Mark 4

What is a Parable?

Mark 4:1–9 “Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.””

Take this parable at face value. If you were a farmer or a fisherman in the land of Galilee and Jesus just told you this story, what would you think?

Let’s read vs. 10

The disciples were confused too.

Mark 4:10–12 “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’””

What is being said here? What is different about the disciples and Jesus close companions than other people?

Why choose to speak in Parables?

Faith is not easily come by. It takes “work”.

How about that last line.

ESV “Lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

NIV “Otherwise they might turn and believe.”

NASB “Otherwise they might return and be forgiven”

NLT “Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven.”

Why would Jesus say this?

He’s quoting OT scripture. Isaiah 6:9-10

Matthew 13:13–15 “This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”

The simplest answer is that this is another OT prophesy fulfilled by Jesus, that he would speak this way because the Nation of Israel was hardhearted and callous and therefore would not all see the Messiah right before their own eyes.

Mark 4:13–20 “Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. 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. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 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. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.””

So, what’s the meaning of the simple story Jesus told.

Hash this out.

Word of God is spoken by a preacher and people are the soils. Some of it sticks and some of it does not.

Some theologians call this parable the “parable of parables”. Why would they say that?

This parable spoken by Jesus is the foreshadowing of all the other parables he will teach that some will get and some won’t. Further fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah 6.

Mark 4:21–29 “He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.””

What’s our lesson here?

What if maybe he is answering our very question above from the disciples. Why would you hide the truth?

Jesus answer, I’m not hiding the truth, it is there if they will only look to find it. In fact, vs. 24-25

Another possibility is that Jesus is stating that he is illuminating the mysterious Kingdom of God before them through himself. Be careful not to miss it because those who have will be given more and those who don’t will lose what they have.

Mark 4:26-34

The growth of the Kingdom of God.

What are these two parables talking about? Read each and discuss.