Introduction
I
spent the week working for a great customer that lives in rural Southeast Colorado.
I wouldn’t describe myself as a city-boy since I’ve lived my whole life in the
suburbs. But much closer to the city than the rural farmlands of Colorado—it
was a brutal week. To begin with, they were experiencing a plague of flies.
It’s hard to put into words but picture flies so thick you could use a shovel
to remove them and that might give you an idea of what it was like. No doubt
part of the cause for the flies is the large cattle feed lots in the immediate
area but more likely it was because right behind their home is a giant field
covered with rotting melons the farmer didn’t harvest. Most of the time, it was
nearly ninety degrees outside during the days. However, on one particular day
we experience 70 mph winds and driving rain. Everything was flying that day,
dirt, weeds, plastic covering crops and even a few melons. Needless to say, it
was a harsh climate. The morning after the high winds, the weather conditions
were beautiful. We still had to deal with the flies and the smell of the
rotting melons but otherwise the conditions were tolerable. (I know some of you
in countries with harsh climates all the time are laughing at me right now.) In
any event, I spent the morning walking around the property picking up what
seemed like miles of black plastic twisted up with bramble bushes and tree branches.
I walked along the dirt service road that ran between my customer’s property
and the adjacent farmland. I stopped on the road at the edge of the field and
surveyed the land in front of me. It was the perfect picture of Jesus’ parable
of the soils. The ground beneath my feet, were the farm vehicles traveled, was
hard and well worn. Nothing could grow there even if seeds landed there during
the seeding process. Lining the road were rocks that appear to have been
removed from the field during the plowing process. Among the rocks were
scraggly, dried plants that clearly didn’t have the proper soil to sustain
life. All along the edges of the field were brambles bushes with sharp thorns
and burrs. Growing and intertwined among the brambles were deformed crop
plants—useless because they couldn’t be separated and didn’t produce anything.
Beyond the brambles was the plowed field, rich soil without rocks or weeds.
Instead, there grew lush melon vines producing thousands of melons—that’s where
you could find The Good Dirt!
I
stood there thinking about Jesus’ parable and how only the seed planted in The Good Dirt could endure the harsh
conditions. Driving wind and rain did not adversely affect the crops growing in
The Good Dirt. This is the way it is
for Christians as well it seems. So many claim to be Christian yet not all
mature and grow as intended. Jesus describes the condition of various people
claiming to be Christians. The point Jesus was making is that only some will
generate fruit based on what they say they believe—they represent The Good Dirt.
Subject
Text
Mark 4:3-20
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!’” 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.”
Context
Mark’s record of this event appears
to be fairly early in Jesus’ ministry as Chapter 3 records Jesus’ appointment
of the twelve disciples as apostles giving them the authority to preach and
drive out demons. Jesus appears to be traveling around the towns and
countryside of Galilee. This is Jesus’ home region. Here we’ll find him perform
his first miracle of turning water into wine in the town of Cana (Jn 1:2-11). It
is where Jesus cast out the demon Legion who possessed a man roaming the
graveyards in the town of Gennesaret (Lk 8:26-39). Galilee is where Jesus walks
on the water on the Sea of Galilee (Mt 14:22-23). Galilee is where Jesus
delivers what some believe to be his greatest sermon—the Sermon on the Mount
(Mt 5-7). And it is in Galilee at the end of Chapter 3 that Jesus distances
himself from his biological family to become less, “the son of _________,” and
more the people’s Messiah. This is important since Jewish lineage was so
important during Jesus’ day. However, Jesus was inaugurating a new lineage; a
spiritual lineage. Those who are his true followers (those who do God’s will)
will be considered part of his family; part of the family of God. As Jesus
travels around Galilee, he doesn’t just teach in the synagogues or the private
homes where he is invited to eat, he teaches outside along the seaside and even
from a boat just offshore around the fishing community. However, the primary
industry was, nevertheless, agrarian. As a result, when Jesus uses an agrarian
illustration in one of his parables, his audience should have been able to
relate very easily to what he was teaching which takes us right to our subject text.
