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July 29/30, 2017
Jason Meyer | Mark 4:1-20
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”—Mark 4:1–20
Introduction
Last week we saw the first sandwich in the Gospel of Mark. This is now sandwich #2. A sandwich is a literary technique in which an author begins with one story and then ends with that same story, but something else is “sandwiched” in between them. Here Mark begins with the parable of the sower (4:1–9) and ends with the parable of the sower (4:13–20). The meat of the sandwich is Jesus’ teaching on the purpose of parables.
Outline
I want to give you a heads up—the answers to these questions are stunning. I stand before you freshly amazed, awed, and with my mouth hanging open.
Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The first two verses give us important information about the setting for Jesus’ teaching. The crowds are so large that they sit on the seashore and Jesus teaches them from a boat. Places along the Sea of Galilee were like a natural amphitheater. In fact, people in Israel call a certain place the “Bay of Parables” which can cause a human voice to be projected effortlessly to several thousand people on shore (James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark, p. 126).
It is vitally important to see that Mark has emphasized the presence of the crowd again. We might look at the crowds and come to quick conclusions: Jesus’ ministry is so successful. Look at all the people following him from everywhere. This must be revival. So many people believe in Jesus! Jesus is going to do here what only God can do. He can look at a great throng of people and tell us what is truly happening in their hearts. In fact, there is a great connection between verse 1 and the rest of the parable. The crowds were beside the sea on the “land,” which is literally here the “soil” (v. 1). Then he gives a parable in which that word “soil” [v. 5 (2x), v. 8] shows up—which represent the crowd.
We are told that he spoke to the crowd in parables. “And he was teaching them many things in parables …” (v.2). Parables are often a little bit like riddles. They are a form of communication that require some “inside knowledge” to crack the code the parable uses to compare physical and spiritual realities. I will come back to that point in a moment. This form of communication requires insight into what the symbols mean and thus what the overall message is.
In the symbolic world of the parable, there is a sower and seed. The sower sows the seed broadly—he does not select the best ground and then only cast the seed there. The parable begins and ends with the word “listen” or “hear” and ends with the same word. Along the way, it occurs 10 times in this chapter. “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow” (v.3). He sows the seed widely and the seed goes to different types of soils. There are four types of soils. They all get the same seed, but the effect is very different.
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
A. Kind of Soil
What is wrong with this type of soil? Everything. It is so packed down by people walking on it that the seed will not sink down at all.
B. Impact on Seed
The seed has no effect. It stays on the surface and gets eaten by the birds. This parable is certainly not designed to communicate best practices in 1st-century farming techniques. Do you ever see people with their Scotts seed spreader going over the highway?
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
A. Kind of Soil
The second type of soil is described as rocky ground. Picture a shallow layer of topsoil with a layer of rocks underneath that. What is wrong with this type of soil? It is shallow. It has no depth. Do you see that in verse five? The result is that there “it did not have much soil” or “no depth of soil.” (Notice that Jesus emphasizes this lack of depth twice). What will happen to the seed in that type of soil?
B. Impact on Seed
The soil is shallow and has no depth, so the seed penetrates only a little way down and it immediately springs up, but it is temporary (not lasting) because the sun scorches it and it withers. The reason it did not last? “It had no root.” So the first one had no penetration of the seed, and the second one sunk down only partially.
Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
A.Kind of Soil
The third type of soil is described as “among thorns.” In other words, the soil was not hard or shallow, it had good depth, but it was crowded with thorns—there was too much competition.
B. Impact on Seed
What impact will this have on the seed? The thorns grow up and choke the seed so there was no yield of grain (no fruit).
Therefore, none of these first three soils has a happy ending. They all have various levels of how deep the seed sunk in the soil: No penetration, partial penetration, full penetration (but choked and killed). Three different types of soils, but all have an unhappy ending (no harvest). Now we come to the only soil with a happy ending.
And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
A. Kind of Soil
We are told that only the fourth soil was “good soil,” that is, soil that would be good place for the seed to grow into a harvest.
B. Impact on Seed
We are told that the seed produced grain. The idea of “fold” would be how many heads of grain per seed—so one seed produced 30 heads of grain or 60 or 100. These numbers are not normal yields. Some have calculated the average yield would be one seed producing 7.5 heads of grain. After seeing no yield from three out of the four places, this is an extravagant yield.
