Are You Good Ground?

Mark 4:1–20 NKJV

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have 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 seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Jesus taught many things in parables

What are “parables”?

A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

Why did Jesus use parables?

Jesus used parables to teach “those who are on the outside” (Mark 4:11). To His disciples, He explained the meaning of the parable.

Parables serve to unveil or hide, to enlighten or blind, and to soften or harden (Ezekiel 24:3; Mark 4:12).

Jesus used parables to reveal or expose the hidden condition of the heart. (Matthew 13:11-17).

The Parable of the Soils

This parable has been called “The Parable of the Sower” or “The Parable of the Soils”

It is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke

It is the “mother” of all parables

Mark 4:13 NKJV

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

This parable is an illustration of the ancient method of farming.

The sower possessed good seed.

The seed was sown on four different kinds of soil.

Only one kind of soil yielded an abundant crop.

The parable highlights the understood reality that the condition of the soil will determine the effectiveness of the seed to produce a good crop.

The Seed

The “seed” is the “word” (Mark 4:14), the “word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:19), and the “word of God” (Luke 8:11).

The Sower

The “sower” is the one who declares the word of God, i.e., the preacher, teacher, evangelist, witness, etc.

The Soil

The soil is the human heart. (Mark 4:15)

The soil is determined by the way they “hear” the word of God. (Mark 4:9)

Jesus speaks of four types of “soil” or “ground”

Wayside Ground

They “hear”

They do not understand it

Satan comes immediately and takes the word out of their heart

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NKJV

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Lest they should believe and be saved (Luke 8:12)

Stony Ground

They hear the word

They immediately receive it with joy and gladness (happy and excited) (impulsive, emotional)

They had no root in themselves

There is no depth of earth (shallow-hearted Christians)

They believe for a while

They endure for a time

The soil lacked moisture.

They did not continually water the see with the water of the word.

The sun scorched the plant

Times of temptation

Tribulations and persecutions for the word’s sake

They stumble (offended, slip into questions and disbelief)

The seed withers away

They fall away (i.e., abandon, distance themselves)

Thorny Ground

They hear the word of God

The thorns grew up and choked the seed

The thorns of worldly cares

The thorns of riches (deceitfulness of riches)

The thorns of life’s pleasures (desires for other things, placing a priority on more pleasurable things)

The seed yielded no crop

Good Ground

They hear the word of God

They understand it (its blessings and conditions)

They accept it (they accept it as absolute truth so as to embrace its blessings and conditions)

They bear fruit (yield a crop)

Sprang up (germinated and sprouted)

Increased (grew unto maturity)

Produced (yielded a crop of 30, 60, and 100-fold)

Response to the Word

How will you respond to what you have heard?

Are you good ground?