The Parable of the Sower, 1-9
4:1 Again he began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: 4:3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 4:6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered. 4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 4:8 But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” 4:9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”
The Purpose of Parables, 10-20
4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,
4:12 so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.”
The so-called ‘Parable of the Sower’ is recorded in all three Synoptic Gospels. And, in each case, the parable itself is followed by an explanation by Jesus of why he taught in parables.
Luke’s is the briefest account, followed by Mark’s and then Matthew’s:
In each case, the teaching is prompted by a question from Jesus’ disciples. From Mk 4:10, it is apparent that a group wider than just the Twelve is meant.
In Luke, the disciples ask about the meaning of this parable (the ‘Parable of the Sower’).
In Mark, they ask him about ‘the parables’.
In Matthew, they ask, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’
A change of direction
The so-called ‘Parable of the Sower’ signals a change of direction in Jesus’ public ministry. He begins for the first time to teach in parables. But why did he do so? People were starting to group themselves into admirers and enemies. Some were wildly enthusiastic; others accused him of being in league with the devil But even many of the fans might have been enthusiastic for the wrong reasons. They were sensation-seeker, only interested in what fantastic miracle he would perform next. But Jesus was looking for admirers, he had no interest in establishing a fan base for himself. He was looking for disciples. What he wanted was anybody who would show some commitment, understanding, faith. And it was to bring all these attitudes to the surface that he started teaching in parables.
Garland remarks that ‘the parable of the sower and the parable of the tenants of the vineyard are the two major parables in Mark. Both come after challenges from religious authorities from Jerusalem (Mk 3:20–35; 11:27–33). Both are allegories that provide vital clues for interpreting what is happening in Jesus’ ministry. The parable of the tenants of the vineyard allegorizes the rejection of Jesus, the son who has come to collect the fruit of the harvest, and portends his death. The parable of the sower evaluates the various responses to his sowing of the word and portends the misunderstanding that accompanies his word and deeds as well as the harvest that will occur among those who do understand and respond.’
So, what’s a parable?
It’s a bit like a Peanuts cartoon. A Peanuts cartoon gives you a fresh angle on the meaning of life. Lucy says, “Life is like a deckchair. Some people place it so they can see where they’re going, and some people place it so they can see where they’ve come from.” Charlie Brown complains, “I can’t even get mine unfolded.” A parable gives you a fresh angle on the kingdom of God. A parable has often been called, ‘an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.’ Because you have to work out the meaning for yourself, it acts as a kind of test – not of intelligence, but of insight and responsiveness to Jesus and his message.
Kennther Bailey wrote:
‘A parable is an extended metaphor, and as such, it is not a delivery system for an idea but a house in which the reader/listener is invited to take up residence…then that person is urged by the parable to look on the world through the windows of that residence…’ (Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes)
Not a new genre
Edwards summarises:
‘Jesus did not invent the parable genre, for there are occasional examples of such in the OT (2 Sam 12:1–14; Ezek 17:1–10) and among Jewish rabbis from the second century onward. There were, of course, also many stories and fables in Greco-Roman antiquity, some of which resemble parables. But in quantity and excellence Jesus’ parables are without parallel in the ancient world. The Gospels record some sixty different parables of Jesus, most of which are found in Matthew and Luke, fewer in Mark, and none in John.’
An oral, rather than a written, medium
William Barclay makes the following important point:
‘The parable, as Jesus used it, was spoken; it was not read. Its impact had to be immediate, not the result of long study with commentaries and dictionaries. It made truth flash upon a man as the lightning suddenly illuminates a pitch-dark night. In our study of the parables that means two things for us.
‘First, it means that we must amass every possible detail about the background of life in Palestine, so that the parable will strike us as it did those who heard it for the first time. We must think and study and imagine ourselves back into the minds of those who were listening to Jesus.
‘Second, it means that generally speaking a parable will have only one point. A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied; a parable is heard. We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables and to remember that they were designed to make one stabbing truth flash out at a man the moment he heard it.’ (DSB)
Common theme
On the nature and purpose of Jesus’ parables, Edwards remarks that the most common subject is the kingdom of God, which is illustrated from everyday objects and events – fishing, farming, housekeeping, and so on. Although they demand no special knowledge, they are not straightforward to understand. They cannot be comprehending by simply inspection from the ‘outside’. They can only be understood from the ‘inside’, by hearers placing themselves in the world of the parable and finding where they fit into the story.
Parables do not simply speak; they act. They do not function primarily to inform, but to prompt a response.
Later
According to Mk 4:10, this segment of teaching took place at a later time, because in v1 and and v36 Jesus is in the boat, preaching to the crowds. Now he is ‘alone’ with his disciples and others. As Edwards remarks, such private settings often provide opportunities for revelation in Mark.
Interpretative questions
This teaching raises various exegetical and theological questions. Focussing on Mk 4:11f, Douglas McComiskey asks:
‘What is the “secret” of the kingdom of God? How is it “given” to the disciples? What are the lines along which Jesus divides disciples from “those outside”? What is the function of the Isa 6:9–10 quotation in his argument? and, perhaps the most important and difficult question: Does he desire that certain people not be saved?’
This parable a key to them all
Difficult this teaching may be, but, along with the ‘Parable of the Sower’ which it accompanies, was regarded by Jesus himself as some of his most important. The disciples, although initiated into the mystery of God’s Kingdom, were still slow to understand. If they cannot understand this parable, all the others will remain obscure to them also. The Parable of the Sower is a key to all parables, because it describes the different degrees of receptiveness of the human heart to the word of God, which different degrees it is the general design of the parables to expose.
In Mark’s version, “everything is in parables”. This, according to Garland, suggests that Jesus’ ministry generally, including his miracles, may be regarded as parabolic, requiring interpretation (see Mk 3:22–30; 6:51–52; 8:14–21).