The reference to one hundred fold is a sign of God’s phenomenal blessing like that of Isaac: “And Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. The Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy” (REF CHAP:12–13).
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
Notice the change in scene. He is not in the boat teaching the crowds. He is now alone with “those around him” and his 12 disciples (v. 10). This is the same phrase (“those around him”) that occurred in the previous story for describing the disciples who were inside the house (called his true family) and his physical family standing outside the house.
Jesus’ true family is asking about the meaning of the parable. Jesus responds by saying that something has been given to them (“To you has been given”) that has not been given to others. What is it that those around Jesus and the 12 have been given? Answer: “The secret of the kingdom of God” (v. 11). This is a knowledge that is not attained by natural means; it must be given or revealed by God. The secret needs to be disclosed or revealed or no one will know it. Those around Jesus have been given the “secret” because they are true hearers. The parable of the sower will show that God’s rule and reign are being carried out by Jesus, the Son of God, but in surprising ways. No one expected that the vast majority would reject the coming of the Messiah. (Could you even reject him and draw another breath?) But even though so many reject him, he will bring about a fruitful harvest in the end.
The others are called “for those outside” and they are only given parables (v. 11). So Jesus comments that parables function to group people into two different categories: insiders and outsiders. It is also surprising who the insiders and outsiders are. People would have thought that serious and devoted Jews like the Pharisees and scribes would be insiders and that common people (especially tax collectors and sinners) would be on the outside.
The outsiders get only the parables, the insiders hear the parables like the outsiders, but they are given something extra—how to interpret them. In other words, Jesus’ disciples are dependent upon Jesus to reveal the secrets of the kingdom. Jesus is the Son of God and as such he is the only One who really knows the plan and purpose and work of God, especially the revelation that Jesus is God’s Son. What God is up to is not immediately clear to everyone. Jesus has to disclose it—they are all dependent upon him for this revelation. Not everyone can really see God’s reign and rule at work in what Jesus is doing. Why? Verse 12 gives the answer. All the hearers will see and hear, but only the insiders will perceive and understand. That is the point of quoting Isaiah 6.
The division of people into insiders and outsiders is not just an effect that the parables have, but it is an intended effect (“so that”). It is not accidental; this is intentional on Jesus’ part. He knows what he is doing. He is fulfilling Scripture.
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
Isaiah 6 has something to say about why Jesus uses parables. They see, but not perceive. They hear, but do not understand. The intended effect is that they do not turn and are not forgiven.
This fits with the parable. Everyone hears Jesus (they all see and hear). All four types of soils receive the word, but only one of the four soils sees and perceives, hears and understands. Only one group turns and receives forgiveness. There are huge questions that need to be answered here, but let us look at the whole text before turning to answer them.
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Now the symbolism is interpreted for us. The sower is Jesus. The seed is the word: “The sower sows the word” (v.14). In fact, this parable explains the mission of Jesus as stated back in Mark 1:38, “And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’” Here we have the same word as the phrase translated “came out.” Jesus has been sowing (heralding) the word all throughout Galilee.
Now he begins to show us that the four different types of soils are different types of hearers with different types of hearts.
And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.
A. Kind of Hearer
What is wrong with this type of heart? It is so hard that it has no effect. Why?
B. Impact of Word
Satan (i.e., the birds in the story) immediately comes and takes the word away.
This would be a reference to his hardest-hearted hearers like the scribes and Pharisees. They immediately reject the teaching of Jesus. There is no initial acceptance; only hard-hearted opposition. Ironically, the very people saying that he is possessed by Satan are the ones blinded by Satan. He is active in their lives, not the life of Jesus.
The next three hearers all look (at least initially) like they accept what Jesus says.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.
A. Kind of Hearer
The second type of heart is described as having “no root in themselves.” This heart has no depth, no firm rootedness for the word.
B. Impact of the Word
The heart has no root so when they hear the word, they “immediately receive it with joy” (v. 16). But because the word has no firm grasp upon the heart, these people only “endure for a while” (v. 17). What is the “sun” that “scorches” them? Tribulation or persecution comes—that fire will either burn up the temporary acceptance of the word or purify and refine true faith. Here this initial acceptance is burned up so that this group of people “falls away”—that is, they eventually renounce Jesus or stop following him.
