Mark Chapter 4

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Mar 4:1

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.: There were so many people that Jesus had to jump on a boat and teach them from the water. 

Mar 4:2

Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: An interesting note from the Pulpit commentary is that Hebrew only has one word for parable and proverb. This is a fulfillment of prophecy: Ps 78:2 "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,"

Mar 4:3

"Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.: He quieted the crowd, then began. A sower is a person that spreads seed.

Mar 4:4

And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.: If seed gets thrown outside the row, it won't be buried. Birds will come and eat that seed.

Mar 4:5

Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.: I see this all the time in my backyard, especially on my walkway and in the cracks. I can just bend down and quickly pull them up.

Mar 4:6

But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.: They have no resilience. The sun comes out and kills the plants that don't have their roots buried deep.

Mar 4:7

And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.: I also see this in my backyard. I have a rose bush that I need to weed. If I don't, it'll die.

Mar 4:8

But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.": If I take care to prepare the ground before planting, I will have a much better crop. Fertilizer, water, planting at the proper time, and some means to control pests will help produce better results than just throwing seeds around.

Mar 4:9

And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!": It's the Spirit that opens our ears to hear the Word. There are many people who know the Bible way better than I do that aren't saved. Sometimes, I get jealous hearing these people quote the Bible because I for some reason am not able to do that. Yet, they don't have ears to hear. I am glad to have trouble with recalling specific chapter/verses if it means I've been given an ear to hear! I know my master's voice.

Mar 4:10

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.: It's fascinating that Jesus's own disciples needed to have the parables explained. They also wanted to know why he was speaking in parables.

Mar 4:11

And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,: The disciples were chosen by God to hear the good news, but the people gathered around were here to see miracles. They were outsiders because of their unbelief. Jesus was always accepting of those with faith.

Mar 4:12

Mar 4:12  so that 'SEEING THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND HEARING THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND; LEST THEY SHOULD TURN, AND THEIR SINS BE FORGIVEN THEM.' ": Jesus is quoting Isa 6:9. "And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'" A fulfillment of prophecy. We know that all of the Old Testament pointed to Christ, and this quote shows how it's true. Why would a normal reading lead anyone to think that Isa 6:9 was prophetic? We can look back on it and see it clearly, but I don't think they would have known.

Mar 4:13

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?: Jesus is like, "Come on fellas! This is an easy one! If you can't understand this easy one, how will you understand the more difficult ones?"

Mar 4:14

The sower sows the word.: After ribbing them a little, Jesus explains. This refers to those of us who preach the good news in some capacity. Most often, we're sowing seeds.

Mar 4:15

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.: I see this sometimes with famous people. They'll announce their faith in Jesus, then a month later, they're back to their old ways. They need to exfiltrate themselves from the craziness. Satan is right there and snatches what little was sown right from them.

Mar 4:16

These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;: I'm sure that most everyone has known someone that has heard the Gospel, and immediately got super involved. Church every Sunday, Wednesday study, volunteering, studying, saying they want to become a pastor...

Mar 4:17

and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.: But a year later, they're right back where they were, and even worse off. I know someone personally that I am thinking of who went down this exact path. They met a pastor who spent time with them, teaching them, and this person was really receptive and talked about becoming a pastor. However, the mentorship couldn't last forever, and like most relationships, it waned. This person stopped going to church, and is now further away from Jesus than when they began.

Mar 4:18

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,: These people Jesus is talking about here care more about this world.

Mar 4:19

and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.: They focus on the things of this world, like getting rich, or food, or being accepted, or having a good career, or having a nice house, or car, or other such things. Instead, they should be more worried about the richness of knowing the Word of God, and of being righteous. They should put their faith in Jesus, not in the things of this world. Everyone will die, and then what? Will anything gathered here help you then? Of course not.

Mar 4:20

But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.": And the final people are those believers who hear the Word, believe it, and live according to it. We won't really know the fruit we've beared until the Bema seat, but we can know that if we live by faith, we are sowing the word. Hopefully, we can sow, and that seed will be watered in some manner. We must have faith that where we are in life, is where we are supposed to be. As long as we follow Jesus's commands and love as we should, we should see the fruit we've beared in the afterlife.

Mar 4:21

Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?: This lamp is connected back to the Word that was sown. The Word is a lamp. Does anyone hide a lamp? No, it's supposed to be used for light, and set up so the light shines where people can see.

