Mark 4:3-25
3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.
6 And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve disciples, began asking Him about the parables.
11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables,
12 so that while seeing they may see, and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear, and not understand, otherwise they might return and it would be forgiven them.”
13 And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they fall away.
18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
21 And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, or under a bed, is it? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?
22 For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.
25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Parable of the Sower
Four types of soil
The sower went out to sow seed. (1) The seed is the word of God, the message of the gospel. People showed various responses while hearing the same message, which is depicted by the four types of soil. (2) The soil is the hearts of the listeners. Depending on the condition of the soil, the harvest is determined. What Jesus emphasized the most was how we respond to the word of God, determines our lives. Throughout the entire Bible, God calls out, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:9). In other words, God continues to offer us the opportunity to respond to Him. Are you prepared to respond to God’s calling? Without the intention to respond, your devotion will end up dry and tasteless. How are you going to respond to God today? Good soil produces good fruit.
Interpretation of the parable
The disciples come to Jesus seeking an explanation of the parable of the sower. So, Jesus explains to them the meaning of the parable. (1) The soil beside the road (the wayside) represents unbelieving people. The word of God does not remain in their hearts. As soon as they hear the word, the devil takes it away. (2) The rocky ground represents those who receive the gospel with joy, but their faith does not take root in God’s word. When faced with difficulties, their faith quickly withers away. (3) The thorny ground is the heart of those who are born again, increase in knowledge about the word of God, but fail to apply what they have learned in their daily lives. Many anxieties of the world hinder their spiritual growth. (4) The good soil is the heart of those who are born again, rooted in the word of God, and practice what they have learned. Such individuals bear the fruit of the Spirit, lead many to salvation, and glorify God. Let’s take a moment to reflect on which type of soil you resemble. Strive to be like the good soil, practicing what you learn from the Bible and bearing abundant fruit as a Christian.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please encourage me and help me to practice what I have learned through my daily devotionals. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.