Mark Explained Part 1 | Who Jesus IsSample

Day 5 | Mark 4 | Careful How You Hear

Welcome back to Through the Word and our journey through the gospel of Mark. Chapter 4 today: the sower and the seeds. 

It is great to be back with you. This one is a personal favorite for me. It’s a parable about dirt, seeds, and how you listen. The crowds are gathering - mostly for the miracles, but Jesus keeps His focus on the message. And Jesus gives us a lesson on how we hear the message.

Romans 10 tells us:

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). 

It’s at the end of every audio guide. You hear God’s word, and then make the decision to believe it. Faith. But is it really that simple? And does it always work? 

Well, to help us understand all this, Jesus tells a parable. Mark 4, verse 3:

"'Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.' Then Jesus said, 'Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear'" (Mark 4:3-9).

Notice that Jesus’ first word is listen and his last word is hear. He wants us to pay - attention. 

We also see that the seed planted is corn - because we have ears to hear….  Get it? Ears. Sorry. Corny joke. … A-maize-ingly corny.

Alright, this time I quit. I promise.

A little while later, Jesus explains to his disciples. In verse 11, he tells them why he uses parables. For the disciples, parables help them understand. Easier to grasp. But for those who refuse to believe, the parables keep them from understanding. See, God will not force himself on anyone. If they don’t want to believe, God respects their free will. It is their own choice - and the choice comes in how we hear. 

And then Jesus explains the parable. Verse 14:

"The farmer sows the word" (Mark 4:14).

Stop there. The seed is the Word of God. I love this. I’ve said it before, but have you ever wondered at the power of a seed? That little, unassuming speck has stored inside of it the blueprints for an entire plant - or tree - from the roots to trunk to branches to leaves to flower to fruit. And every amazing wonder of science that comes with it is all coded inside that little seed. And with it, are the tools - literally, the tools - to build the entire tree out of dirt, water, and sunshine. All that inside a seed. Ask an atheist to explain how all that got in there by accident. Seriously.

Seeds are amazing. And Jesus says that the word of God is a seed. 

Now in the parable, the seed is always the same. The difference here is the condition of the dirt. The dirt here is us - those who hear. It’s not an insult, by the way. We are made of dirt, after all. But God does amazing things with dirt - just add seeds. 

So there are four kinds of dirt in the story. In verse 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" (Mark 4:15). 

This first dirt is just hard - hard hearts and closed ears that never give the word a chance. Satan just picks it off.

"Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 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" (Mark 4:16-17).

So the problem with group two is shallow soil. Ever see a tree trying to grow in a sidewalk crack? It won’t last. Some people get very excited at a church service, but they won’t let the message penetrate deep. When following Jesus gets difficult, they walk. And notice that Jesus compares the sunshine - to trouble and persecution. Interesting - because sunshine is good for healthy trees. When it gets hot, a healthy tree digs deeper roots, finds deeper waters. Trials are like sunshine: they knock out shallow faith, but strengthen the roots for healthy believers.

Verse 18:

"Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 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" (Mark 4:18-19).

The problem here is not below ground, but above it. The heart may be fine - but life is just too crowded. They enjoyed the message at church, they just got too busy to go back. And look at what Jesus lists as the thorns that get in the way - worries, wealth, and just plain desiring other stuff. It’s not even sin, necessarily - just stuff. And the seed never grows. Then verse 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” (Mark 4:20).

This is the good dirt. But think about it - it’s still just dirt. Just a simple human heart, soft enough to let the seed in, with some depth to grow roots below, and the junk cleared out for a tree to sprout above. Let it grow, and guess what that tree will start making! Fruit to nourish and strengthen others - like love and joy, goodness and kindness. And right inside that fruit - more seeds. Seeds for new plants. 

I love science. I love seeds. And I love the power of God’s Word. 

And you don’t even have to understand how it works. Jesus tells another parable in verse 26. This time he compares the Kingdom of God to a man scattering seed on the ground once again. 

"Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. (Mark 4:27-28).

I think what Jesus is saying here is that ministry is easier than you think. Just plant seeds. Share God’s Word. You don’t have to know how it works - but it works. You can even tell them about an app with God’s Word on it every day.

And one more little tidbit from this chapter. Verse 34 tells us that Jesus always taught in parables, 

"But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything" (Mark 4:34).

That last little phrase should be on the job description of every Bible teacher. Explain everything. Ex-plain. Ex means outward, and plain means - well, plain. Simple and clear. This is our calling Bible teachers. Take God’s Word, and make it plain. Understandable. Before all the hype, before your stories and your corny jokes, your first job: ex-plain the Word. 

And for you Bible students. Your job is good hearing. Soften up the dirt below, clear out the thorns above, and open those ears. 

And watch the last story very carefully. Jesus gives his disciples a Word in verse 35: 

“Let us go over to the other side” (Mark 4:35).

A simple word. They’re crossing a lake. But did the disciples really hear it? And will you hear it? He who has ears to hear - let them hear.

Join us next time as we continue the journey one chapter at a time. And remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word.