“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
A. Kind of Hearer
The third type of hearer has a heart that is crowded with choking influences. What are the “thorns?” The thorns are described as “the cares of the world,” “the deceitfulness of riches,” and “the desires for other things.”
B. Impact on the Word
The cares of the world, the deceitful promises of riches, and covetous desires for other things conspire to choke the word so that it has no lasting effect. It will find initial acceptance (not immediate rejection), but the power of idolatry eventually strangles the word and chokes it to death. This is a warning against worldliness. When the things of the word and the things of the world come into conflict, which one will win?
No penetration, partial penetration, full penetration (but choked and killed). Three different types of hearers in the crowd, but all have the same ending (no harvest—they are not disciples).
“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
A. Kind of Hearer
The fourth type of hearer hears the word and accepts it. The language changes here to a present, continuous: “hearing the word, accepting the word, and bearing fruit.” These three things basically define what a disciple is. All four hearers hear Jesus’ words and three initially accept it. But only this type of hearer endures in their embrace of the word.
B. Impact of the Word
They endure in their embrace of the word so it “bears fruit.” The harvest is stated in various percentages. For some the yield or return is 30, 60, or 100. The first three groups do not hear with true faith, but this fourth group does.
Application: How Do Disciples Become Disciples?
Jesus’ use of parables has the effect of creating a division between insiders and outsiders. We saw the same thing last week (those inside the house sitting at his feet—his true family; and his family outside the house). We have seen the division between the crowd and the disciples many times.
Main Point
True followers of Christ receive his word and bear fruit only because God has changed their hearts have been changed. Without this heart change someone cannot be a true follower of Christ. This heart change is the defining difference between the disciples and the crowd.
The two groups of people already exist, but the parables function as a way to make the divide clear. The biggest evidence that one is an insider and not an outsider is whether or not you stay with Jesus as a disciple. The crowd comes and goes and the disciples stay. Another evidence is that the crowd goes away, satisfied with hearing the parable. The disciples have a deeper thirst and a greater hunger. They need to know more. They ask questions—they engage more deeply.
As we stated earlier, how did this division happen? Is the division the unintended effect (almost accidental) of the parables or the purpose of them? Is this accidental or intentional, not just a result, but the result Jesus intended?
The clear, unmistakable, unavoidable answer is that Jesus intended to create this division. There are two evidences for intentionality. First, the conjunction “so that” (Mark 4:12). It communicates purpose, not merely result.
Second, there is another purpose statement (a different word) at the end of verse 12 that is a negative purpose statement. It is usually translated “lest” or “in order that not.” Here the ESV translates it: “lest they turn and be forgiven.” This time the purpose statement is stated in negative terms. We do this all the time. I am not going to speed, lest I get a speeding ticket. I am going to put on sunscreen, lest I get a sunburn. But those two examples say we are doing something in order to avoid a result that would be bad (speeding ticket, sunburn). This says I am speaking in parables lest these people on the outside turn and be forgiven. Wait a minute. The intentionality is clear, but it raises a mammoth question! I know why someone would want to prevent a sunburn or a speeding ticket. Why would God want to prevent turning and being forgiven? Why wouldn’t God want people to turn and be forgiven?
Could God cause everyone to believe? Yes. Why doesn’t he? Answer: He has chosen to hand some over to judgment. Isaiah 6:9–10 shows up at least four other times the New Testament with this same sense (Matthew 13:14–15; Luke 8:10; John 12:39–40; Acts 28:26–27). That is why the context of Isaiah 6 is so important. God declares judgment upon Israel for their idolatry. Why the reference to ears and eyes that don’t hear or see? God is communicating that this is poetic justice. They have become as blind and deaf and mute as the idols they worship (Isaiah 44:18–20). The Psalmist’s give the same warning in Psalm 115:4-8.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
The Lord has handed them over to this: “They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand” (Isaiah 48:18; cf. Isaiah 29:10). I had a very long survey of the Bible to show you that this is the clear and consistent testimony of the Bible, but I am going to limit myself to two texts in Romans (1:24-32; 11:2-8). First, we turn to Romans 1:24–32. Look at the poetic justice that happens three times here:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Three times Paul says that God hands people over to their sinful rebellion and hardness. God could overcome the hardness or he could give them over to their hardness. Here is how we can clear up the confusion. Does God take people who would believe and make it impossible for them to believe? Or does God take some people and make them believe against their will so that he forces them into heaven kicking and screaming because they don’t want to go (but he makes them)? These people are not God-honoring people with hearts alive to God. They are already hardened in their rebellion (they already took the truth they had about God and exchanged it for the opposite of truth—a worthless lie. They already lusted after things that God declared impure and dishonorable, they already approved of not acknowledging God.
