the soil represents the heart of the hearers and their willingness to listen. Jesus explained to the disciples what he meant by these various responses:

The Path: The word was heard by those whom Jesus likened to the footpath that bordered the field. Though seed apparently fell on the footpath when the sower was sowing, because it was on the fringe and not in the field, that seed was not scratched into the soil. Furthermore, the footpath was beaten down and likely too hard for the seed to work its way beneath the surface where it could germinate. Therefore, the seed remained on the surface where birds could easily eat it. Jesus likened the birds to Satan who is opposed to God’s Word and is always at work seeking to prevent God’s Word from germinating in the hearts of people and producing fruit.

Rocky Soil: Jesus likened some hearers to the underlying rock beneath a thin layer of top soil. The rock absorbed the heat of the sun, causing the seed to germinate quickly. However, the top soil was insufficient for roots to grow. Also, any moisture the soil received would quickly evaporate because of the heat. Consequently, the plant withered and died. Jesus compared this to those who initially hear the word but have not depth, so that when distress or persecution comes they fall away as quickly as they began.

Thorny Soil: Jesus compared other hearers to soil that is choked by thorns. Because the field had been purged of the previous year’s growth, the sower would not know that underneath the soil were the roots of thorns. Consequently, when the good seed was sown, it grew up among thorns. The thorns soon choked out the wheat that was in its midst. Jesus explained that this soil pictured the unfruitful life of one who is concerned with the pursuit of wealth, the cares of this life, or with material things.

The Good Soil: The good soil represented one who not only hears the Word but understands it. This process, as Jesus taught elsewhere.

John 16:13–14 CSB

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit causes a person to understand and to appropriate and consequently live by the Word that has been received.

Since the seed is referred to both as the “word of God” (Luke 8:12) and as “the sons of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38), we see that the Word of God will be sown throughout the age through those who are counted as sons of the kingdom. Further, we see that the sower is good and the seed good and that the field gives prospect of a fruitful harvest. However, we note that there are varying responses to the same sowing by the same sower. The response does not depend on the sower or on the seed but on the soil, that is, on the hearer. Some of the good seed was heard by those whom Christ likened to the footpath that bordered the field. This path would not have been plowed after the seed was scattered. The seed could easily be eaten by the birds. Christ likened other hearers to rocky soil. The underlying rock had only a thin layer of soil on it. The rock would absorb the sun’s heat and cause the seed to germinate unusually fast and to have a rapid growth. However, there was not sufficient soil for the roots to grow. Any moisture the soil received would quickly evaporate, and there would be no moisture to sustain the original rapid growth. Therefore the new growth would quickly die. Christ likened other hearers to soil that is choked with thorns. Because the field had been purged of the previous year’s growth, the sower would not know that underneath the soil were the roots of thorns. Consequently, when the good seed was sown, it grew up among thorns. The thorns soon choked out the wheat that was in its midst. Some of the good seed fell on good soil and was able to produce a bountiful harvest.

In interpreting the parable Christ explained what prevented the good seed sown by the sower from coming to fruition. The birds that ate the soil along the path represented Satan, who is antagonistic to the Word of God and seeks to prevent the seed from germinating or coming to harvest. The seed sown on the rocky place germinated but could not put down roots. Our Lord was explaining that lack of growth or lack of depth in the truth will cause a person to fall when persecution or testing comes. The seed that fell among thorns pictured the unfruitful life of one who is concerned with the pursuit of wealth, the cares of this life, or with material things. The good soil represented one who not only hears the Word but understands it. This process, as Jesus taught elsewhere (cf. John 16:13–14), is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who causes a person to understand and to appropriate and consequently live by the Word that has been received. Thus from this first parable in a series, we learn that in the present age there will be a sowing of the Word of God by our Lord (Luke 8:12) and by those whom He calls “the sons of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38). There will be responses that vary, depending on the preparedness of the hearer. In spite of the lack of fruit among three classes of hearers, we are assured that there will be a bountiful harvest.

Bottom Line

Here are a few lessons we can learn from this parable:

There will be sowing of God’s Word, in the power of the Holy Spirit, by Christ’s followers.

There will be a variety of responses by those who hear the gospel.

All hearers face a variety of obstacles to hearing the gospel clearly:

Satan is always at work interfering with sowers and trying to snatch the word from the hearers heart or deceive the hearers from hearing the truth.

We live in a materialistic world, where the pursuit of temporal wealth often causes spiritual blindness and deafness.

Human pride builds defenses against the need for repentance and salvation.

A life-long attachment to sin causes a hardness of the heart, and hinders people from receiving the gospel.

The response to the gospel is dependent on the hearer’s preparedness to hear.

In spite of the lack of fruit among the first three types of hearers, we can be certain that there will be a bountiful harvest in the future.

Isaiah 55:10–11 (CSB)

For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return there without saturating the earth and making it germinate and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

Our Response

Make a commitment and learn how to sow the seeds of the gospel.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of people we know who need salvation.

Be available to consistently serve people with whom we are sharing the gospel, so that their hearts are prepared to respond in a positive way.

loving service can break up the hard soil of their heart

loving service can build a relationship that slowly moves them from the fringe (the pathway) into the field because they are experiencing Jesus through your serving.

the service of speaking God’s truth over time and with love can remove sinful rocks from the soil of their heart so that they can receive the gospel.

consistently sharing the gospel serves to “seed” their hearts with truth so that their hearts become fertile soil where the gospel can germinate and bear fruit.