"Then He taught them many things by parables" V2 of Mark 4:1-9 NKJV
A Parable was a favourite tool of Jesus. He told stories from everyday life, of which He used to convey important truths. Here, He teaches in Mark 4, about various ways that seed is received:
'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.' v4.
To have seed harvested successfully, one must prepare the ground properly. Likewise, the human heart is like soil and must be prepared to receive the seed of God's Word and be cultivated in order for it to provide fruit. Rather like seed of the earth, it must be planted in the heart and taken care of, studied and understood properly, before the harvest can come. To have a hard heart, means that Satan (the birds of the air), can snatch it away before this all begins. In the garden, the earth, if trod on too much, can become hard and the seed finds it difficult to cultivate. It is a similar thing to have too many distractions in your life that take you away from having a quiet time with God.
'Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.' v5-6.
In Palestine at the time, the ground in certain places, had only a thin layer of earth on the top of solid rock, so therefore, whatever was planted was not very successful because of the lack of depth in the soil combined with the hot sun. Therefore, there was no root. This represents the believer who only has a shallow belief. At first they receive Jesus eagerly but after a short time, the attraction fizzles out, when things become hot, taking their attention away.
'And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked, and it yielded no crop.' v7,
This is the crowded heart and pictures a person who receives the Word with gladness, but want their old ways too. They have many weeds growing within them - anger, lust, worries, fear and yearning for riches and other things. They never truly repent, and spend their time with one foot in the world and one foot in the things of God. Consequently, the spiritual seed has no room to grow,
'But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop -" v8.
This final section describes the person who accepts Jesus fully and is empowered to live for Him daily, even though they have moments of sin. When they do, they repent and move on.
Take a look at all of this and realise that we have a part in all of these explanations. The difference being, there has been a determination to overcome, no matter what.
Over the next few days, we will have a look at these areas and attempt to expound them more and discover where this takes us.
Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.
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