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Mark - Who is Christ?
A Bible Study Course on the Gospel of Christ according to MARK
PART 4 - Jesus' Great Miracles in Galilee and its Surroundings (Mark 3:7 - 8:26)
5. Jesus Preaches on a Boat the Multitudes Who Sat by the Seaside (Mark 4:1-34)

a) The Parable of the Sower and the Ground With its Four Kinds (Mark 4:1-9)


MARK 4:1-9
1 Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow, 4 and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil. 6 When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.” 9 He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

God speaks to us through his Son, and reveals the mysteries of heaven and earth. Particularly, when the Jewish delegation came from Jerusalem to watch him, Christ did not explain the principles of his kingdom directly, but used parables that those who heard them might think and conclude the hidden meaning through contemplation. In such thinking, the preparedness for truth grows and develops. In this manner, Christ kept himself and his followers away from the religious leaders that they might not arrest him on the charge of misleading or attacking their religion. Christ preached the whole truth, but prudently and wisely, according to his statement: “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

In the parable of the sower, Jesus manifests himself, and makes us partners in his experiences, with respect to the acceptance by hearers to the word of God. This is the principle in preaching: Not all the people hear and respond in the same way. There are four kinds of impressions made by the word of God on different hearts.

Did you ever see anybody sow on a paved road? No one sows on it, for it would be useless. But God offers the chance of salvation even to the hardhearted. However, all those who expose themselves to the effects of entertainments, religious fanaticism or factional propaganda, become hardened. They neither hear nor listen, because their thoughts are busy, and their hearts are filled with empty principles and laws. As time passes, they only think according to their deadly doctrinal molds.

He who is superficial is enthusiastic and frivolous. He quickly answers Christ’s call, and with the same speed he also falls away, for emotional faith is not sufficient at times of hardship, which require deep thought, patience, and mercy through heart brokenness in the innermost being.

He who suffers poverty and anxieties drinks the word of God eagerly, as a final comfort for his earthly troubles. But he who does not deny himself, renounce his love of money, and give himself up completely to God, will hate God and blaspheme against him as his troubles become greater. If he does not continue in the love of the Father, bearing his divine life in himself, he will forget the word of God, being completely taken up with himself. But the brokenhearted repentant one hastens to God, not proudly but ashamedly because of his sins, not longing for any human help or esteem, but seeking true forgiveness and victory over his corrupt character. He becomes filled with the Holy Spirit. He bears the fruits of this Spirit, which come from hearing the word of God. In the repentant sinner, the Lord finds the good soil for his powerful word.

PRAYER: O Lord, We ashamedly confess that we are unable to hear your word as required, or to understand it exactly. Forgive our hardheartedness, superficiality, and occupation with our worries. Guide us to sincere repentance by your Holy Spirit, that your word may establish good fruit in us. Help us particularly to obey your commands that we may not be spiritually lacking, but grow in your grace. Amen.

QUESTION:

  1. What are the four categories of people who hear the word of God, and behave in different ways?

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