Cole comments:
‘In a sense, this parable is the key to all the other parables, because in all of them Jesus preaches or ‘sows’ the word.’
The quotation from Isaiah
As Mounce remarks, ‘this is the only fulfillment quotation that is ascribed to Jesus himself.’
The quotation is from Isa 6:9. Scarcely any passage in the Old Testament is so frequently quoted in the New Testament as this. Not on is it quoted in all three Synoptic versions of the ‘Parable of the Sower’, it is also found in Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26 and Rom 11:8.
R.E. Watts (CNTUOT) notes that:
‘striking parallels exist between the setting of Isa. 6 and Mark’s presentation (see R. E. Watts 2000: 184–210; also Gnilka 1961: 205; Schneck 1994: 125–27). In Isa. 6 the fundamental datum is Yahweh’s kingship; in Mark’s Gospel Jesus inaugurates the kingdom of God (mentioned three times in the parables material [4:11, 26, 30]), and the Beelzebul debate concerns the clash of kingdoms (3:24). In both cases God’s proffered salvation is met with rebellion cloaked in piety, especially on the part of the nation’s wise leaders’
Watts continues:
‘Striking parallels exist between the setting of Isa. 6 and Mark’s presentation. In Isa. 6 the fundamental datum is Yahweh’s kingship; in Mark’s Gospel Jesus inaugurates the kingdom of God (mentioned three times in the parables material [Mk 4:11, 26, 30]), and the Beelzebul debate concerns the clash of kingdoms (Mk 3:24). In both cases God’s proffered salvation is met with rebellion cloaked in piety, especially on the part of the nation’s wise leaders.’
But, adds Watts, there are also differences between the setting in Isaiah and that in Mark’s Gospel. In Isaiah, the die has been cast – people and leaders alike have made their decision. But in Mark this is not the case. Just as the Parable of the Soils teaches, responses vary. Jesus’ family members have their doubts, and are, for the time being, outside (Mk 3:31f), but they do not denounce Jesus publicly. The crowd (Mk 4:1) seems undecided, and so are urged to listen carefully. And many have responded in faith.
As in Isaiah (Isa 7:9), the focus is on repentance and faith (Mk 1:14f), and the healing and salvation this leads to (Mk 2:5; 5:34–36; 9:24; 10:52). But for those who refuse, who remain on the outside, Jesus’ parables merely confirm them in their choice.
Snodgrass urges that the Isaiah message is not merely one of condemnation, still less of predestination. It is, rather, a provocation to hear and respond:
‘The function of this language is both a warning of what is happening — that judgment is inevitable, that the people have not responded and will not — and also a challenge and an invitation for people not to remain in such insensitivity but to hear the word and repent. ‘
Further:
- ‘the harsh language of Isa 6:9-10 is a prophetic instrument for warning and challenge;
- it expresses the certainty of God’s coming judgment for a people who are past hearing;
- the words of Isa 6:9 became the classic expression to speak of the people’s hardness of heart; and
- the proclamation still expects and seeks some to hear and follow.’
And again:
‘Jesus taught in parables, like any good prophet, to appeal and to enable hearing. Where parables find a willing response, further explanation is given. Where there is no response the message is lost.’
“The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you”
I have quoted mark’s version: some variation of this occurs in all three versions. Edwards describes ‘has been given’ as a divine passive. It is not known or perceived by merely human means, but, rather, by revelation. We are mindful, that although the disciples were in this privileged position, they would frequently demonstrate confusion and obtuseness.
It is a gift:
‘Disciples are not quicker than others, nor are they able to unravel mysteries for themselves. The mystery is something that is “given” to them. The understanding comes by grace as Jesus’ interpretation unlocks the mystery for them.’ (Garland)
“Mysteries”
In Lk 8:10 Jesus speaks of “the secrets of the kingdom of God” – or, ‘the mysteries.’
This is, at first sight, puzzling. For one thing, we tend to think that Jesus spoke in parables in order to clarify, not obscure, the message. For another thing, expressing things as ‘secrets’ or ‘mysteries’ sounds like a tactic we associate with Gnosticism, not with Jesus.
In fact, Jesus’ intention is very different to the secretive methods of the Gnostics and adherents of the mystery religions. Such mysteries are
‘inside information on life which only believers, only disciples, are given to understand. They are…truths which the natural man cannot discover by himself. They are great missing pieces, if you like, of the jigsaw puzzle of life.’ (Stedman)
This is
‘not a mystery in the sense that it is incomprehensible, but it is a “secret” in that not everyone yet knows it’ (France).
In other words:
‘In the NT it does not mean something mysterious or enigmatic. Nor is it something only for the initiated few. The emphasis is on God’s disclosure to human beings of what was previously unknown.’ (EBC rev.)
Garland says that although the nature of this secret is not made explicit, the context suggests that it has to do with ‘the kingdom of God coming in a veiled way in the person, words, and works of Jesus.’
Schnabel traces the expression back to the book of Daniel:
‘The Greek term mystērion is most plausibly understood in the context of its use in Daniel. The Aramaic term rāz, translated in the LXX as mystērion, refers to the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which is a ‘secret’ in that it is hidden from Babylon’s wise men but revealed by God to Daniel, who explains, ‘not because I have greater wisdom than anyone else alive, but so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation’ (Dan. 2:30; cf. 2:18–19, 27–30, 47; cf. Amos 3:7).’
Inside and outside
Luke’s version speaks of ‘others’, Mark’s, of ‘those outside’.
A parable is like a door: it lets some people in, while it keeps others out. Some remain outside, staring at the door. Others open it and go through.
In other words, Jesus’ parabolic teaching has a discriminatory effect. To those who accept it, more will be (and is, at this very moment being) given. To those who reject, even what they have will be taken away.
