A. Teaching on the Kingdom of God (4:1-34)
1. The Parable of the Sower (4:1-20)
2. The Hiddenness of the Kingdom (4:21-34)
The word "Parable" comes from para (beside) and ballo (to throw or cast). A parable is a true to life story designed to teach a spiritual truth. The teller uses the
known to teach the unknown. Jesus' parables both reveal truth to believers and conceal truth from unbelievers.
The Parable of the Sower (vv. 1-20)
1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole
multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 3 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out
to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it
did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it
withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and
yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." 9 And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let
him hear!" 10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, "To you it has been given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so 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.' "
v. 3 The sower went out to sow - Jesus' lifestyle is an example of one who sows the seed of God's Word. This is seen in Mark 1:38:
But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."
Jesus comes to establish the kingdom of God, and how one responds to his teaching decides whether one will be included or excluded, an insider or an outsider.
v. 11 the mystery of the kingdom of God - Mark does not tell us specifically what the nature of the kingdom is. The context suggests that it had to do with the
kingdom of God coming in a veiled way in the person, words, and works of Jesus.
To those who are outside, all things come in parables - Not just Jesus teaching is veiled to those who are outside, but "all things." The parables are given to
make manifest those who are outside and those who are inside the kingdom of God.
v. 12 The quotation is from Isaiah 6:9-10, ". . . because the last thing they want is to turn and have their sins forgiven."
lest - Dictionary definition, "to prevent the possibility of something." In the original Greek it means literally "that never."
The decisive difference between kingdom insiders and outsiders is that insiders are not indifferent.
The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower (vv. 13-20)
13 And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are
the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These
likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so
endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among
thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the
word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty,
and some a hundred."
v. 14 The sower sows the word. - Why sow everywhere so liberally? Because we do not know who the good soil is.
Notice that none of the reasons given for the unfruitfulness of the seed have to do with limited mental aptitude.
As the seed fails in three different ways in the bad soils, it succeeds in three different ways in good soil.
- The good hearer welcomes the word immediately so that it cannot be snatched away by Satan.
- The good hearer welcomes it deeply so that it is not withered by persecution.
- The good hearer welcomes it exclusively so that other concerns do not strangle it.
Parables are not for lazy minds or visual aids to illustrate a point. As a teaching tool, it is indirect and requires an investment of imagination and thought to seek
out the meaning. If one refuses to make that investment, then one will find no meaning in Jesus' parables. This is similar to a riddle.
To understand a parable involves the will more than the mind. This inevitably separates the curious from the serious. This is one of the purposes of Jesus'
teaching in parables. The description of the Word of God in Hebrews 4:12 applies also to the parables.
Application. How does this affect how we share the gospel? People must conform to the message, the message is not to conform to the people. We must let the
scandal of the gospel to have its full force so that people will come to a crisis of choosing to follow Christ on His terms or realizing that they are really not
committed to Him at all.
Does this parable offend you? Why?
Lessons from the Parable of the Sower:
- The sower does not prejudge soil. There is no concern to hit target groups only.
- Success comes from God (1 Cor 3:5-9).
- Sowers are not called to be successful, but to be faithful.
- The parable identifies what makes bad soil bad: the beaten-down path represents those who do not want to repent; the rocky soil, the dropouts who want only
life without tribulation; the thorn-infested ground, those whose life is wrapped up in making money and having the best things in life. The parable does not
identify what makes good soil good, but we can know if it is good if it bears fruit.
Application. Do a soil test on yourself. When you are exposed to the Word of God, what type of response does it bring in your life? Insiders can easily become
outsiders.
Do you willingly receive God's Word in some areas of your life and resist it in others? For example, you may be open to God about your future, but closed
concerning how you spend your money. Can you identify an area that your are open to God and an area in your life that is not so open?
The Hiddenness of the Kingdom (vv. 21-32)
21 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is nothing hidden which
will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24 Then He said to them,
"Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him
more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." 26 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should
scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth
yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because
the harvest has come." 30 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed
which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots
out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."
The Parable of the Lamp (vv. 21-23). The Word of God is represented by the lamp. As the seed is scattered liberally on all types of soil, so the light is to shine
freely to all. As the light shines it will bring forth a reaction from people that shows their attitude toward God.
Application. How can you let God's Word shine more freely in your life?
The Parable of the Measure (vv. 24-25). In the spiritual life, the poor will get poorer and the rich will get richer. There is a stewardship of God's revelation.
The Parable of the Seed Cast on the Earth (vv. 26-29).
Various interpretations:
- One stresses the farmer's apparent confidence in the inevitability of the growth of the seed while waiting for the harvest.
- A second, construes the detail of the farmer's rising and sleeping as an evidence of his patience while the seed bears fruit (see James 5:7-8).
- A third, construes the farmer's inactivity as suggesting that the farmer is unable to affect the process. "The Kingdom of God is unstoppable by human belief
and unhelped by human effort."
- A fourth emphasizes the hiddenness of the process.
- A fifth seizes on the sudden conclusion of the process. The inactivity while the wheat is growing is contrasted with the sudden rush of activity at harvest time.
The farmer may not know how the seed grows, but he does know how to reap, and he does need to spring into action when the harvest time comes.
This parable, along with the companion parable of the mustard seed, address the deceptive insignificance of the coming of the kingdom before its final
manifestation. Can one believe that Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, is indeed the judge of the living and the dead?
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (vv. 30-32). The small beginning and slow growth of the kingdom may cause some to equate it with insignificance.
Conclusion (vv. 33-34)
33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they
were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
The Kingdom of God is here, but it's not like you thought it was going to be. The imagery Jesus uses is not that of marching armies, heroic deeds, and valorous
exploits, but the humble, homely imagery of sowing, tilling, and harvest. The seed is scattered, falls, and lies on the ground, and meets a variety of fates. Instead
of striking out, defiant and aggressive, the Kingdom of God appears lowly and vulnerable. The seed is subject to adversity, rejection, delays, and loss. The
parables contain no promise of instant universal triumph. One writer wrote, "The kingdom of God is not a massive juggernaut mowing down everything in its
path."
Application. To understand the heart of these parables, we must emphasize the hiddenness of God's kingdom and the confidence that even though the kingdom
lies hidden, it is working to produce the harvest God intends (see Matt 27:39-44). Faith means believing beyond the evidence.
How does this understanding help you deal with despair?
Next lesson, Chapter Four: The Servant's Miracles
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