Parable of the Soils

Background Context

Who is Jesus? A teacher?

The crowds are flocking to Jesus

They want to hear and they want to see, but they may not all believe

Crowds- He is responding to these crowds

This story meets the crowds head on… helping them to understand their options

The Footpath

its rocky

New Living Translation Chapter 4

As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.

Shallow Soil

New Living Translation Chapter 4

5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.

Thorny Soil

New Living Translation Chapter 4

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8

Fertile Soil

New Living Translation Chapter 4

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

So What

Mark 4:20 “But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.””

Crowds- Calling Out of the Crowd