But, as Stein remarks, the message was not to be kept secret: it was to become an ‘open secret’:
‘The disciples chose not only to hear but also to know these “secrets” concerning God’s kingdom. This, however, was not simply for their own benefit but in order that they might be able to make this known to others (Luke 1:3; 24:45–49; Acts 1:8; cf. the condemnation of the Pharisees in Luke 11:52 for not doing this).’
‘Mary Ann Tolbert correctly states, “Judging by the varied opinions and continued controversies that mark the study of the parables of Jesus…it is undoubtedly true that most modern parable interpreters fall into the category of the ‘others'”‘ (Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral)
Without spiritual insight the parables are unintelligible. They are therefore a condemnation to the wilfully blind and hostile, while they are a blessing to the teachable.
Who, exactly, are those who are ‘outside’? They are the religious leaders and members of Jesus family. But we are not to understand there to be an immutable distinction between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’. As Edwards remarks,
‘some outsiders will become insiders—the Gerasene demoniac (Mk 5:1–20), the woman with a flow of blood (Mk 5:25–34), the Syrophoenician woman (Mk 7:24–30), a Gentile centurion (Mk 15:38–39), perhaps even a scribe (Mk 12:28–34). Likewise, some insiders, such as Judas, will become outsiders (Mk 14:1–2, 10–11, 21, 43–46).’
Snodgrass notes that at times Jesus speaks even of the Twelve as having hard hearts, unseeing eyes and deaf ears (Mk 8:17f).
Garland, similarly, says:
‘As the story progresses, the disciples’ dazed incomprehension (Mk 7:17–18; 8:14–21, 27–33; 9:9–13, 30–32; 10:23–31, 32–45; 11:20–25) and blindness (Mk 4:35–41; 6:45–52; 9:2–8; 14:17–25, 32–43) reveals that even they are at risk of becoming outsiders. They particularly fail to grasp fully the secret of the cross and resurrection. At the end, one becomes a traitor and betrays him; another denies him. All flee, leaving him to die alone. On the other hand, apparent outsiders often show the faith of insiders: the woman with the flow of blood (Mk 5:34), the Syrophoenician woman (Mk 7:29), the father of an epileptic (Mk 9:24), the exorcists who do not follow the disciples (Mk 9:38–41), the mothers of children (Mk 10:13–16), blind Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52), the woman who anointed Jesus (Mk 14:3–9), and the Roman centurion (Mk 15:39).’
So, why did Jesus teach in parables?
Bowker (cited by Snodgrass) thinks that ‘in parables’ (Mk 4:11) does not mean ‘enigmatically’, but ‘in clearest possible illustration’. But Snodgrass himself thinks that this is inadequate: parables do have a ‘veiling’ quality. They both reveal and conceal. The receptive become fruitful; the resistant become ever more obdurate.
Carson (ENB) replies:
‘It is naive to say Jesus spoke [parables] so that everyone might more easily grasp the truth, and it is simplistic to say that the sole function of parables to outsiders was to condemn them. If Jesus simply wished to hide the truth from the outsiders, he need never have spoken to them. His concern for mission (Mt 9:35–38; 10:1–10; 28:16–20) excludes that idea. So he must preach without casting his pearls before pigs (Mt 7:6). He does so in parables—i.e., in such a way as to harden and reject those who are hard of heart and to enlighten his disciples. His disciples, it must be remembered, are not just the Twelve but those who were following him (see comment on Mt 5:1–12) and who, it is hoped, go on to do the will of the Father (Mt 12:50) and do not end up blaspheming the Spirit (Mt 12:30–32). Thus the parables spoken to the crowds do not simply convey information, nor mask it, but present the claims of the inaugurated kingdom and so challenge the hearers.’
Schnabel emphasises that the state of spiritual blindness is not necessarily permanent:
‘At the same time, the parable of the lamp and its explanation by Jesus in verses 21–22, emphasizing that what is now hidden must be brought to light, suggests that the verdict of verses 11–12 may be only temporary, leaving hope that the outsiders ‘need not be permanently written off, that the division between insiders and outsiders is not a gulf without bridges’ (France, p. 201).’
As Hooker remarks, the boundary between those who are ‘inside’ and those who are ‘outside’ is not always obvious:
‘The saying appears to stand in marked contrast to Mark’s story; for from this point onwards, the Twelve behave with a singular lack of understanding, while some outsiders show remarkable faith. The disciples fail to understand the parables (4:13) and the power of Jesus (4:40f.; 6:37, 49–52; 8:4, 14–21); they are mystified by his teaching (7:18)—especially on the need for suffering (8:32–4; 9:32–4; 10:32, 35–41)—and they fail him at the crucial hour (14:32–42, 47, 50, 66–72). But to those outside, faith is given: to the woman with a haemorrhage (5:34), the Syro-Phoenician woman (7:29), the father of the epileptic boy (9:24), the children who are brought for blessing (10:13–16), the woman who anoints Jesus (14:3–9) and—most remarkable of all—the centurion at the Cross (15:39).’
‘So that…they may not see, and…may not understand’
The key interpretative question is whether we are to understand this saying as predictive or prescriptive.
In this quotation from Isa 6:10,
‘parables are presented not as windows through which outsiders perceive the kingdom of God but as doors debarring them from it’ (Edwards)
The teaching of teaching Jesus parallels that of Isaiah, who was sent to preach despite being warned in advance that people would not listen.
Matthew interpolates as follows:- ‘In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah…’
The paraphrase of Isa 6:10 (“lest they repent and it be forgiven them”) follows the Targum (“and it be forgiven them”) rather than the Hebrew (“and I will heal them”).
Luke’s hina (“in order that”) is hoti (“because”) in Matthew.
