LESSON 5
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Mark 4:1-20
Introduction:
Remember that Jesus was early in His Galilean ministry. He had organized His Church and was in the process of teaching His disciples.
“Jesus began to teach in parables. We know that He had not hitherto done so, both by the surprise of the Twelve, and by the necessity which He found, of giving them a clue to, the meaning of such teachings, and so to “all the parables.” His own ought to have understood. But He was merciful to the weakness which confessed its failure and asked for instruction.” –Expositor’s Bible Commentary.
This parable reveals to us the kind of results we will see when we faithfully sow the word of God in the hearts of men. This should encourage us to know that we will be disappointed in some of the results. The results will not always be good, but there will be some good results in the good ground hearers. We are to faithfully sow the word, and leave the results to the Lord of the harvest.
I. THE PRESENTATION OF THE PARABLE. vs. 1-12
A. The Place Where He Taught, vs. 1-2.
1. The meaning of parables.
a. A placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition, [juxta = side by side] as of ships in battle.
b. Metaphorically a Parable is:
1) A comparison of one thing with another, likeness, similitude, an example by which a doctrine or precept is illustrated.
2) A narrative, fictitious, but agreeable to the laws and usage of human life, by which either the duties of men or the things of God, particularly the nature and history of God’s kingdom are figuratively portrayed.
3) An earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
4) A pithy and instructive saying, involving some likeness or comparison and having perceptive or admonitory force.
5) A proverb. In a parable, there is a comparison of something in the natural world, being used to teach spiritual truth.
2. Proverbs or parables were given to an estranged or alienated people.
a. They were used in the Old Testament in regard to the estrangement of God’s people. “ESTRANGE often implies replacement of love or belonging by apathy or hostility.” —Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.
b. In the New Testament parables are only used in the gospels, and never in the church epistles.
c. The last time a parable is mentioned is in John 10:6, “This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.”
3. The SEA speaks of SINFUL HUMANITY, Revelation 17:15, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
a. The Beast [Devil], Revelation 13:1, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”
b. The blood of a dead man, Revelation 16:3, “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.” See also Daniel 7:1-3.
4. It is SIGNIFICANT that in the NEW HEAVEN and the NEW EARTH, there will be NO MORE SEA, Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
5. Jesus was there TO TEACH, v. 1; Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This is a ministry that Jesus has committed to his churches, and most churches are failing to do it.
6. He was on the SHIP TO SPEAK, and they were on the SHORE TO LISTEN.
7. He taught them DOCTRINE, v. 2.
a. Many people today DO NOT WANT DOCTRINE.
b. They want ENTERTAINMENT, EXCITEMENT, and the things that PLEASE THE FLESH, 2 Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
8. Many scriptures reveal the IMPORTANCE of SOUND doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:13, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”
a. The need to continue in sound doctrine, 1 Timothy 4:16, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
b. The time will come of a falling away from sound doctrine, 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
c. In many gathering at the church not even a devotion is given, Titus 2:1, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.”
B. The Parables that He Taught, vs. 3-12.
Note: In this passage we can begin to understand the meaning of parable. He used these common and ordinary experiences in farming, and then he brought along side the spiritual condition of people. Thus He could illustrate the spiritual truth they needed to learn.
1. The SOWER is Christ, His apostles, His church, the God called preachers, and every Christian that spreads the gospel. This should encourage us what to expect from different kinds of people, when we sow the Word.
2. The WAYSIDE hearers, v. 4; Mark 4:15, “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, SATAN cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” The fowls are a symbol of evil.
3. The STONY GROUND hearers, vs. 5-6; Mark 4:16-17, “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have NO ROOT in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are OFFENDED.”
4. The THORNY GROUND hearers, v. 7; Mark 4:18-19, “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the CARES of this world, and the DECEITFULNESS of riches, and the LUSTS of other things entering in, CHOKE the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
5. The GOOD GROUND hearers, v. 8; Mark 4:20, “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
6. THE QUESTION of the disciples, v. 10; Matthew 13:10, “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”
7. THE MYSTERY of the kingdom, vs. 11-12; Matthew 13:13-15, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
8. We LEARN that parables were USED TO REVEAL TRUTH to some, and at the same time CONCEAL TRUTH from others, Isaiah 6:9-10, “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”
II. THE EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE, vs. 13-20.
A. The Wayside Hearers, vs. 13-15.
1. The SEED is the WORD of God, v. 14. The Word must be RECEIVED IN MEEKNESS if the soul is to be saved, James 1:21, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
2. The WAYSIDE hearers are the WAYWARD HEARTS of men, v. 15.
Note: “The great truth here taught is, that hearts all unbroken and hard are no fit soil for saving truth. They apprehend it not (Matthew 13:19, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.”) as God’s means of restoring them to Himself; it penetrates not, makes no impression, but lies loosely on the surface of the heart, till the wicked one—afraid of losing a victim by his “believing to salvation” (Luke 8:12, “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”)—finds some frivolous subject by whose greater attractions to draw off the attention, and straightway it is gone.” —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.
