Am I an Influenced Follower? (4:1-20)24
4:1 Again he began to teach by the lake. And such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: 4:3 “Listen!25 A sower went out to sow. 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 4:6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered. 4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 4:8 But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some bore thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” 4:9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”
4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret26 of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,
4:12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.”27
4:13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? 4:14 The sower sows the word. 4:15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. 4:16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: as soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 4:17 But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: they are those who hear the word, 4:19 but worldly cares, wealthy pleasures, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good soil: they hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
Earlier Jesus had his disciples prepare a boat in case the crowds became too great and threatened to force Him into the water. Here the crowds had grown so large that Jesus has to use that boat as a platform (though He sits as was customary for a teacher) while the listeners gather by the edge of the sea. At the beginning and end of the Parable of the Soils, Jesus invites these listeners to listen carefully, suggesting that the meaning might not be self-evident. The four soils share in common the “hearing” of the Word—they each receive seed. The contrast lies in their varying levels of receptivity to that Word. While Jesus is not often given to explaining His parables, here He chooses to do so for those close to Him.
Like the social game in which we identify which animal we most closely resemble, Jesus now describes four different types of soils and asks which soil we most closely resemble. Which soil best represents the condition of your heart?28
Soil sample #1:
This is seed that falls “on the path.” A first-century path alongside—or through—a field was composed of dirt that was well-worn and firmly-packed from high volumes of foot trafic, virtually impenetrable to scattered seed.
Jesus explains to His disciples that the seed in the parable represents the Word of God.
The birds in the parable symbolize Satan. Because of the firmness of the soil, birds were able to snatch up the scattered seed before they could penetrate the hard ground.
The result that Jesus emphasizes is that this soil produces no fruit.
This soil represents a hard heart that doesn’t permit the Word of God to penetrate its surface. These individuals are in control of their own lives; they have all of the answers. They are unteachable, and the Word of God falls upon their deaf ears.
Was Jesus talking about you?
Soil sample #2:
This is seed that falls “on rocky ground.”
Jesus again identifies the seed in the parable as the Word of God.
The sun in the parable symbolizes trouble or persecution.
The result that Jesus emphasizes is that this soil produces no fruit.
This soil represents a vulnerable heart. While these receive the Message with joy, it fails to run deep enough to affect their lives. These are shallow in their comprehension of Christian things. Rather than overflowing from a personal relationship with God, their behavior is paroted from what they see other Christians doing. How can we identify such individuals? Watch them when trouble or persecution comes along. Because they lack the intimacy that accompanies a personal walk with Christ—because they have no root—they are the first ones to fall away.
Was Jesus talking about you?
Soil sample #3:
This is seed that falls “among thorns.”
Jesus again identifies the seed in the parable as the Word of God.
The thorns in the parable represent worldly cares, wealthy pleasures, and desire for other things.
The result that Jesus emphasizes is that this soil produces no fruit.
This soil represents a distracted heart. The most commonly-cited obstacle to spiritual growth by Americans is busi-ness, distractions. Is your life choked by the distractions of worldly cares, wealthy pleasures, and desire for other things?
Was Jesus talking about you?
Soil sample #4:
This is seed that falls “on good soil.”
Jesus again identifies the seed in the parable as the Word of God.
The result that Jesus emphasizes, in contrast to the three previously-mentioned soils, is that this soil produces lasting fruit in varying measures.
This soil represents a receptive heart. Please note that the word translated here as “receive” is a different Greek word than that translated “receive” in v. 16. Only the receptive heart receives the Word rightly.
Was Jesus talking about you?
Remember, in the Gospel of Mark Jesus calls His followers to a lasting response. This parable is a warning to the soil. It conveys the importance of lasting fruit—fruit that remains. Only soil that produces fruit pleases the Father. Has the Word of God affected you? Are you an influenced follower?
The moral of the story: Be the right soil.
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