MRK 4

The Parable of the Sower

Matt. 13:1-9; Lk. 8:4-8

1 Once again Jesus began to teach beside the Sea of Galilee. Such a very large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down in it on the water, while the whole crowd remained on the shore.

2 Jesus was teaching them many things through parables—earthly stories with heavenly meanings. In His teaching He said to them:

3 "Listen carefully! A farmer went out to sow seed in his field.

4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the hardened path where people walked, and the birds came and devoured it before it could take root.

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where there was only a thin layer of soil over limestone. It sprang up quickly because the soil had no depth.

6 But when the sun rose and beat down, the plant was scorched. Because it had no deep root system, it withered away and died.

7 Other seed fell among thorns and weeds. The thorns grew up around it and choked it out, so that it produced no crop.

8 Still other seed fell into good, fertile soil. It grew up, increased in size, and yielded a crop—some seed producing thirty times what was sown, some sixty times, and some a hundred times as much."

9 Jesus concluded by saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear and understand the spiritual meaning."

The Purpose of the Parables

Matt. 13:10-17; Lk. 8:9-10

10 When Jesus was alone away from the crowds, those who were around Him along with the twelve disciples began asking Him about the meaning of the parables.

11 Jesus explained, "To you who are My followers, the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given—you are granted understanding. But to those who are outside, who remain unbelievers, everything comes in parables that conceal as much as they reveal.

12 This happens so that the prophecy might be fulfilled: 'While seeing with their eyes, they may see but not perceive the truth. While hearing with their ears, they may hear but not understand the meaning. Otherwise they might turn in repentance, and it would be forgiven them.'"

The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower

Matt. 13:18-23; Lk. 8:11-15

13 Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you be able to understand all the other parables I teach?

14 The sower sows the word of God.

15 These are the ones along the hardened path where the word is sown: When they hear the message, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that has been sown in their hearts before it can take root.

16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: When they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy and enthusiasm.

17 But they have no root in themselves—no depth of commitment. They endure only for a moment. Then when affliction or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble and fall away.

18 Others are the ones sown among the thorns: These are people who hear the word,

19 but the cares and worries of this world, the deceitfulness of riches that promise but do not deliver, and the desires for other things come in and choke out the word, so that it becomes unfruitful in their lives.

20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: They hear the word, receive it with faith, and bear fruit for God—some producing thirty times what was sown, some sixty times, and some a hundred times as much."

A Lamp Under a Basket

Lk. 8:16-18

21 Jesus continued teaching them, saying, "A lamp is not brought into a room so that it may be hidden under a basket or placed under a bed, is it? Is it not brought in to be placed on a lampstand where it can give light?

22 For nothing is concealed except for the purpose that it might eventually be made manifest. Nothing is kept secret except that it should ultimately come to light.

23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear and pay attention."

24 Jesus said to them, "Give careful consideration to what you hear. The measure of attention and care you give will determine the measure of understanding you receive, and even more will be added to you beyond that.

25 For whoever has spiritual understanding, more will be given to him so that he increases in knowledge. But whoever does not have understanding, even what little he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 Jesus continued, "The kingdom of God is like this: It is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.

27 Night after night he sleeps, and day after day he rises and goes about his work. Meanwhile the seed sprouts and grows, though the man himself does not understand how it happens.

28 The soil produces crops by itself, automatically—first the green stalk appears, then the head of grain forms, then the full mature grain develops in the head.

29 When the crop is ripe and ready for harvest, the farmer immediately sends in the sickle to reap, because the harvest time has arrived."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Matt. 13:31-32; Lk. 13:18-19

30 Jesus asked, "With what shall we compare the kingdom of God? What parable can we use to illustrate it?

31 The kingdom is like a grain of mustard seed. When it is sown in the soil, it is the smallest of all the seeds that are planted in the ground.

32 Yet when it is sown and begins to grow, it becomes larger than all the garden plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade."

The Use of Parables

Matt. 13:34-35

33 With many parables like these, Jesus kept speaking the word to the crowds, teaching them as much as they were able to hear and understand.

34 Jesus would not speak to the crowds without using a parable to illustrate His teaching. But when He was in private with His own disciples, He would explain everything to them clearly.

The Calming of a Great Storm

Matt. 8:23-27; Lk. 8:22-25

35 On that same day, when evening had come, Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."

36 After dismissing the crowd, the disciples took Jesus along in the boat just as He was, without any preparation. Other small boats accompanied them across the lake.

37 A violent storm of wind suddenly arose. The waves were breaking over the sides of the boat, so that the boat was rapidly filling with water.

38 But Jesus was in the stern of the boat, sleeping peacefully on a cushion, apparently unconcerned. The disciples woke Him urgently and said, "Teacher, does it not matter to You that we are perishing and about to drown?"

39 Jesus got up and rebuked the wind sternly. He said to the sea, "Be silent! Be still!" Immediately the wind ceased its raging, and there was a great calm over the water.

40 Jesus said to His disciples, "Why are you so timid? Do you still have no faith in Me after all you have seen?"

41 The disciples were filled with extreme fear and awe. They said to one another, "Who then is this man, that even the wind and the sea obey Him and submit to His command?"

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