COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 36
“ Mark 4:1 And He began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine, 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not 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 fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And He said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:1-9; Matt 13:3-9; Lk 8:5-8).
JESUS TEACHES IN PARABLES
INTRODUCTION
When Jesus saw the multitudes, His inclinations were always in synch with the will and purpose of God. Once, when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was “moved with compassion,” seeing them as those who “fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matt 9:36). Another time He saw a “great multitude,” was “moved with compassion toward them,” and “healed their sick” (Matt 14:14). Another time He said He had “compassion on the multitude,” and would not send them away with nothing to eat, lest they “faint in the way” (Matt 15:36). Later, Mark says of a similar occasion, “And Jesus, when He came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34). For many, “multitudes” are nothing more than numbers – mere statistics. But this was not the case with Jesus. In our text, He will again be moved to teach them – to acquaint them to some degree with the “kingdom of God,” which He was preaching, or declaring (Lk 4:43). This way of viewing the multitudes is exceedingly rare in our day.
HE BEGAN AGAIN TO TEACH
“ 4:1 And He began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine.”
HE BEGAN AGAIN TO TEACH. Matthew says Jesus “sat by the sea side,” and a “great multitude were gathered together unto Him” (Matt 13:1). Luke affirms of this occasion that “much people were gathered together, and were come to Him out of every city” (Lk 8:4). Earlier, when the people “pressed upon Him to hear the word of God,” Jesus entered Peter’s boat and asked him to “thrust out a little from the land” in order that He might teach the people (Lk 5:1-3). Here, in the beginning of Christ’s ministry, it is remarkable how the people flocked to Him. It confirms that His words had a certain freshness and power in them that the people had not heard before. Then, as now, Jesus stands in stark contrast to conventional religion, and the teaching of the professionals.
Jesus was prone to teach – that was His manner. He would often have compassion on the multitudes and heal their sick. At least seven times we read of Jesus healing the sick among certain multitudes (Matt 4:24; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30; 19:2; 21:14; Mk 1:34). His great heart was touched with the human condition.
However, Jesus was at His peak when He was teaching – expounding the kingdom of God, acquainting people with God, and opening the Scriptures. It is written that He “taught in their synagogues” (Matt 4:23), taught and preached in their cities (Matt 11:1), taught daily in the Temple (Matt 26:55), “taught by the sea side” (Mk 4:1), taught in the villages (Mk 6:6), taught in the regions on the other side of Jordan (Mk 10:1), taught on mountains (Matt 5:1), taughtby a well (John 4:6-32), and taught in houses (Matt 9:10-17; Mk 7:17). He also “taught His disciples” in special ways (Mk 9:31).
This is an aspect of Jesus that has been largely lost in our day. Teaching simply does not blend well with an institutional emphasis and catering to the whims of the crowds. This is, however, one of the distinctions of the “day of salvation.” Isaiah prophesied, “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways” (Isa 2:3).“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isa 54:13). Jesus referred to this prophecy, associating it with His own matchless ministry (John 6:45). Before Jesus returned to heaven, He told His disciples He would send the Holy Spirit to them, who would “teach” them of “all things” (John 14:26). Those who are in Christ Jesus are told of His teaching ministry to them now: “But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph 4:20-21).
Teaching is like a two-sided coin. One side is communication, and the other is reception. Jesus said of the “teaching” of the prophesy of Isaiah, “And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of [from] the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:45). Here, Jesus is communicating – bringing matters of the kingdom within reach of the people. In order for the communication to be effective, it remains for the people to receive what He is saying.
THE LAND AND THE SEA. Earlier, Mark says the people “resorted” to Christ by the sea side, and He taught them (Mk 2:13). Another time the people gathered to Him when was “by the sea” (Mk 5:21). Still another time a multitude listened to Him by “the sea of Galilee” (Mk 7:31). There is a sort of parable here – a likeness to Divine realities. The truth of God is, indeed, like “a great deep.” As David confessed, “Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep” (Psa 36:6). On the one hand, they are high and lofty like mountains, so that they extend beyond out vision. On the other hand, they are like a profoundly deep sea that goes far beneath the surface, and can only be grasped by extended thought and effort. How appropriate that Jesus often taught by the sea.