3. The FOWLS of v. 4 represent SATAN, v. 15; Luke 8:5, “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.” When a farmer plants his corn, the crows and other birds are there to gobble up the seed that is exposed.
4. Satan TAKES AWAY THE WORD of God from their hearts, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Note: People hear the God’s message, but they leave church and go out into the world. Out there the devil will use sports, movies, TV, and the many other things of the world to rob their hearts of the saving gospel. —
-E. L. Bynum
B. The Stony Ground Hearers, vs. 16-17.
1. The STONY GROUND hearers have SIN HARDENED HEARTS, v. 16; Ezekiel 33:31-32, “And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”
2. They HEAR the word BUT only in a SHALLOW and SUPERFICIAL WAY, v. 16; Mark 6:20, “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.”
Note: Most modern day evangelism is geared to reach this kind of hearer. The use of entertainment, shallow contemporary music, audiovisuals, no preaching on sins, and no demand for repentance, will produce the stony ground hearers. —ELB
3. With NO REAL ROOTS, they cannot long endure, v. 17; John 8:31, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, IF ye CONTINUE in my word, then are ye MY DISCIPLES INDEED;”
4. They CANNOT STAND AFFLICTION and PERSECUTION, v. 17; Matthew 11:6, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall NOT BE OFFENDED IN ME.”
5. These FAIR WEATHER HEARERS cannot stand the PRESSURE, v. 17; 1 Thessalonians 3:4, “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. 5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”
Note: v. 6, “But when the SUN [of affliction] was up, it was SCORCHED; and because it had no root, it WITHERED AWAY.” The least little thing will offend them. They stumble easily and are prone to let anything lead them to sin.
C. The THORNY GROUND Hearers, vs. 18-19.
1. They are HINDERED by the THORNS that REPRESENT THE SINFUL POWER of the world, v. 18; Genesis 3:17-19, “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
Note: These folks “are of worldly dispositions; who are immoderately careful and anxious about the things of this life, and are bent upon acquiring earthly riches, and gratifying their carnal and sensual appetites.” —John Gill’s Expositor.
2. They are hindered by the CARES OF THIS WORLD, v. 19a; Luke 21:34, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Surfeiting = excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking.
3. They are hindered by the DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES, v. 19b; 1 Timothy 6:9-10, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
a. Riches have wings, Proverbs 23:5, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”
b. They are a “sore evil,” Ecclesiastes 5:13, “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.”
4. They are HINDERED by the LUST of OTHER THINGS, v. 19c. Luke 8:14, “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are CHOKED with cares and riches and PLEASURES of this life, and bring NO fruit to PERFECTION.”
5. They are HINDERED by the WORD BEING CHOKED and not BEARING FRUIT, v. 19d; John 15:2, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he TAKETH AWAY: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
D. The GOOD GROUND Hearers, v. 20; Matthew 13:23, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that HEARETH the word, and UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also BEARETH FRUIT, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
1. The good ground is the HEART that has been PREPARED TO RECEIVE the gospel, Luke 8:15, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
2. They HEAR and RECEIVE the word, Psalms 119:47, “And I will DELIGHT MYSELF in thy commandments, which I have loved.”
3. They BEAR FRUIT with VARYING DEGREES of success: “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
a. We are able to WALK WORTHY of our Lord, Colossians 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
b. We are PLEASING to the Lord in our lives, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.”
4. Fruit bearing is CONCRETE PROOF of one’s salvation, John 15:3-5, “Now ye are CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch CANNOT bear fruit OF ITSELF, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye ABIDE IN ME. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth MUCH FRUIT: for without me ye can do nothing.”
5. God’s children ARE TO BEAR FRUIT, Galatians 5:22-23, “But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
a. Fruitful in EVERY GOOD WORK, Colossians 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in EVERY good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
b. We are NOT to be UNFRUITFUL in the KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:8, “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall NEITHER be BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL in the KNOWLEDGE of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Outline by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison–CONTINUED IN LESSON 5A
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Where did Jesus teach in this lesson?
2. What does the sea symbolize in the Bible?
3. What does the seed symbolize?
4. Who is the sower?
5. Describe the way side hearers.
6. Describe the stony ground hearers.
7. Describe the thorny ground hearers.
8. Describe the good ground hearers.