A key question is whether Jesus spoke in parables with the result that some of his hearers would not understand and believe, or with the intention that they would not do so. The latter implies a determinism somewhat akin to the (disputed) doctrine of ‘double predestination’. Thus the issue becomes, for many thoughtful readers, one of divine sovereignty versus human responsibility.
According to Harper’s Bible Commentary,
‘this is one of the most controverted in NT scholarship. It implies a harsh determinism where Jesus spoke in parables in order to prevent his hearers from perceiving or understanding “lest they convert and be forgiven.”’
According to Wessel and Strauss (EBC):
‘Taken at face value, the statement seems to be saying that the purpose of parables is that unbelievers (“those on the outside,” v. 11) may not receive the truth and be converted. That this statement was thought to be difficult theologically may be seen in Matthew’s changing hina (“in order that”) to hoti (“with the result that”; the NIV translates hina with the ambiguous “so that”) and in Luke’s dropping the mēpote (“otherwise”) clause.’
Witherington says:
‘If Lane is right that the formulaic introduction to the quote with ινα means “so that” rather than “in order that,” the point would be that Jesus’ parables have the effect, rather than the purpose, of concealing the truth from those not ready to perceive, and perhaps revealing the truth only to those who are (which depends on what type of soil they are).’
But Witherington himself thinks that a purposive sense is inescapable.
Others, however, think that the sense is predictive, rather than purposive. So Cole.
Wessel and Strauss consider a range of ways in which interpreters have attempted to soften the force of the text. They conclude, however, that:
‘the most natural interpretation remains that of purpose.’
Edwards discusses the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility:
‘The tension was already present in Isaiah 6, where God sent his prophet to a people who would not respond. It was evident in Pharaoh’s hardness, which is attributed alternatively to his own choice (Exod 7:14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 35; 13:15) and to God’s will (Exod 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20; 11:10). It is evident in the parable of the sower where a farmer sows seed on ground that cannot produce a yield. The tension is preserved in Mark’s reflection on the defection of Judas, one of Jesus’ chosen, who betrayed him: “ ‘On the one hand, the Son of Man must be betrayed as it is written, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed’ ” (14:21). The disbelief and rejection experienced by Jesus were later experienced by the early church as well, and again Isa 6:9–10 (along with Jer 5:21) spoke to the problem of the hardened heart (Acts 28:26–27; John 12:40).’
Edwards explains:
‘The parable of the sower is like the cloud that separated the fleeing Israelites from the pursuing Egyptians, bringing “darkness to the one side and light to the other” (Exod 14:20). That which was blindness to Egypt was revelation to Israel. The same event was either a vehicle of light or of darkness, depending on one’s stance with God.’
Hurtado thinks that these words of Jesus are not so harsh as they appear to be:
‘Isaiah 6:9–10 is an indication of divine sovereignty and foreknowledge intended to say that the apparent failure of the messenger is no argument against his divine call. In its form, it is an ironic statement, giving the foreseen net result of the prophet’s ministry as if it were all intended, when this is of course not the case. That Mark 4:12 is an allusion to Isaiah 6:9–10 suggests that this too is prophetic irony.’
It is not that the parables cause unbelief, but that they reveal it. Had Jesus tried to persuade people to belief by miracle, by moral code, or by doctrinal formula, it would have been false belief.
Hurtado continues:
‘Jesus’ parables are not simply teaching aids, like charts, diagrams, or other such devices. Though they present the kingdom of God in story form and analogy, the kingdom of God they describe does not conform to general expectation but makes its appearance in “secret” form in the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Thus, the parables are difficult, challenging, because they embody and testify to a reality not easily recognized and received for what it really is.’
For Stein, the meaning in Luke is clear enough:
‘That Luke understood the hina as indicating the result of Jesus’ preaching receives additional support from Acts 28:26–28, where Luke quoted Isa 6:9 once again. Here the responsibility for what happens lies clearly upon those who willingly reject the gospel message.’
According to Mk 4:24f those who have (received the message) will receive more, whereas those who have not (received it) will lose even what they had.
Hooker sounds a note of interpretative caution:
‘Jewish thought tended to blur the distinction between purpose and result; if God was sovereign, then of course what happened must be his will, however strange this appeared.’
In the words, “Otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” Garland sees deep irony here: “…because the last thing they want to do turn and be forgiven!”
Carson (EBC) urges against simplistic interpretations:
‘It is naive to say Jesus spoke [parables] so that everyone might more easily grasp the truth, and it is simplistic to say that the sole function of parables to outsiders was to condemn them. If Jesus simply wished to hide the truth from the outsiders, he need never have spoken to them. His concern for mission (Mt 9:35–38; 10:1–10; 28:16–20) excludes that idea. So he must preach without casting his pearls before pigs (Mt 7:6). He does so in parables—i.e., in such a way as to harden and reject those who are hard of heart and to enlighten his disciples. His disciples, it must be remembered, are not just the Twelve but those who were following him (see comment on Mt 5:1–12) and who, it is hoped, go on to do the will of the Father (Mt 12:50) and do not end up blaspheming the Spirit (Mt 12:30–32). Thus the parables spoken to the crowds do not simply convey information, nor mask it, but present the claims of the inaugurated kingdom and so challenge the hearers.’
Mt 11:25f ‘At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. 11:26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.’ (Lk 10:21f)
Theology
Watts summarises the theological implications:
‘Soteriologically,…the parables are neither esoteric nor rigidly predestinarian, but rather are revelatory of the kingdom and of the hearers’ hearts. They are the judicial response from the one who inaugurates God’s kingly reign to stubbornness of heart and blasphemous rebellion. As such, they are also a warning to those who, perhaps like Jesus’ family, are less hostile but nevertheless still on the outside.