Text Analysis
During vv. 3-9 of our subject text,
Jesus is teaching from a boat just off the shore of the Sea of Galilee because
there were so many people gathered around him while he was on shore. It must
have seemed odd to his listeners because Jesus launches into the basics of
farming when he describes crop seeding and seed germination. He describes
seeding conditions that certainly must have been familiar to his audience. When
a farmer sows seed, some seed falls on the open ground and becomes food for the
birds. Some of the seed falls among the poorly tilled soil and fails to develop
deep roots leaving it vulnerable to the harsh conditions where it eventually
withers and dies. Some seed falls in the places where the ground also produces
robust indigenous weeds that overwhelm and young seed growth. And finally, some
seed falls on the well prepared soil where it is intended. There the seed is
properly nurtured and where each seed produces a crop significantly
outnumbering the original seed. At which point, Jesus just says “He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.” So we read this text and don’t really think much
about it because we know what Jesus is talking about but you’re cheating when
you do that. Try and put yourself in the place of those who were standing on
the shore. Some of those in attendance were probably fishermen but most were
probably farmers or part of the larger agricultural industry. They must have
been looking at each other thinking, ‘Wait, we came all the way out here to get
a lesson in farming? We know all this stuff already!’ Others though probably
spent some time thinking about what Jesus said suspecting all along that he
really wasn’t talking about farming at all; they listened with different ears.
The text doesn’t indicate that he said or taught anything after that although
he probably did and Mark chose not to include it in his Gospel. Regardless, we
are safe to assume that Jesus didn’t offer an explanation to the people because
it isn’t until later in our subject text that Jesus, when he was alone,
explains the meaning of the parable to his disciples and a few others that were
around him. It may strange because the parable ends so abruptly without
explanation. However, there is a purpose that we will learn about later in our
subject text. For the time being, “Those willing to hear are those who will do
a deeper kind of listening with the mind and heart that is necessary in order
to gain spiritual understanding. Some people in the crowd were only curious
about Jesus, a few were looking for evidence to use against him, and others
truly wanted to learn and grow. Jesus’ words were for the honest seekers. Those
who honestly seek God’s will have spiritual hearing, so they will be able to
listen and understand.”[1]
At some point Jesus comes ashore and
the crowd disperses so that Jesus is left alone with the “Twelve” as Mark
refers to the disciples and “the others,” probably a smaller grouping of people
who followed Jesus around. “The others” referenced in v. 10 were probably part
of a group outside of the Twelve that would have been considered disciples in a
more general sense. We see this general reference for some of Jesus’ followers
in Jn 6:66 whereupon Jesus has instructed his listeners that they must be
prepared to eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to gain eternal life, at
which point John tells us that many of Jesus’ disciples turned away and stopped
following Him. It is likely that “the others” referenced in v. 10 of our
subject text would be disciples in this general sense from whom the Twelve were
chosen. Additionally, remember when I mentioned above that Jesus probably said
more than Mark records for us? Well, v. 10 gives us a clue that Jesus probably
shared other parables with the people because when Jesus is alone with his smaller
group of followers they ask him to explain the “parables”—plural. Most likely,
Jesus told a series of parables that were thematically similar with similar
meaning (cf. Lk 15).
Before Jesus explains the parable of
the four soils, he tells them in vv. 11-12 why he uses parables to communicate
the message of the Kingdom instead of just a basic explanation. The disciples
listened to Jesus already with ears of belief while others were not necessarily
listening with ears of belief. Some were listening already with ears of willful
and persistent disbelief. Jesus wasn’t talking to those already listening. Nor
was he talking to those who wouldn’t listen. He was talking to those ready to
listen. Let me see if I can illustrate: What if you and a group of your friends
traveled to a distant country where they have never seen or heard of red apples
and you were charged with teaching them about red apples and their value to
their overall health, with one stipulation—you can’t show them an apple or a
picture of an apple; it was a secret. Also, your friends aren’t allowed to
disclose the secret. How would you explain it? You would probably take some
time to become familiar with the culture to see if there is something the
people living there are familiar with to use as an illustration. Armed with a
culturally relevant illustration, you address the people of the country with
something like: ‘A red apple is like ____________(insert illustration).’ Some
of those listening would lose interest fairly quickly thinking: ‘So what’s the
big deal about red apples.’ Others listening would be immediately skeptical and
dismissive thinking: ‘This is a joke! There is no such thing as red apples.’
However some would probably be thinking sincerely: ‘I don’t quite understand this
so I want to hear more about red apples.’ All the while, your friends are
thinking: ‘Just show them a red apple or a picture of a red apple and get it
over with!’ But you focus on those who want more information and you spend more
and more time with them describing and explaining red apples until finally they
are confident red apples exist and are essential to their daily
nutrition—you’ve just created a group of people who are hungry and ready to
appreciate the real thing when it is finally presented to them. Imagine what it
would be like for you to witness their reaction when they see and taste, for
the first time, a perfectly ripened red apple.
