Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 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. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 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. 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 4:1-20 NIV
Where is God working in your life?
At this lakeshore, Jesus was passing by in people’s lives. Various people went to Him to be healed and ministered. Jesus is the Word of God, and He taught the people about God and the Kingdom of God by using this idea of seeds and farming.
The seed represents the Word of God. In the passages that follow, Jesus shared the parable of the lamp on a stand (Mark 4:21-25), the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29), and the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32). Through these parables, Jesus tells us that the seed is the Word of God and the Kingdom of God that brings light. When a light shines, it is visible, and a change can be seen. The growing seed is a parable that reminds us that when a seed grows, eventually there is a time for harvest; God grows the seed in us, so that we can be fruitful. The mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a massive tree. Through this parable, Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God can start small, but will spread and have a massive impact in our lives.
These three things that Jesus tells us the seed does provides an expectation we can have for our lives when the seed of God’s word and His Kingdom is planted in us. God is here, and God is willing to draw everybody to Him. He is speaking to us.
So, where is God working, and where is He speaking into your life?
We can grow and live a fulfilled life in God, and we can have an impact according to what God wants in our lives. It doesn’t matter who you are; you don’t need any special qualifications or degrees, you just need faith and the Word of God in you.
How do we respond to the seed of God’s Word?
THE PATH
People may hear the Word of God, but dismiss or reject it almost immediately. In these situations, never give up. Keep scattering the seed! You might be a link in the chain that leads that person to God.
ROCKY GROUND
Seeds cannot grow well in shallow soil. Some people may receive the Word of God with great initial enthusiasm, but this faith is not deep rooted. Therefore, when faced with opposition and challenges, they turn away. To the seed that falls on rocky ground, it just isn’t worth persevering in their faith.
In John 6, we read that some disciples turned away and stopped following Jesus after hearing some of His teaching, because it was a ‘hard teaching that no one can accept’ (John 6:60). The seed had fallen on rocky ground. On the other hand, when Jesus asked the twelve apostles if they were going to leave as well, they responded by saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69)
Do you bend the Word of God to how you want to live? Or do you conform to the Word of God?
You cannot have the Word of God as a tailor-fitted suit according to what you want it to be.
Do you prioritise other things over Jesus? Or do you put Jesus first in your life?
WEEDS
The weeds represent distractions and diversions. Jesus tells us: “…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).
The weeds stop the plant from growing to harvest, and therefore, stops it from being fruitful. The weeds squeeze the life out of the plant growing from the seed. Being so focused on the cares of the world, some people in this situation may lose their trust in God for their salvation. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the distractions around us.
What are the things that pull you away from God? What are the things that stop you from growing? What are the cares of the world that overwhelm you? What are things you trust more than God?
Recognising the weeds – the distractions – is the first step. Then we can make the decision to not put our trust in or give our attention to these distractions. We can focus on God, recognise that He sees it all, and remind ourselves that He has got His hand over our lives. We can remind ourselves that He will get us through whatever trials we face.
FERTILE GROUND
Seeds in fertile ground grows and is fruitful. The plant matures and produces a harvest, which is what God wants; God wants us to live a fruitful life. Paul tells us that one plants, another waters, but God makes the seed grow . There is something divine in this situation in our lives, that is beyond us; we just have to let God work in our lives.
The person on the path has no room for God.
The person on rocky ground turns away from God in the face of trials.
The person who focuses on the cares of the world is overwhelmed by the weeds; they never grow into the harvest.
The person on fertile ground grows to harvest and is fruitful.
Where is God working in your life?
After teaching these parables, Jesus encountered a storm on his way across the lake. His disciples were terrified, worried that they were going to drown, but Jesus calmed the storm (Mark 4:35-41). After they reached the other side, they encountered a demon possessed man, whom Jesus healed. The demons entered a herd of pigs nearby, and the pigs drowned themselves in the lake. Seeing this, the people of that area asked Jesus to leave (Mark 5:1-17).
God was in front of them, but they asked God to leave.
Jesus travelled back to the other side of the lake, where He was met by a synagogue leader, Jairus, who asked Him to heal his daughter. Whilst on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter, a woman with an issue of blood from amongst the crowd touched the hem of His garment, and was healed (Mark 5:25-29). Jairus received word that his daughter had died, but Jesus still went to Jairus’ home, and raised his daughter to life (Mark 5:35-42).
Where is God working?
Jesus passed through the midst of many people. He taught many people. His parable of the sower and the seed reflected the responses of His listeners. It reflected the reactions of the people who encountered Jesus and was ministered to by Him.
In Mark 5, Jesus delivered a man who was demon-possessed, but the people of that area, despite seeing the man had changed and had been liberated, asked Jesus to leave. However, when Jesus returned to that area later, people ran to welcome Him; the seed that had been sown had now produced a harvest.
God is working. Some people accept it. Some people are indifferent to it. Some people reject it.
Where is God working for you?
Have you received the Word of God?
What are you doing to nurture the Word of God in your life?
When you have the Word of God in your life, you know God wants to grow a harvest in your life. Therefore, you don’t need to be choked by the thistles and thorns; you will get through.
As you talk to God through His Word, whatever seed of the Word He gives you, ask Him to help you nurture it and to be sensitive to how He wants you to grow in His Word.