Mark 1.2

Good morning church! It’s so good to see you this morning.

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This morning, we are continuing in week 2 of this dive through the first 8 chapters of Mark as we look at Jesus’ ministry to the multitudes. We will look at Mark 4 shortly.

In the first four books of the New Testament that we call Gospels, the authors tell us a ton about Jesus’s life on earth. We hear of his travels, of the miracles he performed, and of some of his practices like getting alone to pray. But what we see more than anything are large blocks of Jesus’ teaching. He spoke some very difficult to hear things at times, very convicting things. He was a master teacher who knew how to engage his audience with real life examples.

One of the ways he chose to teach was through parables. This was a teaching technique that came across super practical. It was a fictitious story that proved a point. But the meaning wasn’t always really easy to see. The listener was forced to wrestle with the meaning on his own.

Jesus uses a parable at the beginning of Mark 4 and actually explains the meaning later to his disciples, which is somewhat rare in the biblical text.

I’m going to read the parable, then I will pray, and we will come back to talk through this.

Mark 4:1–9 CSB

Again he began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around him. So he got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was by the sea on the shore. He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them, “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit. Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.” Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

PRAY

This parable is unique from most of Jesus’ others in the fact that Jesus actually explains this one! Which is neat. We will talk about that in just a bit. But this parable of the soils is one of several parables Jesus gives here in this section of Mark.

Let’s walk through each part and make sure we understand...

1. The Story of the Parable

Jesus is in Galilee at this time. He had spent most of his life in this region, so he was familiar with the people here and what interested them. So, he naturally, as any good teacher does, built his parables on familiar images and experiences.

FARMING! Farming was big in Galilee, especially in the slightly more fertile area near the Sea of Galilee. It was still hot and dry, but there was more moisture here than in other areas, so the locals took advantage of it by planting.

This story is about a sower who scatters his seed in several different places. Some of his seed falls on the hard path, others on rocky soil, among weeds and thorns, and some actually fell on good soil!

Let’s just walk through each of these to make sure we grasp the picture. Again, if you are in 1st century Galilee, this part isn’t necessary, because you get it! But let’s take our time here.

a. Hard path

Mark 4:4 CSB

As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

I read this week that some of the most fertile soil was found in terrain that was pretty uneven. So, farmers carved gardens into the side of hills. Then they built paths between these gardens that the farmer, his family and animals would take. Over time, these paths would become hard-packed soil. One author who had visited this region compared the paths there to concrete. Because of the dry air and the compacted dirt, there was no way a seed could take root there! It just becomes birdseed!

b. Rocky Soil

Mark 4:5–6 CSB

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

I had one of those tiller attachments for my Troy-Bilt weedeater when Kelly and I first got married. I wound up breaking it when a huge rock got jammed in the blades of it trying to make a flower bed for the front of the house.

But don’t think rocks in the soil. Think ROCK under the soil. This region had something that we know a little about here as well: limestone bedrocks. There would be huge slabs of limestone in the ground. So even if the farmer had tilled the ground, maybe a foot below that was solid rock. No root was getting through there!

The plant wasn’t able to have a strong root system, and therefore, it couldn’t handle the dry heat of Galilee and it withered.

c. Thorns/Weeds

Mark 4:7 CSB

Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce fruit.

The word Jesus used here that gets translated “thorns” in our English version, is actually a name for a type of thorny weed that grows in this region.

My mom and dad have a few small raised bed gardens every year. And my mom has somehow convinced my daughter Elsie Jo that it is fun to pick weeds out of it. I don’t know how she does it!

But there is a technique to pulling weeds isn’t there? You have to get the “what” too? THE ROOT! That sucker will grow back by morning if you don’t get the root and all! And many weeds also spread really quickly and can begin to steal nutrients, water, and sunlight from the actual plants that have been planted.

Jesus says that when this happens, sometimes those plants don’t have what they need to produce fruit so though they may grow, they bring nothing to the farmer.

But, praise the Lord there are some veggies that are growing! Jesus says there is another type of soil and it is GOOD!

d. Good Soil

Mark 4:8 CSB

Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times.”

This is that good topsoil that can grow anything! My father in law grows tomato plants over 6.5 feet tall on East Limestone Rd. It’s incredible. He grew up on the land he lives on now and has seen a lot of gardens planted there and it is some fertile dirt. Of course he helps it some because he has cows. Cows produce a natural fertilizer, if you didn’t know that.

But that’s what we are talking about here! Jesus throws out three different percentage yields here too! 30, 60, and 100 yield!

