Mark 4

Satan and the fears and cares of this world will do everything they can to keep you from believing in the power, mercy and grace available in Christ Jesus. If we begin to think that we can do it in our own strength we are doomed to fail. If we trust in man to accomplish it for us we will be deceived. Jesus did not leave us alone. Listen carefully to the Holy Spirit, He will teach you all things concerning salvation in Christ Jesus. Remember, God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind….in Him alone is the strength to hold onto the only hope given to man…Christ Jesus.

4 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 2crop. 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.'"

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."

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."

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.

35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, ydo You not care that we are perishing?"

39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, 7be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

The NJKJV Study Bible says this: Parables go beyond mere entertainment or moralizing; they teach vital spiritual truths about the kingdom of God. The story Jesus told was easy enough to comprehend. During the planting season, it was common to see men scattering seed by hand over their small fields. They cast the seeds over the kinds of soil Jesus describes—smooth pathways running through fields, rough terrain that hid large rocks just beneath the surface, fields overgrown with weeds, and excellent, rich soil here and there. The point of the parable is that the condition of the soil determines the potential for growth. The principle is true for Christians and non-Christians alike. A mystery in Scripture is a truth God has revealed or will reveal at the proper time. Jesus apparently used parables for several reasons. First, they are interesting and grab the listener's attention. Second, such stories are easily remembered. Third, they reveal truth to those who are ready spiritually to receive it. Fourth, they conceal truth from those who oppose Christ's message. Frequently, Jesus' opponents failed to understand the lessons because of their own spiritual blindness. Not all will understand the teaching of the kingdom. The pathway soil is trampled, hard, and unresponsive. The birds represent Satan who quickly takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. The shallow soil overlaying the stony ground represents those who seem eager to receive Christ's message but whose commitment is superficial. The thorn-infested soil represents those who hear the word but lack single-mindedness and become completely unproductive. Worry (the normal cares of this world) and pleasure-seeking (deceitfulness of riches and the pursuit of other things) are both capable of producing a deadly spiritual apathy. Only one soil produces fruit. Christ emphasizes the necessity to hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit. Jesus' lesson of the lamp, a small clay vessel that burned a wick set in olive oil, is that light reveals what it glows on. Like the lamp, Jesus' teachings reveal the motives of the human heart. To those who hear—who receive God's Good News—more spiritual truth will be given. A growing believer must be receptive and teachable. Whoever has, meaning those who possess spiritual life, will continue to learn and grow. Whoever does not have spiritual life will lose even what little desire for God he or she seems to have. A mustard seed is much smaller than a kernel of corn or a grain of wheat, yet its growth is more spectacular, reaching a height of ten to twelve feet. The point is the comparatively large result from such a humble and insignificant beginning. The kingdom that Jesus came to announce drew little support during His life but will find complete fulfillment when He returns. People need to soften their hearts, humble themselves before God, and honestly seek the truth in order to find it. Jesus' stories are like wrapped gifts. The packaging of the story can either distract or captivate. But unless the package is opened, the gift itself remains unseen. Likewise unless one seeks the core of the parable—its truth and application—the lessons will remain hidden. Yet when discovered, these lessons prove extremely valuable. The testimony of millions of changed lives over two thousand years attests to this fact. When Jesus taught in Jerusalem during His last week, His parables focused on the acceptance or rejection of Him. This time even the priests and the Pharisees "perceived that He was speaking of them"). They were stung by Jesus' parables, and they despised Him and His message. But they were unwilling to give up their pride, learn at Jesus' feet, and seek the forgiveness they so desperately needed. They sensed they would not appreciate what they found if they unwrapped the parables, so they refused to seek the truth any further. In doing this, they perfectly conformed to Isaiah's description of a people with dull hearts, hardness of hearing, and closed eyes. These religious leaders who should have been leading the people into the truth were the very ones who were the most blind to it. Jesus' command over the wind and the sea demonstrates His full and complete deity. Only God the Creator can calm wind and sea.