‘Ecclesiologically, those who are confident in their own wisdom reject the word and work of the Holy One of God (1:24; cf. Isaiah’s characteristic “Holy One of Israel”) and despise the instruction of Yahweh-Warrior (cf. “Lord of Hosts” [Isa. 5:24b]). In contrast to those who “do the will of God” (3:35), they will find that “their root will become rotten and their blossom like dust” (Isa. 5:24a [cf. Mark 4:3–6]).
‘Christologically, Mark is increasingly clear that something special has happened in Jesus. Yahweh has at last responded to long-exiled Israel’s lament and come down in him. Tragically, however, as was so often the case in the nation’s history, many have hardened their hearts. To reject Jesus is to reject Yahweh himself, to cut oneself off from the faithful in Israel, to choose death, and so to face judgment (11:13–14, 20–23; 12:9; 13). But for those who will listen carefully, this need not be the result. Taken together, the Beelzebul controversy and the material on the parables indicate that the eschatological division of Israel has begun, and it all turns on one’s response to Jesus (3:24–25; 4:11; cf. Isa. 65:1–13).
(Slightly reformatted and with emphasis added)
Implications for today’s preachers and hearers
Bock (NIVAC) notes that the character of the soil/heart is evinced over time:
‘When we approach this text, we tend to present it as a one-moment response: “As you hear this message today, which soil are you?” But the question is more comprehensive: “As you look at your spiritual walk up to today, which soil are you?” The parable looks at a career of response, as is clear when one considers that the good soil brings up various levels of fruit. The assessment is built on moments, to be sure, but it requires a life of response to consider what one’s soul looks like relative to a slowly developing crop. A plant does not sprout forth overnight, nor does the harvest of the heart.’
Garland notes that Jesus’ parabolic teaching is very different from the orderly propositional teaching that many value and engage in today. Who among us would dare to preach an obscure message, and then wait for earnest enquirers to come to us afterwards and ask for an explanation? But Jesus did not see his teaching ministry as merely about information transfer. He wanted to wake people up. He wanted them to see things afresh. He wanted them to come to a new realisation. But such teaching will always separate out those who, on the one hand, are impervious to the things of God, too easily distracted by the attractions of the present world, and, on the other hand, those who sincerely desire to seek God. Are we trying to impress people, or bolster attendance figures? Or are we prepared to teach the things of the Kingdom the way that Jesus taught them, even if we meet with widespread rejection?
Fee & Stuart agree that by teaching in this way Jesus putting down a marker that would end up separating those who were open to his person and message and those who were not.
‘If the parables…are not allegorical mysteries for the church, what did Jesus mean when responding to the disciples’ inquiry about the parables (Mark 4:10–12) with language about the “mystery” of the kingdom of God? Most likely the clue to this saying lies in a play on words in Jesus’ native Aramaic. The Aramaic term mĕthal, which was translated parabolē in Greek, was used for a whole range of figures of speech in the riddle/puzzle/parable category, not just for the story variety called “parables” in English. Probably the phrase “to those on the outside everything is said in parables” (v. 11) meant that the meaning of Jesus’ ministry (the secret of the kingdom) could not be perceived by those on the outside; it was like a mĕthal, a riddle, to them. Hence his speaking in mathlîn (parables) was part of the mĕthal (riddle) of his whole ministry to them. They saw, but they failed to see; they heard—and even understood—the parables, but they failed to hear in a way that led to obedience. They were looking for their idea of power and glory, not for a humble Galilean who cared for all the wrong kinds of people.’ (How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth, p156)
Wright (Jesus and the Victory of God) summarises the meaning of this difficult text:
‘If too many understand too well, the prophet’s liberty of movement, and perhaps life, may be cut short. Jesus knew his kingdom-announcement was subversive. It would be drastically unwelcome, for different reasons, to the Romans, to Herod, and also to zealous Jews and their leaders, whether official or not. He must therefore speak in parables, ‘so that they may look and look but never see’. It was the only safe course. Only those in the know must be allowed to glimpse what Jesus believed was going on. These stories would get past the censor—for the moment. There would come a time for more open revelation.’
Jesus’ teaching reveals spiritual blindness in unexpected places:
‘God’s mysterious revelation…reveals the blindness of the world, and that blindness is manifest in surprising groups: the religious authorities, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law (Mk 2:1–3:6; 3:22–30), Jesus’ nearest relatives (Mk 3:31–35), and even his disciples (Mk 8:14–21).’ (Garland)
4:13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?
4:14 The sower sows the word. 4:15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. 4:16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 4:17 But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 4:19 but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
The Parable of the Lamp, 21-25
4:21 He also said to them, “A lamp isn’t brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand? 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. 4:23 If anyone has ears to hear, he had better listen!” 4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. 4:25 For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
God’s truth is meant to be understood. Elsewhere, Mt 5:16, a saying like this has been used to impress on the disciples the importance of witnessing the to world. Here, however, it seems to be more to do with the purpose of parables: because they are essentially earthly stories carrying a spiritual meaning, they are not understood by people who lack spiritual insight. But, like lamps, their primary purpose is not to conceal, but to reveal. When he teaches in parables, the Lord is not being deliberately obscure; any lack of understanding is due to the hardness of their hearts.
The parable is (as Cole remarks) an argument from minor to major, such as the rabbis would have used: ‘if a person would not be so foolish as to hide the light of a lamp, how much less so God?’
Under a basket – where its flame would probably be put out, besides giving no light.
Under a bed – where it would not only give no light, but eventually set the bed on fire.
But the secret of God’s Kingdom will not always be hidden; its teaching will not always be indirect. There will come a time when it will be proclaimed from the housetops.
“Consider carefully what you hear” – A challenge especially to penetrate the outwards forms of Jesus’ teaching – the stories themselves – to the message they are intended to impart (Cranfield).
