Mark 4:1-29 Parable of the Soils

 The Bible is like walking along a path for years and years and years like we do back in the woods. You become familiar with the path you think you know it until one day you're forced to find your way out of the existing path and you discover many different subpaths that are all around you that you never noticed before.

As you travel these New paths you discover how fresh and how new this area of the woods has suddenly become. This is very similar to the way Jesus is parables are. We think we understand what he's saying and then we approach the parable from a different direction or someone comes in and turns the parable on its side and we realize that maybe the meaning we originally thought is either not correct or that there's more than one way to think of it.

Mar 4:1-3

1 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, 

3 Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:  4 and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.  

1. Vs3 Hearken - Listen!!

2. The sower who sows? Jesus, God, the HS, can be anyone that plants a spiritual seed

3. Seed? The word

4. Implied: The seed or word falls on the ground or soil. Our hearts?

5. Falls on the way side? The path, road, the way, "the way".

6. Birds? Flying animal, fowl, Satan, the accuser, the adversary

7. Devour it? Squandor, waste, consume, ruin

8. What may prevent a seed from taking root on the path? 

1. Trampled under foot? 

2. Or under a vehicle? 

What may be the state of the soil? Too compact? 

So the Jesus/God/HS scatters his Word out, some falls on the path (of our life?) and Satan (or his demons) come and squander or waste it.

Mark 4:5-6

5 And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: 6 and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 

1. Seed on rocky ground? Stony nature of our heart?

2. Straightway it sprang up? The word takes root and begins to grow.

3. Not much earth? Too many obstacles in the soil preventing deep growth

4. Sun was risen, it was scorched? Difficulty, tribulation, persecution. Any examples?

5. Because it had no root, it withered away. The word slowly died because the Word was unable to go deep in their heart.

This seed/Word seemed to go farther into  one's heart than the previous seed/Word. It actually began to grow. But not a lot. Difficulty arose and killed the seed/Word. 

Is this better than the first?

Mark 4:7

7 And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 

1. Other seeds fell among thorns? Something that tears, cuts or chokes off

(the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things)

2. Notice, the thorns "grew up" or upward? What does this suggest? The seed had taken even more root and grown to the point that the thorns had to grow upward to choke it off.

3. Yielded no fruit? Suggests that the seed had grown to an even larger extent if FRUiT was expected. 

If this were one of the 7 churches of Rev, which one might it have been?

Possibly Sardis, because Jesus "found no works of thine perfected before my God" 

No good works in the life of the individual (or fruit).

This seed or Word more than likely grew even more than the previous two, nevertheless yielded no fruit because the thorns had choked it. Notice: fruit seems to be what is desired.

Mark 4:8-9

8 And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 9 And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

1. Good ground? No thorns, stones, and not on wayside (or path)

2. Result of seed/Word on good ground? It takes root in the soil, roots grow deep, plant grows up, increases and produces fruit.

3. Thirty, sixty and a hundredfold? Smaller, medium and large return.

This seems to be the desired return that Jesus is looking for in our life. 30, 60 and 100 fold. And he comes to pick the fruit. But a couple questions:

1. Might this parable represent the expectation of Jesus of the planted word in our life? 

2. Why doesn't he only sow seed in the good soil?

3. Why sow on the highway?

4. Or stony ground?

5. Or why sow on the thorny ground?

6. Whose job is it to clear the soil for the sower? His or ours?

7. What if we aren't a Christian, how can He expect us to clear our soil? Is this salvation?

8. Or is this sanctification? Like taking off the old/fleshly man and putting on the new man?

9. The 30, 60, 100 fold occurs at the end of the parable instead of being first, or in the middle. Might there be significance with that?

10. Or could this parable be an example of the progressive nature of the kingdom of God. In other words, the best is saved till last. Like the best wine is served last instead of first. So very little results until Jesus comes again and then the results will be off the charts???

Mark 4:10-14

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them. 13 And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? 

1. Vs11 Who gets the parables explained? Only the disciples. The rest remain ignorant. Let's hope we are disciples 😀!

2. Vs12 read slowly…"seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them”...huh? 

So their eyes, ears and understanding were shut, lest they should turn and be forgiven? Why? Doesn't he want them to repent and be forgiven?

Jesus is quoting Isaiah 6:9-10

(Isa 6:9-10)  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.

Jesus seems to be speaking from the point of view of  Jer 5:21-25

Jer 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not: 22  Fear ye not me? saith Jehovah: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it. 23  But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24  Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25  Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you. 

So back to Mark 4:12

So are these people now being cursed? Therefore Jesus turns to parables???

3. A lot of times when Jesus explains the parables to the disciples, they still are hard to understand. Why? Cause they are spiritually based?

4. What might it mean in vs13: "If you don't know this parable, how shall you know all the parables?" Seems it is very important to understand this particular parable…

Mark 4:14-20

14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. 16 And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; 17 and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. 18 And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, 19 and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. 

Thoughts?

1. Is this about salvation? Is this about sanctification?

2. Chicken or the egg. Do we clean our own soil/heart out or does the HS clean our heart out?

3. Could each area of soil represent a different area of our life that we have or haven't surrendered?

4. If we are the sower and we sow seed, should we have any expectations of the outcome? Should we be discouraged if we see no results?

Probably not because we would have no idea of the state of someone's soil, or heart. We can't see the rocks, thorns, or hard soil.

Mar 4:26-27

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. 

In vs27, the man not know how (or even if) the seed grows? Why?

He can't see the state of the soil (or heart) of the person that has received the seed.

And the man can't do anything to make it grow.

28 The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

1. Vs28 Earth bears fruit of herself?

2. Vs28 Take notice of the process.

1. First the blade? Like grass

2. Then the ear? The development of the ear of corn (or grain)

3. Then the full grain in the ear? Completed or matured corn (or grain)

So notice here the process

1. from grass 30%?

2. to the growing of the fruit 60%?

3. to the ripened fruit 100%?

3. What happens when the fruit is ripe? It is cut with the sickle and it is harvested. 

Seems to occur at the second coming of Jesus:

Rev 14:15 

And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

So maybe the parable of the sower (or soils) together with THIS last parable also suggests the slow progressive nature of the kingdom of God. 

In other words, maybe the best IS saved till last. Like the best wine is served last instead of first. So very little results until the harvest when Jesus comes again to reap the fruit of HIS vineyard???

Weird huh?

Does this last part cloud the  meaning of the parable of the soils/sower? It certainly suggests that it has a deep meaning and is still somewhat mysterious…