Mark 4
4
The Story of the Farmer
1Jesus began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake while all the people stayed along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by telling them stories. In his teaching he said, 3“Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed. 4As he scattered the seed, some fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, it burned the plants and they dried up, because they had no roots. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and crowded out the plants, so they didn’t bear any grain. 8But still other seed fell on good soil. There it grew up and produced a crop that was 30, 60, or even 100 times more than the farmer planted.”
9Then Jesus said, “Whoever understands should take this to heart.”
10Later, when Jesus was alone, the 12 disciples and others around him asked about the stories. 11He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but for outsiders, everything is told in stories. 12That way,
“ ‘They’ll see but never know what they’re seeing,
They’ll hear but never understand.
Otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!’ ”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this story? Then how will you understand any of the stories? 14The seed that the farmer plants is God’s message. 15Some of the seed that was scattered fell on a path. It stands for what happens when people hear the message but then Satan comes immediately and takes away what was planted in them. 16The seed that was scattered on rocky places represents other people who hear the message and right away receive it with joy. 17But because they have no roots, they last only a short time. When trouble or suffering comes because of the message, they quickly fall away from the faith. 18Still others, like the seed that was scattered among thorns, hear the message, 19but then the worries of this life, the false promises of wealth, and the desire for other things crowd out the message and keep it from producing fruit. 20And some people, like the seed that was scattered on good soil, hear the message, accept it, and produce a good crop that’s 30, 60, or even 100 times more than what was planted.”
A Lamp Belongs on a Stand
21Jesus said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp and then put it under a large bowl or a bed? Don’t you put it on its stand? 22There’s nothing hidden that won’t be seen, and there’s nothing that has been put out of sight that won’t be brought out into the open. 23Whoever understands should take this to heart.
24“Think carefully about what you hear,” he said. “The more you do so, the more you will receive—even more than you put into it. 25Whoever has something will be given more, but if anyone lacks something, even what they have will be taken away from them.”
The Story of the Growing Seed
26Jesus also said, “Here’s what the kingdom of God is like. A farmer scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows. The farmer doesn’t know how that happens. 28All by itself the soil produces grain. First the stalk comes up, then the head forms, and finally the full grain appears in the head. 29As soon as the grain ripens, the farmer brings it in, because the harvest is ready.”
The Story of the Mustard Seed
30Then Jesus asked, “What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What story can we use to explain it? 31It’s like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32But when it’s planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. Its branches are so big that birds can rest in its shade.”
33Jesus spoke the message to them using many stories like these, telling them as much as they could understand. 34He didn’t teach them anything without using a story. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along in the boat just as he was. Other boats came along as well. 37The wind got very strong and waves started crashing over the boat, so that it was about to sink. 38Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”
39He got up and ordered the wind to stop, and he said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind died down and everything became completely calm.
40Jesus asked his disciples, “Why were you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith yet?”
41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
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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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