It’s important to note here that it is not the planting that is unique to the good soil. It is not the growing of the plant. It is the produce that is the difference. The fruit bearing is the distinguisher here.

So, Jesus tells this story and then says...

Mark 4:9 CSB

Then he said, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen.”

So, Jesus tells a parable, says, if you caught it great! if not, sorry… K bye.

Teaching during this time put much of the burden of learning on the student. The teacher was a guide who asked questions to make the student think. The teacher was not there to give information only. This was popularized by Socrates in the 300s BC.

And we see Jesus, in some of the same way, speaking to this large crowd in parable, and then moving on to the next thing! He probably told several parables in a row, each being connected but also unique without explaining any of them.

Mark adds in the part here where the disciples are asking Jesus about his parables, though this no doubt came later, after the other parables after the crowds had left and it was just the closest disciples.

He pulls back the curtain a little on why he uses parables. He shows the...

2. The Purpose of the Parable

Let’s read verses 10-13

Mark 4:10–13 CSB

When he was alone, those around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables. He answered them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables so that they may indeed look, and yet not perceive; they may indeed listen, and yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back and be forgiven.” Then he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand all of the parables?

Jesus says that the secret of “the kingdom of God” has been made plain to those who have believed in him, referring to his disciples. They were beginning to grasp what Jesus had truly come to do on earth through Jesus’ teaching.

However, as Jesus talks about those who have not believed in him, he references the Book of Isaiah. In particular part of chapter 6. I preached through this interaction Isaiah had with God a couple months ago. Isaiah encounters the throne room of God in a vision. He is humbled by being in God’s presence. The ultimate end is that God calls Isaiah to obey him as a prophet. Let me read that portion and what follows...

Isaiah 6:8–13 CSB

Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me. And he replied: Go! Say to these people: Keep listening, but do not understand; keep looking, but do not perceive. Make the minds of these people dull; deafen their ears and blind their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their minds, turn back, and be healed. Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And he replied: Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants, houses are without people, the land is ruined and desolate, and the Lord drives the people far away, leaving great emptiness in the land. Though a tenth will remain in the land, it will be burned again. Like the terebinth or the oak that leaves a stump when felled, the holy seed is the stump.

God was preparing Isaiah for a rough season of ministry. Isaiah would do his best to tell God’s people that they were being disobedient to God, but they would not repent! They would listen but not understand. They would look but not perceive. Their minds were dull, eyes blind, ears deafened.

Sound familiar? It seems as if Jesus is making a direct connection between the rejection Isaiah encountered and what they had just experienced. “I know you saw a big crowd today guys, but they aren’t all following me. They aren’t all like you!”

But God told Isaiah in chapter 6 that God’s people would be driven away leaving Israel and Judah in ruins. This happened exactly as it was foretold here. You can read about that at the end of 2 Kings. But even though God’s judgment is coming on his people for their disobedience and they are not listening to him anyway, God says that there will remain a remnant in Israel.

This would have been hope for Isaiah in the midst of one big tragedy! “In all of the disappointment of man’s disobedience, I have not stopped loving my people.”

Jesus seems to be tying his ministry to that of Isaiah. Tens of thousands of people heard Jesus teach day after day through his ministry, but it is only around 120 who are gathered after his death. Even if you stink at math you know, that’s not a good percentage! Jesus knew that not everyone would follow him, but he knew that some would. And to them, he was willing to reveal the mystery of the kingdom of God!

But why would some reject the message? That’s an honest answer that Jesus addresses next by giving the...

3. The Meaning of the Parable

He actually walks them back through the parable and shows them what they didn’t get the first time.

Mark 4:14 CSB

The sower sows the word.

He doesn’t tell us who the sower is, but he tells us what the sower is sowing. The seed is the “word.” or the “message. Which we know from chapter one that Jesus’ message is that the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe!

So, if this is the seed, then who is the sower? Who is that is told to take the message to the furthest ends of the earth? ALL OF US WHO HAVE CALLED ON THE NAME OF JESUS TO SAVE US! Jesus’ disciples were the sowers. We are the sowers!

And Jesus seems to be preparing his disciples then and us today for the rejection that inevitable lies before all of us! Through this parable, Jesus helps his disciples see that there is a key difference maker for whether someone will believe the message or not!

And notice what Jesus doesn’t say the problem is...

It’s all about the sower. If the sower looks cool, dresses right, is culturally relevant, hip, woke, whatever, then people will respond well to the message!

