Read Mark 4: 1- 8 and 9-20 for more commentary on the parable. See end of blog for quotation.
This is a very well-known parable and it seems so simple to read but there are deep truths revealed in it. It is likely that Jesus chose this illustration because there was a field nearby and maybe even a farmer sowing his seed by hand. It provided an excellent illustration for some very deep spiritual truths.
The only variable is the soil. Different types of soil reacts differently to the seed which the farmer is sowing. Who is sowing the seed? It is the Son of Man (or Jesus) who is sowing the seed (Matthew 13:37) although there are others who have sown the seed in His name. The seed is the Word of God and there is nothing wrong with the quality of the seed. The field is the world and the harvest is the end of the age (Matthew 13: 38-39).
The variable then is the soil on which the seed lands. There are four types of soil mentioned in this parable. The first type of soil is described as 'the path' which has no real soil. There was no chance of germination as the birds of the air came and ate the seed. When Jesus came to explain this parable to his disciples, he went on to identify Satan as the enemy active in this setting. "Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them" [Mark 4: 15 NIV]. Jesus clearly states that Satan is determined to prevent the Word of God from taking root in the hearts of men and women. If I post on Facebook a picture of my family, there are many viewers and many people who comment or click Like. If I post the usual Day Share blog, there are very few who take the time to read the blog. I am aware that there are many similar types of blog so I am not, for a moment, implying that this is the only form of sowing the Word of God. However, it is significant how many Facebook friends are reluctant to have anything to do with a message from the Bible. Satan is still active.
The second type of soil is described as "rocky places." With this type of soil, the immediate reaction to the seed is different at first. There is a lack of soil for the seed to grow but there is a response: the seed does germinate and there is rapid growth but the plants are soon scorched by the sun. The heat from the sun represents persecution which quickly discourages any interest in the word of God.
In the third category, there are many thorns which are competing for the soil. They can quickly choke the young plant and it withers and dies. Again, Mark records Jesus interpretation of what is happening in this situation. He elaborates on the meaning of the thorns which are "the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things" [Mark 4:19 NIV]. This is also very relevant in 2022. We live in a world where wealth is equated with success and we are encouraged to make becoming rich our number one priority. There are also so many other things competing for our attention and they can have the effect of choking our interest in the Word of God.
The fourth category is the only one which produces genuine growth. This is described as 'good soil' and there is a response from the seed being sown. Notice the key words - 'hear the word, accept it and produce a crop.' So there is a positive response in the heart of the listener to the seed being sown (Mark 4: 20 NIV]. These people 'hear' the message and this suggests 'obedience' and responsiveness. There is a commitment and a genuine desire to hear the message. There is a promise of real fruitfulness from this type of response. When Jesus explained the parable to his disciples, he spoke of a great harvest from one seed being germinated. The figures would have been considered staggering in the context of the first century agriculture. In Scotland at the time of Robert Burns before agricultural improvements were introduced most farmers were grateful if there was a three times growth. For every one seed, a farmer in the 18th century expected a three-fold return. He would keep one for sowing for next year and he would have to pay the rent with the second seed so he had only one out of the three to feed himself and his family. This was subsistence farming. But that is not the type of return promised in this parable - the lowest figure is 30 times and it then doubles to 60 times but it may even go up to 100 times. What a dramatic yield from one seed. This shows how effective the seed is if it is sown on the right soil.
The message from this parable is clear and it is summed up in one verse:
Then Jesus said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear [Mark 4:9 NIV]. Jesus was stating that we need to listen to the message from the Son of God and we need to allow it into a heart that is receptive to it and provides an opportunity for spiritual growth. We cannot blame the devil, although Jesus makes clear that he is very active in preventing the seed from taking root. We cannot blame persecution or hostility. We cannot blame competing interests. The Bible talks much about the heart and this is not the organ which pumps blood through our bodies. Neither is the heart just the emotions although we use the heart as a symbol for love and affection. The heart is the mind and the intellect as well as the emotions. The heart is the will. We need to be eager and determined to respond to the message and we need to store the Word of God in the deep recesses of our heart and mind and allow it to germinate. If there is no fruit in our lives, the fault lies in our response to the Word of God.
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. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times. Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." [Mark 4: 1-9 NIV]
[Photo by Kyle Smith on Unsplash]
Thank you Robert for a challenging blog at the start of another day. I'm reminded that everyone that I come into contact with this day, is an opportunity to spread the seed (The Word of God).