Mark

The parable of the sower, 4:1-9, 13-20

Jesus is again teaching large gatherings, on this occasion, "beside the sea." His teaching is now in parables, riddles about the coming kingdom. Along with his riddles, Jesus tells the riddle about the sowing of seed and the different results achieved. Later, with some of the crowd gathered around him, along with the twelve apostles, Jesus explains its meaning.

v1. Jesus is again teaching beside lake Galilee, and is again hemmed in by a large crowd. Using a method already employed, the disciples commandeer a boat for Jesus to use as a pulpit. They push the boat out a little way and the crowd gathers by the water's edge.

v2. Jesus would often use a story, a parable, to illustrate a truth, but Mark tells us that the parables he now uses are more like riddles, enigmas. The people of Israel have not responded to the good news of the coming kingdom, so now, in an act of judgment, Jesus speaks of the coming kingdom in riddles, of mustard seeds and the like. Included in these riddles is a riddle about the riddles, the riddle of the sower who sows the riddle of the coming kingdom, the gospel.

v3-8. The riddle entails a simple agricultural illustration. A sower goes out to sow his field. He uses the broadcast method, a method which would horrify farmers in a very poor country where every seed is planted by hand. As he scatters the seed, some of it falls on the pathway running through the field. The birds get to feed on those seeds. Some of the seeds fall on shallow ground. The thin layer of soil over the rock-shelf heats up quickly, the seeds sprout, but what moisture there is in the soil quickly dries out and the shoots wither and die. Some seed falls where there are still roots of wooded weeds. The weeds quickly shoot and strangle the sprouting seeds. But some seed falls on good ground and bears forth an abundant harvest.

v9. "Do you understand? Really understand?" Well, here's the rub, some will, most won't even bother. For the vast majority it will be "when is he going to do his next miracle?"

v10. The show is over, the crowd has dispersed, but a small group of disciples have gathered with Jesus and the twelve. The miracles, particularly the exorcisms, were wonderful to behold, but this small gathering is not satisfied; they want to know the meaning of the riddle.

v13. "Have you worked out the riddle of the sower?" Obviously they hadn't. If the disciples can't unlock the secret of the sower, then they won't be able to unlock Jesus' other riddles, because the sower is a riddle about his riddles.

v14-20. Jesus now explains the riddle of the sower. The seed represents God's word, it represents the message to broken humanity contained in Jesus' riddles, namely, the gospel, the good news of God's coming kingdom, of his eternal reign of grace. The scattering of seed on the pathway may be compared with the situation where the gospel is communicated far and wide, people hear it, but it makes no impact. The scattering of seed on shallow ground may be compared to the situation where the gospel is communicated to people who, when they hear the message, receive it enthusiastically, but when trouble or persecution comes their way, they lose heart and melt away. The seed scattered into weedy ground may be compared with the situation where the gospel is communicated to people who take it in, but are overwhelmed with the worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The seed scattered in good soil may be compared with the situation where the gospel is communicated, some people hear it, receive it and bear the fruit of faith in abundance.

The debate over whether we are a product of nature or nurture will never be resolved. We seem to go through fads. Sometimes we think it's all about genes, directing and controlling. Then at other times it's all about our environment, shaping the person we are. To end the debate we usually agree to a fifty fifty solution; it's both nature and nurture.

I well remember a geneticist, obviously very much on the side of nature, arguing that some people are predisposed to religious faith. I found it a disturbing notion; was it just a genetic inclination that made me the person I am? Did my genes just force me toward a religious faith, to the extent that if I lived in the Middle East I would be a Muslim? Mind you, the other side of the argument is just as disturbing. Is my religious faith the product of my parent's influence, or my peer group? I actually can't deny any of these influences, but I contend that in the end a living faith transcends both genetic inclinations and environmental influences.

Both nature and nurture may lead me to church, may prompt me to accept a call for decision, but a living faith, a firm resolve to hold onto Jesus in the midst of all my doubts and fears, that has nothing to do with nature or nurture. I well remember my days in youth fellowships, my own church youth group when I was young, or the many I have lead over the years. Like seeds on a pathway, most of the young people in my age group never even attempted to get into the Christian youth scene. To their mind, the stories of Jesus were little more than fairytales. Even so, there was a large group of enthusiastic young people rolling up every Sunday afternoon to sing, pray and read the Bible together. Yet as the years passed, like seeds scorched in shallow ground or choked by weeds, one by one they fell away. Often, on entering university and being confronted by aggressive atheism, they would back away from their childhood flirtation with Christianity. If it wasn't persecution it was just the pressures of life - all the things they wanted to do and all the things they wanted to get. And so they slowly drifted away.

I well remember the occasion in John's gospel when Jesus was talking about a resolute reliance on him to the point where most of those who heard him were offended and left. A small band of disciples remained and Jesus asked if they were going walk off as well. They replied, "to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life." The state of life which involves a reliance on Jesus for eternal life, a reliance which transcends opposition, troubles, needs and the like, is like a seed sown in good ground bearing forth the fruit of faith. Sure, our faith is but a thread held taught by all our doubts and fears, but faith as small as a mustard seed carries us onward.

So, be good soil. Take care how you hear!

 
Discussion

1. Distinguish between the two main types of parables Jesus employed?

2. If we classify the parable of the sower as a riddle, how is it different to a riddle like the mustard seed.

3. Discuss the situation revealed in the four types of soils.