V. 12 reiterates the prophet
Isaiah’s words about the folly of people who are willfully blind to God’s
revelation of truth. Jesus knew that some people who heard him wouldn’t care
what he had to say because it didn’t immediately benefit them in tangible ways,
particularly when it came to physical prosperity. He also knew that some of the
people who heard him would reject his message because they feared losing their
prominence and power. Jesus was after those who had the ears to hear what he
was saying at a spiritual level. He was looking for those who would ultimately
appreciate the perfect red apple. “It is possible that Jesus compared himself
to the prophet Isaiah whose message had also fallen on deaf ears and alluded to
Isaiah 6:9-10 as a way of explaining why so many of his contemporaries had
failed to perceive the true significance of his ministry. People did not
understand Jesus because their eyes could not see and their ears could not
hear. The undiscerning and unbelieving response, therefore, was not evidence
that Jesus’ ministry was a failure; it was an important witness to the
continuity of the biblical witness against Israel’s hardness of heart.”[2]
It’s a little difficult to
understand what seems like a reproach in v. 13 because Jesus just finished
condemning those on the “outside” for not understanding. It can’t be that he is
condemning his disciples, those on the “inside,” in the same way. Jesus uses
what is translated as “understand” twice in v. 13. However, the Greek uses two
different words. In the first case “understand,” oidate, is used in reference to knowledge or understanding derived
from insight or intuition. In the second case “understand,” gnosesthe, is used in reference to
knowledge or understanding derived from experience or acquaintance. We see in
v. 11 that the disciples are recipients of the secret of the Kingdom of God but
we see their spiritual immaturity on display in v. 13 as they fail to recognize
how Jesus reveals that secret through the parable. “The role of the disciples
was to be ‘examples to the community. Not examples by which their own worth or
failure is shown, but examples through whom teaching is given to the community
and the love and power of God made known’…The disciples ‘weakness and failure
to understand gives Mark the opportunity of teaching what true discipleship
is.’”[3] The
ignorance of the disciples wasn’t the result of indifference to the truth or
persistent disbelief of the truth but a spiritual immaturity from a lack of
experience of, and acquaintance to, the Truth and Mark uses it as a teachable
moment.
Jesus makes it very simple for them
in v. 14. In essence, Jesus reveals a ripe, red apple and places it on the
table before them. Although he goes on to give them a full explanation of the
parable, one has to wonder how many of them immediately understood the parable
without further explanation and were kicking themselves for not understanding
it immediately. When Jesus makes reference to sowing the “word,” “attention is
focused on the word of proclamation containing the secret to the Kingdom of
God. The word in view is Jesus’ word as he proclaims the Kingdom; it is the
decisive messianic word of power through which the Kingdom is disclosed and is
demonstrated as having come. What this implies concerning the meaning and
manifestation of the Kingdom of God is elaborated in terms of the diversity of
response to the word proclaimed.”[4]
Jesus begins his explanation of the
parable in v. 15 when he describes the seed that falls along the path and is
immediately eaten by the birds as those who hear God’s Word yet its truth is
snatched away from them before it can penetrate into their hearts and lives.
The text says that Satan takes it away from them. But what exactly does this
mean? Is Jesus saying the Satan is more powerful than God’s Word? No, that’s
not what Jesus is saying. Jesus’ point is that the longer people who hear God’s
Word without responding to it positively, the more reticent their hearts will
become to ever accepting the Truth and the easier it will be for Satan to sustain
their unbelief. You see, Satan doesn’t cause a person to not believe God’s Word.
Satan nurtures unbelief that already exists until the soil of a person’s heart
is so hard that God’s Word can no longer penetrate it. “The opposing kingdom
puts up a fight, and the world is not uniformly productive. The word will meet
with adversity and opposition. Not everyone is going to receive God’s Word with
open arms; many will spurn it. The same sun that melts ice also bakes clay as
hard as a brick…‘We are to God the aroma of Chris among those who are being
saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the
other, the fragrance of life.’”[5]
Jesus then describes in v. 16-17
those who at first are enthusiastic in their new faith but whose faith
eventually wanes over time as being like seed that falls among the rocks where
the soil is shallow. The seed sprouts but the roots are shallow leaving the
plant vulnerable to the harsh elements. Many of us know Christians like this
don’t we? Christians “on fire” for God who share their faith with anyone and
everyone; are involved in as many Bible studies as possible; at church for
virtually every church event; participate in countless service projects and
mission trips; find the need to correct and admonish other Christians for their
poor theology and weak faith. And just as quickly burn out and return to their
pre-Christian life or allow their active faith to become dormant, wither and
eventually die when faced with trouble or persecution. Many of us who have been
Christians our whole lives or most of our lives, especially here in America,
wouldn’t put our faith in this category. However, we had better be careful to examine
our faith closely to be sure. “Sometimes we are in danger of becoming like the
shallow-rooted soil. Any hint of persecution or tribulation shrivels any faith
we might have. How many would pack the pews if they knew that their license