We are not talking about a parent who tells a child who loves them and wants to be with them to leave the house. It is like a child that comes to you every day of their life for 18 years and says, “I hate you, I don’t want you as a parent, and I want to leave.” When they turn 18, they come to you for the 6,206th time and ask again. This time you say, “OK, you can have it your way.” Would you tell a parent that they cannot do that? Are you telling God that he can’t do that?
Here is the thing—just like the issue of Pharaoh—the text in Exodus tells us that Pharaoh hardened his heart, God hardened his heart, and his heart was hardened. God did not have to work fresh evil in Pharaoh’s “good” heart to get him to rebel and refuse to let Israel go —he just had to remove his hand of restraint and let Pharaoh do exactly what Pharaoh wanted to do.
Here is another way to state the question: How does anyone become a disciple? God must change the heart. He has to take out the heart of stone and put in the heart of flesh. He has to intervene before anyone can receive the word and believe and follow Jesus. He doesn’t intervene for everyone, but he does for some. We have seen that Jesus has intervened for some. He intervened for the paralytic and he intervened when he called the disciples. We have been emphasizing that being a follower of Jesus is a gift, not an achievement.
If God could save everyone by intervening, then isn’t he obligated to do so? Shouldn’t he intervene in everyone’s life so that they repent, believe, and are forgiven? If God were obligated to show mercy or give grace to everyone, then grace would lose all meaning. If God was obligated to give grace to everyone, then grace would stop being grace. It is no longer free and undeserved.
Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?
“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.—Romans 11:3–6
The people of Israel all rebelled and were on a collision course for God’s judgment—they killed the prophets, demolished the altars. It looks completely dark. But God. If God didn’t keep people for himself there would be no one. But he kept 7,000. The same was true in Paul’s day. There is a faithful remnant. Why are they faithful? Because God chose to give them grace (chosen by grace). Then Paul shares the obvious meaning of grace. It was grace not merit—if they deserved something from God, then it would no longer be called grace. It would be called merit—earned by works or their worth.
What about all the rest? Those who were not chosen by grace—what happened to them?
What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written,
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day”—Romans 11:7–8 (quoting Isaiah 29:10)
Conclusion
How should we respond to this teaching? Do we become cynical? Do we become fatalists—don’t do anything because it doesn’t matter what you do—it is all predetermined anyway. If you are not following Jesus today, do not respond by saying, “There is nothing I can do. I can’t resist God’s will if he has handed me over.” How do you know God’s will? Maybe you jumped into the raging river of sin, but how do you know he won’t intervene—even right now and pull you out—by grace! He has stated very clearly his general call upon everyone here: Repent and believe the good news that Christ came into the world to save sinners. But know this: If he has opened your heart, then receive the word today. Embrace it. Don’t let go. Let it do its work. Don’t arrogantly assume that the window of opportunity will always be open. Don’t think, “I can repent whenever I want.” Today, if you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts. Today is the day of salvation.
If you are a Christian, the Bible’s message is so full of hope and help. That is why Jesus keeps referring to ears to hear (4:9). If you have been given ears to hear, then use them! God does not see for us or believe for us or hear for us or obey for us, but he does the decisive work that enables us to see or believe or hear or obey. Once he fixes our broken eyes and ears and hearts, then he says, “I have given you new eyes, use them.”
Have you ever seen this pattern? That is the point of 1 Peter 1:22–23. “You have purified your souls … for a sincere brotherly love, so love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again.”
Since you have been purified to love through the new birth, earnestly love one another from the heart. Your heart has been changed so it will work rightly—use it! Love! If you have ears to hear, then use them! Listen carefully. If you have eyes to see, then gaze at the beauty of the Lord. Use them to gaze! The Bible says that our hearts have been changed, our eyes have been opened, our ears are no longer deaf. So, based on all you believe and see and hear—worship God! Sing out! He is greatly to be praised because he has done great things. In the words of this closing song, “its your breath in our lungs …” So what do we do with that breath? Pour out our praise. Pour it out. You have new lungs —breath—pour out your praise! Don’t hold back—sing out!