It is as important to hear the Word aright as it is to speak it aright. The word of God spoken with clarity and conviction, is a means of grace of immense importance, 2 Tim 4:2. But of equal importance is the right reception of the word, Rom 10:17. How much thought and preparation do put into hearing God’s word?
To some things we should be deaf, for they corrupt the mind. But things worth hearing should be listened to, understood, and heeded.
- Some who did not – Jn 5:37 Acts 7:57.
- Some who did – Jn 3:32 5:30 8:26,40 15:15.
- Some who should – Jn 6:60 Heb 2:1 3:7,15 4:7.
Three things to ‘consider carefully’:-
- That we should hear.
- What we should hear.
- How we should hear.
Would anyone know how to hear aright? Then let him lay to heart three simple rules:
For one thing, we must hear with faith, believing implicitly that every word of God is true and shall stand. Without faith, the Word does not profit (Hebrews 4.2).
For another thing, we must hear with reverence, remembering that the Bible is the book of God (1 Thessalonians 2.13).
Above all, we must hear with prayer, praying for God’s blessing before the sermon is preached and praying for God’s blessing after the sermon is over. Here lies the great defect of the hearing of many. They ask no blessing, and so they have none. The sermon passes through their minds like water through a leaky vessel and leaves nothing behind.
J.C. Ryle
With the same measure… – In the present context, which has to do with hearing the Word, it suggests that our response to the Word will be more than matched by the blessing we will receive from God.
This saying impresses on us the importance of the right use of spiritual privileges and means of grace. Muscles grow stronger when exercised; but atrophy when unused. Reaping is in proportion to sowing. Practice makes perfect.
v25 To the man who hears the Word and responds to it, an ever-increasing insight into the kingdom of God will be given. However, the man who neglects the Word will one day lose it altogether. Cf. Mt 25:24-30.
In spiritual matters, it is impossible to stand still. We either advance or decline.
Steve Wells (Skeptic’s Annotated Bible) attempts a paraphrase of this verse:
‘He [i.e. Jesus] says that those who have been less fortunate in this life will have it even worse in the life to come.’
This is an absurd reading, indicating merely that the writer is tone-deaf to the teaching in question.
The Parable of the Growing Seed, 26-29
4:26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. 4:27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 4:28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 4:29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”
Here is the first of two parables of growth (cf. Mk 4:30-32). This one concerns the manner of the growth of the kingdom.
At the risk of allegorising, we note a number of points suggested by this parable which illustrate the development of the spiritual life: (a) the seed does not sow itself; there is a sower; (b) the growth of the seed is beyond our understanding; (c) the growth of the seed is slow but certain; (d) there is a final harvest when the seed is ripe.
It reminds us the the spiritual life has a natural propensity towards growth and maturity. This growth is both a gift, Php 1:6 and a responsibility, 2 Pet 3:18. Cf. 1 Cor 3:6.
“He himself does not know” – Spiritual growth is natural in the kingdom of God, and yet the process remains a mystery to the natural man, Jn 3:8.
“All by itself” – Gk ‘automatos‘. There is a hidden power at work in nature which is independent of human effort and assistance. In the spiritual realm, Paul explains this hidden life-giving power in terms of the work of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor 2:10-12 3:6.
“First the stalk, then the head…” – A hint of the various stages of the Christian life.
Progress in the spiritual life is not only a matter of growth and maturation, but also of fruit-bearing, Jn 15; Lk 6:43-45; Gal 5:22-23.
v29 This appears to be a reference to the end of the world, which is often likened to reaping, Mt 3:12 13:30. Cf. Joe 3:13.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed, 30-32
4:30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? 4:31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground—4:32 when it is sown, it grows up, becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds can nest in its shade.”
This second parable of growth concerns the extent of the kingdom’s growth.
“A mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground” –
Douglas Adams (The Prostitute in the Family Tree) follows John Dominic Crossan in regarding this parable as a parody of a parable about the cedar of Lebanon, which was, apparently, then well-known (cf. Ezek 31:6). The mustard plant, for these writers, is not huge (it is just a shrub) and birds do not make their nest in its branches [of course, in the parable, the birds nest in its shade, not in its branches]. Moroever (says Adams), the mustard plant is disliked by gardeners because its seed attract birds, which are then attracted to other seeds sown in the garded. Furthermore, it is a short-lived annual. For Adams, then, the (comical) point of the parable is not of small things growing a lot (as is commonly thought) but of small things growing a little. Hmmm…I wonder if he is reading too much into Jesus’ teaching here.
The disciples often showed the failure fully to understand the reign of God. They looked for the revolutionary establishment of an earthly, political kingdom, Mk 10:35; Acts 1:6.
This parable shows, firstly, that the kingdom has small beginnings. Consider the small beginnings of the kingdom:
(a) the King was born as a feeble baby in a manger in Bethlehem, without pomp or ceremony;
(b) the apostles were ordinary people, neither wise nor powerful in this world;
(c) the last and principal achievement of the King on earth was to die a criminal’s death;
(d) its teaching is an offense to the Jews and folly to the Greeks.
This parable shows, secondly, that the kingdom grows from these small beginnings to be vast and powerful. Consider its growth on the day of Pentecost, when three thousand were added in a day, and five thousand more a few days later. It spread rapidly and through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and beyond, Acts 1:8. It overspread much of Europe, Asia Minor, and Northern Africa until it became the professed religion of the whole Roman Empire. It has put down roots on every continent. Despite weakness and apostasy, and in the face of persecution and irreligion, it has marched on. And the growth has not yet finished; Christ’s triumph shall be yet greater than we have seen. The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God, and the water cover the sea, Isa 2:2.
Let us not forget the small beginnings of the kingdom; let us not despise the day of small things, Zec 4:10. But let us also not forget the glory and the splendour of the kingdom of God when it reaches it full growth.
