The Seed Parables Of Mark 4 Mark 4:1-34

I want to tell you a story about a kingdom. It doesn’t belong to me and it’s fairly old.

A farmer went out to sow seed for a crop. Some seed fell beside the road and the birds came and gobbled them up. Other seed fell on ground that was more rock than dirt and it sprang up right away because the soil was shallow. But because it had no root to speak of, the sun scorched it and it withered away. Some seed fell among soil with thorns, and as it grew, so did the thorns and they choked it so it never produced. But some seed fell into good soil, and as it grew, it yielded a crop that was plentiful and abundant.

I bet that story sounded very familiar. It is Jesus’ parable about the Kingdom of God. Here it is as recorded in Mark 4:1-9.

He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The parable of The Sower and the Soils is the first of Jesus stories that He uses to describe the kingdom of God. You have probably heard this definition before, but a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. That explanation is an oldie, but a goodie.

A parable a simple story used to illustrate a spiritual truth, in this case, truth about the Kingdom of God. Jesus used parables as a means to imprint truth about the gospel onto the hearts of those that wanted to hear what He had to say. Those with hard hearts, like the scribes and Pharisees, didn’t have a clue as to what many of his parables meant.

In Mark 2-3 we read how the scribes, the theologians and preachers of 1st century Israel, and the Pharisees, the religious conservatives, are offended by what Jesus was saying and doing. After Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath – which they didn’t like at all as it totally violated their man-made traditions – they began to plot how to put Him to death. They go on to accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub.

At that point, they crossed a line and Jesus tells His disciples that all these men will get from Him are parables. In fact, that is what Nicodemus (another Pharisees) first gets from Jesus, a parable about being born again. There’s a quick lesson: Hard hearts create deaf ears toward Jesus and His offer of eternal life. That is a very sad reality. Some will have hearts of stone toward anything that has to do with Christ. That’s part of the truth of this first parable.

There are three parables about the kingdom of God in Mark 4: The Parable of the Sower and Soils, the Parable of the Seed, and the Parable of the Mustard Seed. All have to do with the Kingdom of God – a term we don’t use very often in the church, but should. Jesus talks a lot about God’s Kingdom, and the apostle Paul mentions it a number of times in his letters.

Some Christians talk about the kingdom of God in terms of Christ ruling in our hearts as we live and breathe. But throughout the Bible, the Kingdom of God is talked about in terms of Christ’s reign of perfect righteousness and complete peace on earth, something we are sadly lacking. One of the more well-known passages that speak of this kingdom is Isaiah 9.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness, from then on and forevermore.

Back to Nicodemus – Jesus tells him that you must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. Nicodemus doesn’t understand, so Jesus explains what born again means in very simple straightforward language: “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

What does it mean to be born again and enter the Kingdom of God? It means to trust in Christ Jesus for eternal life. I was born into this world on July 21, 1956. I was born again into the Kingdom of God on July 18, 1973 when I trusted in Christ and not myself for salvation.

In a sense, those who say God’s kingdom is present on earth right now, are right. That’s because as Christians we are citizens of God Kingdom, and His ambassadors to the nations and to our neighborhoods. As we submit to His authority, we show others what His kingdom looks like (it looks like sacrificial love). But in the full sense, God’s Kingdom will come when Christ returns and reigns over creation with perfect righteousness and perfect peace.

These seed parables of Mark 4 are about Christ, His offer of eternal life, the effect of the gospel upon hearts and lives, and the sure and steady growth of God’s kingdom. I better tell you right now, the Parable of the Sower and Soils is the only one we’ll cover this morning. So, let’s read what Jesus said to His disciples in private about parables in the next verses

As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven. 13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?

