Mark 4
4
The Parable of the Sower
Mt 13:1–9; Lk 8:4–8
1#Mk 2:13; Lk 5:1–3Again He began to teach by the seaside. A large crowd was gathered before Him, so that He entered a boat and sat in it on the sea. And the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2#Mk 3:23; 4:11He taught them many things in parables and said to them in His teaching: 3“Listen! And take note: A sower went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell beside the path, and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5Some seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and soon it sprang up because it did not have deep soil. 6#Jas 1:11But when the sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away. 7#Jer 4:3Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8#Ge 26:12; Mk 4:20And other seed fell on good ground, and it yielded grain that sprang up and increased by thirty, sixty, or a hundred times as much.”
9#Mt 11:15Then He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
Mt 13:10–17; Lk 8:9–10
10#Mk 4:34When He was alone, those who were around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11#Col 4:5; 1Th 4:12He said to them, “To you is given the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything is said in parables, 12#Isa 6:9–10; Jer 5:21so 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.’#Isa 6:9–10.”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
Mt 13:18–23; Lk 8:11–15
13Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14#Mt 13:37; Mk 2:2The sower sows the word. 15#1Pe 5:8; Rev 20:2–3These are those beside the path, where the word is sown. But when they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word which is sown in their hearts. 16#Eze 33:31–32; Mk 6:20Others, likewise, are seed sown on rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness, 17#Mt 11:6but have no root in themselves, and so endure for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution rises for the word’s sake, immediately they fall away. 18And others are seed sown among thorns, the ones who hear the word. 19#1Ti 6:9–10; 6:17But the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20#Mk 4:8; Jn 15:4–5Still others are seed sown on good ground, those who hear the word, and receive it, and bear fruit: thirty, sixty, or a hundred times as much.”
A Light Under a Basket
Lk 8:16–18
21#Mt 5:15; Lk 8:16He said to them, “Is a candle brought to be put under a basket or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick? 22#Lk 8:17For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed; neither is anything kept secret except to be proclaimed. 23#Mk 4:9; Mt 11:15If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24#Mt 7:2He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. The measure you give will be measured for you, and to you who hear will more be given. 25#Mt 13:12; Lk 8:18For to him who has will more be given. And from him who has not will be taken, even what he has.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26#Mt 13:24He said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. 27#Ecc 11:5He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he does not know how. 28For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the head, then the full seed in the head. 29#Joel 3:13But when the grain is ripe, immediately he applies the sickle because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Mt 13:31–32; Lk 13:18–19
30He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what parable shall we compare it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest seed on earth. 32Yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all shrubs, and shoots out great branches, so that the birds of the air may nest in its shade.”
The Use of Parables
Mt 13:34–35
33#Jn 16:12With many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34#Mk 4:10; Lk 24:27Without a parable He did not speak to them. But when they were alone, He expounded on all things to His disciples.
The Calming of a Storm
Mt 8:23–27; Lk 8:22–25
35#Mt 8:18; Lk 8:22That same day, when the evening came, He said to them, “Let us go cross to the other side.” 36#Mk 3:9; 4:1When they had sent the crowd away, they took Him in the boat just as He was. There were also other little boats with Him. 37A great wind storm arose, and the waves splashed into the boat, so that it was now filling the boat. 38He was in the stern asleep on a pillow. They woke Him and said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39#Job 38:11; Ps 89:9He rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
40#Mt 14:31; Lk 8:25He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is that you have no faith?”
41They feared greatly and said to one another, “What kind of Man is He, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
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Mark 4: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Mark 4
4
Storytelling Opens Hearts
1Again Yeshua began to teach by the sea. A large crowd gathered around Him, so He got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the crowd was by the sea on the land.
2He began teaching them many things by parables, and in His teaching, He said to them:
3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to spread some seed.
4It happened that as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and the birds came and ate it up.
5“Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it didn’t have much soil. It sprang up immediately, because the soil wasn’t deep.
6But when the sun came up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7“Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8“And others fell into the good soil and were producing fruit, springing up and increasing. They yielded a crop, producing thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
9And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10When Yeshua was alone, those around Him with the Twelve started asking Him about the parables.
11And He told them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those who are outside, everything is in parables, so that
12‘Seeing, they may see and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear and not understand, so they may not turn back and be forgiven.’”
13He said to them, “Don’t you grasp this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?
14The sower sows the word.
15These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown. Whenever they hear, satan comes quickly and takes away the word that has been sown in them.
16“These are the ones sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.
17And they have no root in themselves but last only a short while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.
18“And others are the ones sown among the thorns. They have heard the word;
19but the worries of the world, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20“And those are the ones sown on the good soil. They hear the word and accept it and produce fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
Reaping What You Sow
21He also was saying to them, “Is a lamp put under a basket or a bed? No, shouldn’t it be placed on a lampstand?
22For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, nor anything kept secret except that it would come to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24Then He continued, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you; and more will be added to you.
25For whoever has, to him more will be given. And whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
What Is the Kingdom of God Like?
26And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like when a man spreads seed on the soil
27and falls asleep at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows. He himself doesn’t know how.
28Automatically, the earth brings forth a crop—first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head.
29But when the grain is ready, at once he sends in the sickle, for the harvest has come.”
30Yeshua also said, “How should we picture the kingdom of God? Or by what story shall we present it?
31It is like a mustard seed when it’s planted in the ground. Though the smallest of all seeds in the earth, yet when planted it grows up and becomes the largest of all the herbs.
32It puts forth big branches, so the birds of the air can nest in its shade.”
33With many such parables He used to tell them the word, as much as they were able to hear.
34But apart from a parable, He wasn’t speaking to them. Yet when they were alone, to His own disciples He would explain everything.
Power Over Nature
35Now on that same day in the evening, He says to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side.”
36After leaving the crowd, they take Him along in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him.
37A great windstorm arises, and the waves were rushing into the boat. The boat was beginning to fill up.
38But Yeshua was in the back of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They wake Him up and say to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?”
39So He woke up and rebuked the wind. And He said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind stopped, and it became totally calm.
40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Even now you have no faith?”
41They were struck with awe and said to one another, “Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
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