HE TAUGHT THEM MANY THINGS. Note what is said of Jesus’ teaching. It consisted of “many things by (or in) parables” – many different facets of truth, showing them different perspectives of the kingdom. This was called “His doctrine.” He did this “in parables,” or comparisons, figures, and proverbs. In this approach, He was actually drawing out those hidden amongst the multitudes – those who would not be satisfied with mere “parables.” Later He will tell His disciples He did this because it was “not given” to the multitudes to “know the mysteries of the kingdom” (Matt 13:10). He spoke “in parables,” to “them that are without” (Mk 4:11). Thus, they were exposed to the truth, yet knew not one whit about it unless they inquired for further instruction. This is a kingdom manner that ought to be duly noted by all men – a manner that ought to provoke earnest inquiry.
HEARKEN AND BEHOLD!
“ 3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.”
HEARKEN; BEHOLD. Jesus calls for the attention of men! If men are to profit from Him and His teaching, He must have their special care or consideration. This involves the focus of mental faculties, and the alertness of the heart. Distracted souls will neither be blessed nor profited by the teaching of Jesus – no matter marvelous it is, or what liberty is promises.
To “Hearken” is to listen, or pay attention to. It is to be keenly aware of, so that every word is taken in, and preparation made to give due consideration to that word. It also means to perceive the sense of what is said. The word “Behold” means much the same: to see or look, with the attention aroused. It is to view something with a mind to see beyond the surface, and to gain some benefit from it: to observe with a keen interest. Here, then, is what Jesus means by these two words. “Come close to Me. Listen carefully to what I am going to say. Remove all distracting thoughts from your minds, and focus on what you will hear from my lips. Do not treat these words as though they were incidental, or had nothing to do with you. Marshall all of your thoughts! Be alert and attentive! Look with earnest intent into my words, and make every effort to discern them.”
Fourteen times Jesus said, “Take heed!” Nine times the epistles also contain these words. They precede a warning about God possibly not sparing us (Rom 11:21). Those who labor for the Lord are to take heed HOW they build upon the foundation (1 Cor 3:10). Throwing stumbling blocks in front of brethren can only be avoided by taking heed (1 Cor 8:9). We are to employ this response to keep from falling (1 Cor 10:12). Wrangling brethren are to take heed to avoid being consumed (Gal 5:15). Those with a ministry are to have this frame of mind (Col 4:17). Believers are to assess themselves in this manner (1 Tim 4:16). An evil heart of unbelief can only be avoided by this kind of focused attention (Heb 3:12). Spiritual growth requires undivided attentiveness (2 Pet:1:19).
Lest we be tempted to view this in a kind of academic way, this is the thoughtful environment in which of all profitable kingdom activity is conducted. Every aspect of this great salvation that brings benefit is conducted in such an environment. Distracted minds cannot take hold of the Word of Christ. Those with scattered thoughts, who cannot dwell on anything for very long, will gain nothing from the testimony of the truth of God. This is one of the great liabilities of a religion that pipes and plays to the human emotion and fleshly preferences. Too much of the religion of our time has nothing upon which hungry and thirsty souls can focus. Often there is little to which people can “hearken” and “behold.”
A SOWER. Observe, the attention is immediately drawn to a person. It is the person that makes the activity relevant. The “doctrine,” as Mark refers to it (4:3), primarily concerns one who is engaged in a meaningful activity. This is not a person who is making himself available to the masses, but who is engaged in purposeful and focused work. Whatever is said in this “parable” finds its meaning in this “sower” who went out “to sow.” This was not a tangential activity of the “sower,” nor something that was done in his leisure. SOWING. There is also a premier activity of this person – something is being done that involves an objective, activity, and a desired response. He obviously has something to sow – some seed that he himself owns. The manner in which he sows confirms that the seed is not sparse but plentiful.
DIFFERING KINDS OF SOIL. The “wayside,” or “pathway.” This is an area where there is a lot of activity, but nothing of substance results from it. The “seed” will discover the hardness of such soil. The “stony ground,” that is not what it appears to be. It is soil with a ledge of rock beneath, hidden by a thin layer of soil that will not allow for any harvest from the seed. The true nature of the soil will be discovered by the seed.
