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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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Mark 4
4
Parable of the soils
1Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore. 2He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said, 3“Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed. 4As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. 6When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots. 7Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing. 8Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one.” 9He said, “Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”
Jesus explains his parable
10When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables. 11He said to them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables. 12This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven.
13“Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The farmer scatters the word. 15This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them. 16Here’s the meaning of the seed that fell on rocky ground: When people hear the word, they immediately receive it joyfully. 17Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. 18Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word; 19but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one.”
Parables about lamps and measures
21Jesus said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp in order to put it under a basket or a bed? Shouldn’t it be placed on a lampstand? 22Everything hidden will be revealed, and everything secret will come out into the open. 23Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”
24He said to them, “Listen carefully! God will evaluate you with the same standard you use to evaluate others. Indeed, you will receive even more. 25Those who have will receive more, but as for those who don’t have, even what they don’t have will be taken away from them.”
More parables about God’s kingdom
26Then Jesus said, “This is what God’s kingdom is like. It’s as though someone scatters seed on the ground, 27then sleeps and wakes night and day. The seed sprouts and grows, but the farmer doesn’t know how. 28The earth produces crops all by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full head of grain. 29Whenever the crop is ready, the farmer goes out to cut the grain because it’s harvesttime.”
30He continued, “What’s a good image for God’s kingdom? What parable can I use to explain it? 31Consider a mustard seed. When scattered on the ground, it’s the smallest of all the seeds on the earth; 32but when it’s planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all vegetable plants. It produces such large branches that the birds in the sky are able to nest in its shade.”
33With many such parables he continued to give them the word, as much as they were able to hear. 34He spoke to them only in parables, then explained everything to his disciples when he was alone with them.
Jesus stops a storm
35Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” 36They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along.
37Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”
39He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. 40Jesus asked them, “Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?”
41Overcome with awe, they said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”
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