QT 11/2/2023 Mark 4:1-9, The good soil produces more sowers

Mark 4:1–9 (ESV) —

1 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. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 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. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

 

NOTE: It is called the parable of the sower, but the sower only scatters the seed. The story does not seem to be much about the sower. The seed is the same in all situations as well, so it is not the parable of the seed either. Apparently, in those days, seed was scattered and then the ground was turned over. What is different in the parable is the soil and the result. It would seem better titled, the parable of the soil. There is the hard soil (the path), the rocky soil (not much dirt or nourishment), the soil with weeds, and the good soil. At that time, a common return was 7-8 times the seed; 30, 60, or a 100-fold was unheard. In my mind, the soil is the key -- it is our response to the gospel. The rocky soil does not even germinate. Those are people with hard hearts who do not believe. There are people who respond enthusiastically but don't continue. There are people who respond to the gospel but let other things in life choke out God's word. Good soil is seen in the results, not in anything else. What is the impact of another's life? Does your seed (your faith) cause you to spread the seed faithfully many times more?

 

And maybe that is why it is called the parable of the sower. We, those who receive the seed as good soil, now become sowers. Our job is to cast the seed and to look for the good soil.

 

PONDER:

1. How have I used my faith? How many others know Jesus as a result of my spreading my faith?

 

PRAYER: Father, use my life for good in this world. Give me boldness to share and tell the truth of your word to an unbelieving world.