COMPETITIVE INFLUENCES. There are also competitive influences external to the soil itself – influences that bear directly upon the success of the seed. The fowls of the air, who are looking for an opportunity. The hidden rock that allows for no growth. The sun that sends out a blast of heart that cannot be endured by plants with no root. The sower sows with all of these influences in mind. He does not avoid soils that are inhibited by these factors. The seed itself will confirm the condition of the soils. He will not philosophize about the possibilities of the soil. The seed will do the work of discovery. Wherever the seed cannot grow, the soil is bad – absolutely bad, without any equivocation whatsoever.
HINDERING AND PRODUCTIVE SOILS
“ 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus is acquainting the multitudes with the manner of the Kingdom. It does not deal with mere novelties. Jesus is actually interpreting His own teaching, announcing to them that He is knowledgeably sowing where He will gain no lasting harvest.
A DIFFERING KIND OF COMPETITIVE INFLUENCE. Some of the soil was rich enough to be productive. It was not a mere path, trodden by men, and never intended to produce a crop. Nor, indeed, was it nothing more than thin soil that covered a ledge of rock, that roots could not penetrate.
This is soil in which other corrupt and unfruitful seeds already existed. Luke says “the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it” (Lk 8:7). The thorns, then, were not apparent when the seed fell upon that soil. However, the seed eventually discovered the situation. The ground was incapable of producing a harvest.
The first soil had the seed removed from it by birds external to it. The second soil was blasted by the noonday sin, and “withered away, because it lacked moisture” – moisture that could only be obtained by deep roots (Luke 6:6). But this soil had corrupting influences within it – foreign and damaging seeds that would not allow anything to grow but themselves! God’s work is being done in an intensely competitive environment.
“GOOD GROUND.” This was ground that was not hard from unrelated activity. It was ground upon which men did not traffic. It was also ground that had depth, with no inhibiting rock beneath the surface. What is more, the soil had been adequately prepared, with all competing seeds being removed by breaking up the fallow ground.
Something about this “good ground” that is noteworthy: the seed “did yield fruit that sprang up and increased.” Matthew says “it brought forth fruit” (Matt 13:8). Here, then, was the whole point of sowing the seed – to obtain fruit, or a harvest. Seed without fruit is pointless. What is more, the parable confirms there are places where the seed will not grow and produce fruit – even if it is sown by the sower himself, and in copious quantities! Paths that are traveled heavily by men will not produce a harvest! Soil that has no depth, but has a layer of hard rock beneath the surface will not produce a harvest. There may be some initial growth, but it will not endure the heat of the day. Soil that has competing seeds in it, lurking beneath the surface, cannot produce a harvest, even when the seed itself is good, and was sown by the master sower himself.
The “sower” did not attempt to re-gather the seed sown on the pathway, thinking to sow it at a more opportune time. He did not pull up the tender shoots on the rocky ground, and make an effort to transplant them in soil that was better prepared. Nor, indeed, did he attempt to weed out the “thorns” that grew up “with” the plants from the “good seed.” Only the seed in the “good soil” brought any profit to the sower.
ABUNDANT FRUITFULNESS. The harvest was not a meager one – and keep in mind, this is the only harvest that was realized! There was no harvest from the “wayside.” The seed was forthrightly devoured by the birds. There was no harvest from the rocky soil. The plants soon withered away in the heat of the sun. There was no harvest from the soil in which “thorns” sprang up “with” the good seed. Not so much as one ripe fruit was gathered from those first three soils! But what of the “good” soil?
Matthew accounts for the fruitfulness from the greatest to the least: “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold” (Matt 13:8). Mark accounts for it from the least to the greatest: “some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mk 4:8). Luke simply says, “and bare fruit an hundredfold,” or “a hundred times more than was sown” NIV(Lk 8:8).
This is a most remarkable thing! You may recall that Jesus spoke of faithful stewards who returned more than they received. One man received “one pound” and returned “ten pounds more” – a thousandfold increase (Lk 19:16). Another man received “one pound” and returned “five pounds” – a five-hundredfold increase (Lk 19:18). One man received “five talents,” and returned an additional “five talents” – an hundredfold increase. Another man received “two talents,” and returned an additional “two” – an hundredfold increase.
LET HIM HEAR! Here, the Lord is calling out for tender hearts to consider what He has said. As we will find, it
is not possible to reason from a parable to the reality. A person can only discern the parable when it is explained – or the light
of reality is shined upon it. One can only imagine what men would have pulled out of this parable had Jesus