The growth of the kingdom is from small beginnings to a great conclusion. ‘The Kingdom of Heaven, planted in the field of the world as the smallest seed, in the most humble and unpromising manner, would grow till it far outstripped all other similar plants, and gave shelter to all nations under heaven.’ (Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, 274)
It is vital for us to remember this, for we can easily feel that our task is hopeless in the face of fierce opposition, gross neglect. Many Christians today are acting as though they are defeated, feeling that the church is destined for constant decline until the Lord’s return. But the principle of organic growth is a guarantee that the kingdom will indeed go from strength to strength.
In proclaiming Christ:
- Expect disappointment, Mk 4:1-8, 14-20. Some of the seed falls in unproductive places – the path, on rocky places, among thorns.
- Expect delay, Mk 4:26-29. It takes time for seed to grow. God’s timescale is different from our own.
- Expect dramatic results, Mk 4:30-32. Despite inevitable disappointments and delays, even a tiny seed can produce spectacular results. See also Mk 4:20.
Based on: Rico Tice & Barry Cooper. Christianity Explored Leader’s Handbook. The Good Book Company.
The Use of Parables, 33-34
4:33 So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
…as much as they could understand – The teaching of Jesus was carefully adapted to the needs and level of understanding of the disciples, and supported, v34, by further explanation away from the crowds. We are not able to grasp all spiritual truth at once, but with help and encouragement we can make genuine progress.
He explained everything – The word literally means ‘untied’, which is a neat way of describing how Jesus dealt with the knots his disciples sometimes tied themselves up in!
Stilling of a Storm, 35-41
4:35 On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” 4:36 So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat, and other boats were with him.
‘The narrative is probably Petrine’ (Cranfield). Note the many eyewitness details in this account: (a) the note concerning timing, v35; (b) the reference to the ‘other boats’, v36; (c) the description of the effects of the storm, v37; (d) the reference to Jesus sleeping ‘on a cushion’, v38.
Here Christ is presented as Lord of nature. ‘Already, Mark has shown him as one who sees heaven opened, upon the Spirit rests, responsive to the Spirit’s guidance, enjoying angelic ministry, and receiving the testimony of God to his Sonship, though refusing the testimony of demons to his deity. Christ preaches and teaches with a new ring of authority: he heals the sick, expels demons, and forgives sins. And now, only he who had created the wind and sea in the first place would dare to address them so: and their instant obedience shows his full deity as Creator as well as Redeemer.’ (Cole)
“That day when evening came” – Mark places this even in its chronological sequence, in contrast to Matthew and Luke, who often group things in topical groups. It is Mark, therefore, who gives us an explanation of why Jesus fell asleep soundly in the stern of the boat: he was exhausted. Cf. Jn 4:6, ‘Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well.’
“Let us cross over to the other side” – The voyage was made at Jesus’ request. The disciples could well have thought, when the storm was at its height and Jesus was asleep, “But he got us into this mess!”
Remember that Christ’s service does not exempt us from the storms of life; indeed, it may lead us right into them.
‘If we are true Christians we must not expect everything smooth in our journey to heaven. We must count it no strange thing if we have to endure sicknesses, losses, bereavements, and disappointments, just like other men. Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace by the way, and glory at the end, -all this our Saviour has promised to give. But he has never promised that we shall have no afflictions. He loves us too well to promise that. By affliction he teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction he shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven. In the resurrection morning we shall all say, “It is good for men that I was afflicted.”‘ (Ryle)
There were also other boats with him – This detail is only found in Mark, and not only suggests the recollection of an eyewitness, but also indicates the growing following Jesus had at this time, and shows that the miracle which was to follow was on a wider scale than if only the one boat (that carrying Jesus and the disciples) was involved.
4:37 Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 4:38 But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39 So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.
A great windstorm – cf. v39b, ‘a great calm’; v41, ‘great fear’.
Sleeping on a cushion – ‘The only place one could sleep in a small fishing boat with water pouring in from a storm would be on the elevated stern, where one could use the wooden or leather-covered helmsman’s seat, or a pillow kept under that seat, as a cushion for one’s head.’ (IVP Bible Background Commentary)
‘The Saviour in whom we are bid to trust, is as really man as he is God. He knows the trials of a man, for he has experienced them. He knows the bodily infirmities of a man, for he has felt them. He can well understand what we mean when we cry to him for help in this world of need. He is just the very Saviour that men and women, with weary frames and aching heads, in a weary world, require, for their comfort every morning and night.’ (Ryle) Cf Heb 4:15.
Incidentally, this point provides strong evidence in favour of the truthfulness of the account. Had the story been confected, in order to exhibit Jesus’ divine power, then he would scarcely have been represented as sleeping wearily in the back of the boat.
- A link to Jonah. Jonah sleeps while the storm rages. Then the sailors are gripped with fear when they see God’s ability to calm the storm. In the present passage, Jesus sleeps during the storm, and the disciples are awestruck at his ability to still the wind and the waves. ‘Jesus is to the storm in Mark 4 what God is to the wind and waves in Jonah 1.’
- A clue about Jesus’ humanity. After a long period of activity, he is tired!
- A clue about Jesus’ divinity. He didn’t fear the wind and the waves. The Creator is not alarmed in the face of his creation. Bad weather doesn’t for him cause sleeplessness. In fact, it is his very power as Creator that calms the wind and the waves.
See this.
“Teacher, don’t you care…?” – We are apt to suppose it was Peter himself who utter these rather impetuous words. In any case, what did they expect Jesus to do? They were the skilled boatsmen. Certainly they did not expect him to calm the storm, for they were utterly astonished when he did so. Perhaps they thought that he would do something – at least show some concern. How many times do we reproach the Master thus? Cf. Jn 11:21,32.
