Mark 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some are like the seeds 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. 16 Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.” BSB
John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. NET
This appears to be a relatively straightforward parable but they still don’t understand. Most translations describe these first seeds as being sown on the path or road. Roadways or paths in the dirt come about as a result of use. With all that packing down, there is nowhere for the seeds to take root. Same is true for this first group of people who are so calloused (or careless) that the word can’t penetrate through their thick skin and hardened hearts. It is then simple enough for the devil (called “The Great Outside Hindrance by S.D. Gordon in his book Quiet Talks on Prayer) to distract them to other thoughts (and away from the Gospel). The second group receives the word but sets it aside when the going gets tough and the world is persecuting them. The word hasn’t been taken from them nor have they committed apostasy. Instead, while they have enthusiastically heard the word, it never changes their heart so it can’t last.
When push comes to shove, the third group can’t separate themselves from the world so that remains their primary focus (much to the detriment of their soul). The rapper Zuby tweeted about the 20 things he learned about humanity during the pandemic. At the top of the list was “most people would rather be in the majority than to be right” and that “fear of death is only rivaled by the fear of social disapproval” (which he notes appears to be the bigger fear). These are, of course, worldly priorities.
We finally get to the good soil and after reading about the first three groups, our question is likely “how can you be fruitful soil”? In other words, can you increase the odds that you or the people you try to convert won’t end up in one of the first three groups?
Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon that kicked off the first Great Awakening where great waves of people were being saved but then it suddenly stopped. Edwards spent the rest of his life thinking about why it stopped and determined that it was a God thing and not something that he had accomplished. Methodists look at it a little differently. Charles Finney believed in a method that could, as he called it, break up the fallow ground. His belief was that the way many people have lived their lives that it is much harder for them to receive the word of God. If they were to take time away from the cares of the world and consider their sins (both sins of commission and of omission) as well as thinking about who they serve then this might be enough of an opening to let the light of the Gospel in. Although different in their approaches, both of these men would tell you that God has to be involved as we can’t do anything on our own. (Here is a link to see the full article by Charles Finney: https://img.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/article_pdf.php?aid=27746 .
The Puritan theologian William Perkins thought there were two things that God does to prepare us. First is the preaching of the law to show us how short we fall. Second is that God gives crosses to us that break down our stubbornness. As we struggle with these crosses, we realize our own helplessness. Of course, things were different in his time as people knew they were broken and had fallen short. This type of self awareness doesn’t appear to be the case today. Jesus tells us that the sick need a physician but if we don’t think we are sick then we aren’t going to look for a doctor.
Mark 4:21 And he said to them, “Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not put on a stand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And he said to them, “Consider carefully what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.” NHEB
From the Pulpit Commentary: “in like manner the light which we have received is to shine before men. As Christians, we are Christ’s light-bearers. By this illustration our Lord teaches that he was unwilling that the mysteries of this great parable of the sower and of other parables should be concealed, but that his disciples should unfold these things to others as he had to them, although at present they might not be able to receive them”.
Once again we see the exhortation to “listen”. There are people hearing this word and missing the message. That message is not only to hear but to respond to this Word as if we don’t act on it, it will go away. Difficult language but similar to the message in the Parable of the Talents. If you don’t use what you have been given, it will go away.
Mark 4:26 And he said, “The Kingdom of God is like someone who scatters seed on the earth, 27and he sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed springs up and grows; he doesn’t know how. 28The earth bears fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.”33 And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 And he did not speak to them without a parable; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. NHEB
Matthew and Luke don’t tell this particular parable. The accent in this parable is that there is something mysterious going on. After some early success, there are people who are rejecting and opposing Jesus (possibly including His own family). After Ascension, only about 120 people gather together. This small group is all there is after three years of ministry but it will explode in growth after Pentecost. The lesson for us is not to get so caught up in size or success that we miss what God is doing. We need to plug away and persevere.