Mark 4
But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 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, 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.’” Mark 4:10-12 NKJV
It is very interesting that Jesus spoke in parables. You would think it would be important to be very clear when sharing crucial wisdom for generations of humanity – especially with regards to truths about the kingdom of God and salvation. Also, why did Jesus only explain His parables to the disciples, and not to people outside of His close circle? Perhaps He spoke in parables because “It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them” (Proverbs 25:2). In addition, Jesus spoke in parables so that those with willing hearts and true faith in Him could understand His message, but those with closed hearts and minds could not. Many people came to hear Jesus speak, but there were only a few that truly believed and were therefore granted the understanding of His words. The disciples were given spiritual discernment and accepted the truth willingly, so Jesus continued to give them more and more truth over time. The same is true of believers today, as the Holy Spirit is able to guide us towards the truth: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).
Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 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. Mark 4:18-19 NKJV
In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes different reasons why the word of God is not always able to accomplish the work that it is meant to do in someone’s life. Sometimes we hear or read the word of God, but it does not cause the path of our life or our thoughts to change and go in a more Godly direction. We need to be careful that the teachings we hear and the Bible verses we study are not “crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things” (verse 19). The best way to accomplish this is to dedicate time to study the word regularly, and to pray ahead of time for focus, understanding, and an open, willing heart.
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. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” Mark 4:24-25 NKJV
These verses emphasize that we not only need to listen to the words of Jesus, but also need to act accordingly, as we learned in Matthew 7:24: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” The encouraging thing is that the more we listen and obey God, the more understanding we are given: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble” (Proverbs 4:18,19). The longer we walk in obedience, the more light God sheds on spiritual principles for us, which leads to greater wisdom and understanding.
And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4:26-29 NKJV
This parable describes one of the mysteries of the kingdom of God that pertains to evangelism. When we tell others the Good News, we are like a farmer scattering seed. As per Jesus’ words in Luke 8:11, “The seed is the word of God.” Our role as Christians is to tell others about the truth found in the pages of the Bible, and to live our lives as examples of how these truths can truly help a person change for the better. Just as it is a mystery how a seed grows into a crop, so is the incredible transformation that can occur in a person once the tiny seed of God’s word is planted in his/her heart. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the seed can grow and that person can become a true believer in Christ, complete with forgiveness of sins and eternal life! It is our responsibility as Christians to spread the word of God, encourage new believers, and to pray that one of the seeds will take root and flourish in the heart of someone we witness to. Remember that it is not our job to force or guilt someone into becoming a believer. When the time is right, the Holy Spirit will work in him/her, and then all can celebrate when this life-changing miracle occurs.