He…rebuked the wind… – A reminder that all of creation is entailed in the curse arising from human sin, and equally that all creation will share eventually in redemption from that sin and its evil effects, Rom 8:20-21.
There are striking similarities between this account and that of the casting out of a demon in the synagogue in Capernaum (Mk 1:21-28.
Matthew D. Montonini provides the following chart:
Edwards remarks that:
‘The language of v. 39 is, strictly speaking, proper to that of exorcism. The wind is ‘rebuked’ (or ‘censured’). The Gk. epitiman has been used twice earlier in Mark of the rebuking of evil spirits (1:25; 3:12). …The Greek word for “ ‘Be still!’ ” pephimōso, carries the sense of ‘muzzled.’ It occurs in the second person singular, as though Jesus were addressing a personal being. Its unusual perfect passive imperative form indicates that the condition shall persist, that is, ‘Be still, and stay still.’
…and it was completely calm – What a deafening, stunning silence that must have been!
How unpredictable and uncontrollable the weather is, even in our own technological age! But Jesus is the master of the elements just as he is their maker. When we think of all the storms of life, we can know that he who is for us is greater than all those who are against us.
4:40 And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” 4:41 They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey him!”
“Why are you so afraid?” – Jesus’ sleep was not only the sleep of weariness; it was also the sleep of faith. ‘There is a rest of faith as well as a watch of faith’ (Cole). Cf. Isa 30:15. Fear and faith are mutually exclusive; hence the frequent command in Scripture to ‘fear not’, e.g. Ex 14:13; 20:20. If only they realised who was in the boat with them, they could have smiled at the storm.
Note that there is wonderment in Jesus’ words. We wonder at his grace and power; but we give him cause to wonder at our stupidity and lack of faith. All of our problems as Christians stem from these deficiencies on our part, not any lack of ability on his part. Yet our Lord does not threaten to reject them because of their lack of faith; he only offers a gentle and encouraging rebuke.
“Do you still have no faith?” – after all you have seen me do and heard me say?
“Who is this?” – A grand, sublime, life-transforming question. Edersheim notes that
‘it is characteristic of the History of the Christ…that every deepest manifestation of his Humanity is immediately attended by highest display of his Divinity, and each special display of his Divine Power followed by some marks of his true Humanity.’ (Jesus the Messiah, 276).
Montonini comments:
‘A prominent theme in the OT depicts YHWH as the one who deserves praise for being the Lord of the land and sea (Pss. 29:1-11; 65:7; 74:13,14; 89:10; 104:3; 107:23-30 [see above]; 114:3); the one who can bring the wind and calm the waters (Gen 8:1; Job 26:12), dry up the sea by his power (Isa 50:2; Nah 1:4), and set parameters for the sea (Job 38:8-11). Many more passages could be cited, but the point of these citations is to say that YHWH alone exercised authority over the sea. What Jesus does in Mark 4:39 is to do only what YHWH can do.’ (Emphasis added)
“Even the wind and sea obey him!” – There are many resonances between this passage and Jon 4:37-38, as Montonini observes:
‘In both episodes, a great storm occurs at sea with the boat facing the danger of being sunk or destroyed (Mark 4:37/Jonah 1:4), both Jonah and Jesus fall asleep while the storm is occurring (Mark 4:38/Jonah 1:5), and both are questioned as to why they are sleeping during the storm and asked to do something about it (Mark 4:38b; Jonah 1:6). The similarities are fascinating but the differences are equally striking. First, Jonah is the fleeing prophet while Jesus “is is not fleeing from God but actively involved in the accomplishment of his will” (Marcus). Second, in the Jonah account (Jonah 1:6), the captain asks Jonah to call on his God, while the disciples expect no intercession, “Rather, the disciples call upon Jesus even as the distressed sailors of Ps 107,23-30 called upon Yahweh to save them from the storm” (Batto).’
There is a wonderful unveiling of the two natures of Christ in this narrative. In this respect, it reminds us of the beginning of his earthly life, when the child in the manger is worshiped by angels and men as ‘Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all’; and of the end of his earthly life, when the crucified one in his resurrection and ascension is owned by God as Lord and King. Here, it is the weary man, asleep in the back of the boat while the storm rages. He seems unaware, unconcerned, unable to help. And there is the Christ who commands the wind to cease and the waves to be still. We do well to remember this in the storms of life. We feel that Jesus has sent us into a situation in which we are out of our depth, unable to cope. And he himself is unable, or unwilling, to help! But he still has his ancient power. He is still the Ruler of the winds and waves. They only rage with his permission. They always subside at his command.
Jesus is no longer subject to weariness and hunger. But he still is fully human, and able to sympathise with our weaknesses.
I heard of a Christian couple who were going through all kinds of trouble. He was dejected; she was struggling with chronic asthma and bronchitis. He went to his minister, who pointed out this incident in Mark’s Gospel and said to him, ‘Remember, the boat will not sink, and the storm will not last forever.’ They prayed together and the man left. Some time later, the minister met the man again as said, ‘How are things going? How is your wife’ The man replied, ‘Oh, not much better. She can’t breathe, and she can’t take care of the children or the house, and we are having a hard time. But I do remember two things: the boat will not sink, and the storm will not last forever. Then the minister received a latter from the man, saying that doctors had discovered a minor deficiency in the wife’s diet which needed to be put right. When that was put right, her breathing difficulties disappeared, and she recovered her health completely, and they were rejoicing together. At the bottom of the page he had written, ‘The boat will not sink, and the storm will not last forever.’ Later still the minister received word that the wife was in hospital with suspected leukaemia, although the breathing problems remained under control. The couple needed to remember again, ‘The boat will not sink, and the storm will not last forever.’ (Ray Stedman, adapted)
When tempted to lose faith and to give up, remember that ‘no temptation (test; trial) has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.’ 1 Cor 10:13.