The Parables of Jesus: Mark 4:1-20
Parable of the Sower (Types of Soil)
1Again 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. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."
9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[a]"
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (NIV)
I think most of us have seen people who are like each of the types of soil in this story. We have shared with people who never accept Jesus, like the seed on the path.
We have also seen people who come to church or youth group for a month or two and seem really on fire, but then just disappear. These people are like the shallow soil. The interesting thing about the seeds in the shallow soil is what made them wither. Verse 6 says it is the sun that scorched the plants.
The very sun that is required to make a plant grow, is also what withered the plants in the shallow soil. Verse 17 compares the sun to “trouble or persecution”. Challenges in our life are like sunshine, we need them to grow, but if we are not well rooted, they will kill us spiritually. Next time you feel persecution or left out because you’re a Christian, remember that it is what is required to make you grow.
The third type of unproductive soil was the soil infested with weeds. The soil with the weeds wasn’t necessary bad for growing things. It had enough nutrients for the weeds to grow. People with potential, but not the right focus, are like those with seeds sown in the thorny soil. The soil is good, it is just infected by bad seeds. In verse 19, Jesus compares the weeds to the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for the other things. Sins in our life that we just can’t seem to let go of are like the weeds in this parable. They may not choke out our fruit completely, but they may limit the harvest.
When we share Jesus with our friends we are like the farmer sowing the seeds. Take note that the farmer did not prejudge the soil. He did not only sow on the good soil; he sowed the seed everywhere. It might seem like a waste of good seed, but it was not up to the farmer to decide where to plant. If you feel God calling you to share Him with others, it doesn’t matter if you think the person will accept Jesus or not. Our job is to obey God and share. If they don’t turn out to produce a crop, don’t take it personally. We were obedient to God and they were not. However, if you do not share Jesus with them, you were the one who was not being obedient. My prayer is that you will find somewhere to sow the love of Jesus today.
John Gesick