That’s not even addressed! Though that’s exactly what some churches are trying to package to their people. Be cooler. Look hipper. and we will reach more people! That’s not what Jesus seems to say!

Adapting the seed is also not mentioned. It’s all about using the right type of seed. If you will change your message a little, you could get a lot more converts! Talk about how Jesus wants you to be happy, and wealthy, and get the ladies or something. Sell it in a little better wrapping paper!

Church, this pendulum swings back this way quite often throughout CHristian history! We try to adapt the message to the language of our day, which is needed in one sense, but often in an effort to be heard by the most amount of people, we have to shave off parts of the message. That’s not good! Jesus doesn’t say we need to adapt our message.

So if it’s not the sower and it’s not the see… What is it?

Jesus says the key to whether they will respond or not is the condition of their heart. He gives four different types of heart situations through this parable.

The first heart is a...

A. Hard Path

Mark 4:15 CSB

Some are like the word sown on the path. When they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

Just as the path in the parable has been beaten down by feet, so there will be some who have been beaten down by sin and life experience. These are hard hearted and completely closed off to the Gospel. They want nothing to do with Jesus and may even be hostile towards his message.

Then Jesus shows soil 2...

b. Rocky Soil

Mark 4:16–17 CSB

And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.

Shallowness was the issue here in parable, remember? The same is true. These heard the message and said, “Yeah! Sign me up!” But they clearly were making an emotional decision because when distress and persecution came their way, they IMMEDIATELY fell away! These would be those who got caught up in the feeling of the bass amp in their chest at a conference and walked an aisle without any real desire to follow Jesus! It may have felt real in the moment, but clearly, if the person high-tails it at the first bit of trouble and bails on Jesus altogether, it couldn’t have been real to begin with!

The third soil...

c. Thorns/Weeds

Mark 4:18–19 CSB

Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, but the worries of this age, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

These hearers are those who have other things much more important to them than Jesus. There are roots of other things in their life. And it may not be evident at the beginning, but it’s there! They are stressing about worldly things that don’t have eternal significance. They are struck with the wealth bug, wanting more and more money! And the desires for other things: relationships, children, respect at work, a better job, etc. These weeds are there because their root was still present.

And notice the danger here. Jesus doesn’t say that their growth is hindered. They grow fruit that’s a little bit smaller. Jesus says they are UNFRUITFUL. And remember, that’s the distinguishing factor. That’s what Jesus uses to define the conversion in the analogy. They are not true believers.

And in the midst of all this bad news, Jesus says that there is good news!

d. Good Soil

Mark 4:20 CSB

And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”

Do you see this? These hearts are ready and receptive. Jesus doesn’t give us a definition of what this soil looks like only that it flourishes. But we can be certain that Jesus has showed us what this soil is not!

The receptive heart is not hard-pressed and cold to the Gospel.

The receptive heart does not make a shallow, emotional decision that will not last.

The receptive heart does not allow deep rooted desires to coexist with Christ without addressing.

Church, as we share with others about the good news of Jesus, MANY will reject us. That rejection will most likely not be an outright NO, I hate you get out of my face (especially if we share with those already in our circles of influence.) It may look more like, “Yeah, I will come out there to East real soon!” Or even “This week.” And there is always an excuse.

But you can be confident that God is already at work in the hearts of some people. Their hearts are being softened to the Gospel message through any number of encounters they have and thoughts they think. And your interaction may be the seed that takes root and begins to produce fruit of salvation.

So, we have got to share!

We have Christmas House coming up! We have over 60 families we will be helping this year. I don’t know how many of them are believers already. I don’t know how many might be open to the Gospel message. But I know we will share with every single one of them. We will let them know that the good news of Jesus is that he died on the cross for our sins and was raised up so that we could be invited in as partakers in the kingdom of God here on earth. The same Jesus who is using me for his glory, wants to use them!

And we are just crazy enough to think that if we are faithful in our every day life, we will see life change, church!

Today, let’s lay all the excuses down for not sharing with others. Jesus is helping us see here that though we face rejection, there will be some who respond. Let’s spread the seed to all because I don’t know which heart is a hard path, a rocky soil, or full of weeds. Spread it baby!

Or today, maybe you are that good soil. Today, as you have heard that Christ has invited you in to take part in his kingdom, maybe you want to respond in faith and become a follower of Jesus! We would love to help you with that! I always stand down front at the beginning of this last song and then I will slide to the front row, but come talk to me if you want to know how to be saved today!

If you have other needs or want to lift of the needs of others, this is the time for that. I will pray and then you respond as God leads.

PRAY