Mark 4:1-8
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.”
4:1 sat. The typical rabbinical position for teaching; and more practically, Jesus may have sat because of the rocking of the boat in the water.
4:2 parables. A common method of teaching in Judaism, which Jesus employed to conceal the truth from unbelievers while explaining it to His disciples (cf. v. 11; see note on Matt. 13:3).
4:3–8 This parable depicts the teaching of the gospel throughout the world and the various responses of people to it. Some will reject it; some will accept it for a brief time but then fall away; yet some will believe and will lead others to believe.
4:4 wayside. Either a road near a field’s edge or a path that traversed a field, both of which were hard surfaces due to constant foot traffic.
4:5 stony ground. Beds of solid rock, usually limestone, lying under the surface of good soil. They are a little too deep for the plow to reach, and too shallow to allow a plant to reach water and develop a decent root system in the small amount of soil that covers them.
4:7 thorns. Tough, thistle-bearing weeds that use up the available space, light, and water which good plants need.
4:8 increased … a hundred. An average ratio of harvested grain to what had been sown was 8 to 1, with a 10 to 1 ratio considered exceptional. The yields Jesus refers to are like an unbelievable harvest.
Notes – Keep in mind that the sower just does his job. He sows – then goes about his life. The Lord is the one who causes real growth. He is Sovereign over the seed – where – when – and to the degree that it is sown – and the condition of the soil – and watering – the sunlight – the number of seeds sown – for Eph. 1:11 states that… In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. What a tremendous privilege to know and understand this. It is not the sower of seeds that gets the glory – it is the Sovereign Lord behind it. Lord – thank you so much for the abundant wonder of who you are. WOW… Thank you Lord.