Mar 4:22

For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.: This is likely talking about the things in the Old Testament that were hidden. They will all be revealed. Paul speaks of a mystery himself, that we will all be changed, and that will surely be revealed in time.

Mar 4:23

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.": I wonder if this has to do with how the Holy Spirit is the one that gives understanding. Jesus said these things, but people didn't understand, and it's because the Helper hadn't come. Those who understand, the understanding has to come from the Holy Spirit.

Mar 4:24

Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.: Jesus is relating this back to the sower still. Take heed what you hear, as the last example in the sower parable did. The last example produced many times, and the clarification here is that when you speak the Good News, God will take notice. Jesus is telling us of a spiritual law. The Word that we hear, we need to share with others. The more we share, the more we will understand. We need to be that lamp. And the higher and brighter that lamp is, the more we will have revealed to us.

Mar 4:25

For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.": This part of the parable had troubled me a long time, and now it makes perfect sense based on the last verse. The more we share God's Word that we learn, the more God will grant us in understanding, with the idea that we also need to share that information, and form a positive spiral. Most often, we hear of negative spirals, and rarely positive ones, but Jesus here establishes that contrary law against our nature. I've been on many jobs where people hoarded their knowledge, and they did well on the job. It's the opposite principle here. Just as the knowledge we gain in our field of expertise should be shared with co-workers, the knowledge we gain in spiritual understanding should be shared with others. The only difference is that Jesus says that He will add more to our knowledge, whereas in this world, a lot of times that gifting of our knowledge can be used against us.

Mar 4:26

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,: We disciples spread the word. We spread it wherever we can. Jesus here expresses it as scattering seed on the ground.

Mar 4:27

and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.: We Christians plant the word, then go about our daily lives, not knowing if what we say has done any good. We don't know how the seed gets watered. We don't know if the ground was fertile. Perhaps it's like Paul said (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase).

Mar 4:28

For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.: The seed was planted, but the sower doesn't know how it grew, or even that it grew. Spreading the Word of God is like that. We don't know how it will grow. God knows! God is in control and trims, waters, put nutrients, etc..

Mar 4:29

But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.": Once the kingdom of God has ripened, God will harvest it. This is a reference to the rapture. 

Mar 4:30

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?: Here Jesus starts to preface another parable. He is basically saying, "Here's another parable about the kingdom of God."

Mar 4:31

It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;: The size of the mustard seed can be explained by speciation. There are rapid variations that take place, and in two thousand years, it's very possible that seeds have gotten smaller. It's also possible that Jesus only used the mustard seed as an example because the Jews wouldn't have known about others.

Mar 4:32

but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.": So the kingdom was to grow from very small to the greatest. And it definitely is the largest religion. While I'm sure the birds of the air is literal, it also has a spiritual connection as well. Birds of the air also refers to evil people using the kingdom as cover. There are a lot of fakers in the kingdom. We need to be discerning.

Mar 4:33

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.: The Holy Spirit makes the Word clear. Those who were able to hear means, "those who were called." I encounter people daily who hear the word but aren't able to hear it.

Mar 4:34

But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.: Jesus used the parables because there were religious leaders in hearing range. Only those who the Holy Spirit called could understand. Then, when Jesus was alone with His disciples, He explained everything in detail to them.

Mar 4:35

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.": They didn't go ashore or anything, but headed out to the other side.

Mar 4:36

Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.: No doubt these other little boats were people that didn't want to stand with the multitude, but wanted to get closer to hear Jesus better. So when Jesus started heading to the other side, these boats followed.

Mar 4:37

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.: The boat was about to sink from the waves. There's no mention of the other boats, but we can assume they were in a similar situation.

Mar 4:38

But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?": The stern of the ship is the rear. Jesus was sleeping without a care in the world. He wasn't the least bit worried.

Mar 4:39

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.: I imagine Jesus kind of yawning and sleepily saying this. I'm sure He didn't do it with great fanfare.

Mar 4:40

But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?": My sinful self would have said something like, "I was worried about the other boats!" However, there is no mention of them, so I can assume that none were sunk.

Mar 4:41

And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!": We know who He was, but His disciples didn't know at this point that He was God. I'm sure this shocked them. We have the advantage of hindsight and know that Jesus was God. There's no mention of them, but I'm sure the people in the other boats were shocked too.