Jesus lets His disciples know that He will explain the meaning of His parables to them. Mark repeats that fact in verses 33-34. “With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.” Everyone else who is just along for the ride, just get the parables. And then He quotes Isaiah 6 and applies the prophecy of blind eyes and deaf ears to the scribes, Pharisees and those who think He’s a carnival act. That brings me to a second lesson: Those who trust in Christ, listen to Him; and as they listen in faith, He gives them insight into His word.

Let me give a personal example I shared with our small group Wednesday night. When I was16, my sister Mary asked me to read Romans 1-3. I read and reread it, but had no clue what it was about. Mary’s faith in Christ was genuine, and her ears were open to His truth. Mine weren’t. But within the year, I trusted in Christ, and read Romans 1-3 again. I got the message. No matter who we are; no matter how religious or unreligious, we’re all sinners in need of savior. That savior is Jesus and all who trust in Him are declared righteous by God.

One of the blessings we receive when we trust in Christ, is that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and gives us insight, understanding to what God’s word means and how it applies to us. The Spirit of God helps me connect the truth of God’s Word with how I behave as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a neighbor, a taxpayer, a bike rider and even a slow pitch softball player when I think the umpire makes the wrong call.

Non-believers may understand many things in the Bible. But until God opens any of our eyes to see who Jesus is, we won’t, we can’t understand the full significance of any part of God’s word. Fortunately for all, Mark gives us Jesus’ explanation of this parable

The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

The seed is the word of God. Specifically, it is the gospel. The four soils are four types of people who hear the gospel but receive it differently. Some have hard hearts; others, show shallow or temporary interest. Some are hearers, but not really doers. And then there are those who hear and accept it, and does it make difference! Their lives are filled with God’s fruit; the good things, the kingdom things, the things that glorify God and bless others …

I planted a lot of grass seed last fall and this spring as we have had a few lawn issues. Even in a small yard, soil conditions vary just as in this parable. And yes, birds love to eat grass seed! You’ve got to scatter a lot of seed because not all of it is going to sprout. But when the soil is good, the seed is definitely going to take root and grow. I wish Jesus would have made a passing comment about the damage grubs do lawns.

Road-like compacted dirt and rocky soils don’t take seed well. But the third type of soil does take the seed. Unfortunately, there are things in the soil, thorns and weeds (sometime ask me about swamp smartgrass), that take control and deny the growth of the intended crop. Jesus says this soil represents those who receive the gospel but the problems and pleasures of life choke out any real substance or fruit. I am going to share an opinion: Church seats and pews all over this world are filled Sunday after Sunday with those being choked by the problems and the pleasures of this world. Imagine corn stalks with little to no ears of corn. There is a vast difference between what happens in the hearts of the rocky soil crowd compared to the lives of the good soil group.

Here’s a third lesson: Something is amiss if we are not bearing spiritual fruit. I read an article about this parable on the Jesus’ Film Project’s website. It closed with these words. “In the end, the parable of the sower leaves us with two responsibilities. We need to: 1. Get busy growing. 2. Get busy sowing. We are God’s field … and we are also God’s farmers.”

That’s pretty close to the bullseye application of this parable. Let’s read what Jesus says next. It’s another invitation to listen to Him; to pay attention to what He has to say.

21 And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22 For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Jesus is back to speaking to the crowds. This sounds very much like what He says in Matthew 5-7, what we call the Sermon on the Mount. His comment about what you do with a lamp, has to do with nature of His parables. They are God’s truth told in story form. And if you want to know what the meaning or moral of the story is, you need to pay attention. Jesus didn’t come to hide the truth from us, but to show it to us.

He is giving an invitation to those who want something from Him, to be healed, to be fed, to be given justice – He is letting them know, if they want to understand what His stories mean, then they need to open their hearts and their ears in faith. He is making them an offer. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

But He also gives a warning. “Take care what you listen to.” That sounds like that little kid song, “Be careful little ears, what you hear …” It’s like Jesus is telling the crowds, “If you want more from Me than just a temporary fix to your earthly problems, I will give you more. But if you refuse me, I will take away all that you think you that God somehow owes you.”

The lesson is this: Christ blesses those who heed His word with more truth and more fruit. There’s an old-timey word: Heed. It means to hear and do. When we are careful to listen to what Christ has to say and act on it – a wonderful reward comes our way. He gives us more truth so that we might bear more fruit; 30, 60, 100-fold. But what is spiritual fruit?

The word fruit can represent godly character traits. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23. The word fruit can represent good deeds. “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.” Titus 3:14.

The word fruit can refer to the effectiveness of the gospel message to save. “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal.” John 4:35-36.

Spiritual fruit consists of the good things, the kingdom things, the things that glorify God and bless others. It is very natural to want more in life; more money, more things, more time more hits on our websites and YouTube videos. Jesus tells us that where our treasure is, our heart will be. Let’s make it our treasure, our passion, to bear more spiritual fruit.

There are two other parables about seeds in this chapter. As I said, I am not going to get to them this morning. But both also have to do with the mysteries of the Kingdom of God and how the Lord will bring about the growth of His kingdom, so that it will be immense, and multitudes from every nation, tribe, and tongue will be present in it. So, let’s review the four lessons from Mark 1:1-25 that are on the screen.

Hard hearts create deaf ears toward Jesus and His offer of eternal life. Those who trust in Christ, listen to Him; and are given insight into His word. Something is amiss if we are not bearing spiritual fruit. Christ blesses those who heed His word with more truth and more fruit.

Those are my four lessons, but the overall takeaway is this: As Christians, we are God’s field and we are God’s farmers. So, let’s be intent in growing, and involved in sowing.

I want to close by asking us three questions. What kind of soil is my heart? Is my life bearing spiritual fruit? Am I sowing the seed of the gospel? Let’s take one question at a time.

What kind of soil is my heart? It’s a fairly good guess to say that most of us who are here this morning or are tuning in on livestream, desire to be in the category of the good soil. We want to have hearts that are soft, humble, teachable with regard to God’s Word; not hearts that are hard, selfish, arrogant, filled with worries and complaints.

Unconfessed or rationalized sin hardens the soil of our hearts. It doesn’t matter whether the sin is slandering others, holding onto anger, lusting after things God hasn’t given us or being selfish with what He has given us. Holding onto sin squelches spiritual growth and fruitful lives. We need to pray, “Lord, plow the soil of my heart. Till it that your word may bear fruit!”

That brings me to my next question. Is my life bearing spiritual fruit? What would you do with fruit trees that don’t produce if you need them to? What about bushes and plants that never come through with flowers, fruit, or vegies? You tend to them, or remove them. Our Lord cares deeply that our lives produce His fruit. How deeply do we care?

I hope none of us follow our Lord in a spirit of grudging compliance. I hope we listen to Him and heed what He says because we love Him and long to bear the fruits of His kingdom and long for others to join us in it when He returns to earth to reign. That brings me to the last question. Am I sowing the seed of the gospel? Am I praying for and keeping my eyes open for opportunities to tell others about Jesus and His offer of life?

Do you recall what the disciples asked Jesus before He ascended into heaven? “Is now the time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus says it’s not for them to know that time, but that they will receive the Holy Spirit and His strength to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Let’s follow Jesus advice to His disciples and not be concerned when the kingdom comes as much as being His witnesses, His seed sowers while we wait. Some may cross oceans to tell others about Jesus. Some may just cross the street. Some may share the gospel across the dinner table. It doesn’t matter where we are at, or who we are with. Let’s always remember that someone, at some time, shared the gospel with each one of us.

One last thing: If you really wish to improve your ability to converse with others about Christ, make it your business to become a better listener. I am convinced that most people will listen to what you have to say, when they feel you are listening to them.

That’s the Parable of the Sower and Soils. What a great teaching tool. As Christians, we are God’s field and we are God’s farmers. So, let’s be intent in growing, and involved in sowing.