plate numbers were being written down by Gestapo-like police, and that their
lives, property, and children were threatened because of their faith? Someone
has said that it takes courage to stand up and be counted but even more courage
to keep standing up after you have been counted.”[6]
Jesus then reaches the verses that
hit a little too closely for some of us. In vv. 18-19 Jesus describes how some
of the seed grows among the weeds are eventually choked out are like those who
hear and accept the Word but allow the pursuit of the things of this world to
choke off our faith. Does this describe you? It often describes me. We think
that Jesus is talking about some immoral pursuit of self-satisfaction. And
while this would naturally be included in what Jesus is talking about, we are
hiding from the truth that Jesus is talking about our everyday lives—the
relentless pursuit of the lie that wealth is the solution to all our problems;
a constant desire for better health; persistent worry that destroys our health;
a grotesque narcissism with physical beauty; perverse obsession with sex, or
more generally the desire for anything and everything except a deeper
relationship with God. “The issue is not simply a matter of giving both
possessions and God their proper place. Both God and possessions (i.e., Mammon)
claim a person’s service. Mammon’s claim is evident: Wealth must be preserved;
daily bread must be earned. Yet Jesus categorically rejects that there is a
proper service of Mammon: It is impossible to serve both money and God (Mt
6:24).”[7]
Ultimately, the parable is not
entirely dire. In v. 20 Jesus describes what happens to seed that is planted in
soil properly tilled and cultivated—the seed produces an abundant crop. A heart
that is properly cultivated can receive the seed that is God’s Word and it will
become deeply rooted and able to withstand the brutality of a sinful word. This
verse is also an encouragement to Christians who, like Jesus, are sowers of the
seed of the Kingdom of God. When a seed falls on the hard ground or in the
shallow soil of the rocks or among the weeds, only that seed is lost. But when
a seed falls on properly cultivated soil, it produces a crop multiple times the
number of just one seed. For example, one kernel of corn produces one cornstalk
with 1-10 ears of corn depending on the species and each ear of corn typically
produces 800 kernels and each of those kernels is a new seed. This is the
encouraging message of this parable. “While we may get discouraged that our
evangelistic efforts are not producing the fruit we would like, we can be
encouraged that God is working in the harvest and that it will be a rich
harvest. The emphasis in the parable is not on the soils but on the harvest. In
spite of failures, setbacks, and even persecution, there will be an abundant
harvest for those who remain faithful to God.”[8] As
sowers, our responsibility is to spread the seed that is God’s Word. It is
inevitable that not all the seed we spread will be productive. However, some
will produce fruit; some of the seed will find The Good Dirt.
Application
The parable of the four soils really
serves two purposes for Christians. One is for the purpose of self-examination. I emphasize “self”
because Christians love to use Jesus’ parables as a way to assess the faith in
others. But that is not the purpose of this parable. Primarily because we
cannot always see how or if a seed grows nor are we able to make it grow. This
only occurs by God’s grace—in the natural world and in the spiritual world. All
we can do is assess how the seed of God’s Word is nurtured and grows in our own
lives. Furthermore, we are responsible for the condition of our own hearts. Are
our hearts properly humble and prepared to not only hear the truths of God’s
Word but apply them first to our own lives before we expect them to be manifest
in the lives of others. We prepare our hearts through prayer, scripture study,
meditation, worship, service, etc. We prepare our hearts by always pursuing a
deeper relationship with Jesus Christ above any desires or treasures this world
has to offer. In this way, we become The
Good Dirt.
The other purpose of the parable is
to demonstrate, for Christians, the various responses to our efforts at
spreading God’s Word; the seed. I have to tell you that I prayed long and hard
before I made Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 the Mission Statement
for this ministry. I recognize that it is commanded by Jesus but it can seem
like a daunting task at times. Two weeks ago my lesson focused on sharing the
salvation message with the focus of reaching just one more person (see I Could Have Done More at: http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-could-have-done-more.html).
However this week’s lesson highlights what could happen if just one seed falls
on properly cultivated soil; what could happen if God’s Word reaches a heart
prepared to receive it. We focus so much on whether or not each and every one
of our efforts to spread God’s Word is effective that we become paralyzed into
doing nothing. The parable of the four soils addresses this directly. If the
seed sower feared that some seed might not find good soil, nothing at all would
get planted. As it is, the seed is sown knowing full well that not all will
reach the good soil but what seed does produces a crop that is significantly
higher compared to the few seeds lost to poor soil. This principle holds true
for us as well and is precisely the reason why I ask you over and over to share
the link to this website as a safe way to share God’s Word. A few weeks ago we
focused on the value of one life saved for eternity. This week I want to focus
on the latent potential every time we share God’s Word with people. We might
find that the seed we sow only finds good soil in one person, but that one
person might find good soil in ten more people and those ten people might find
good soil in one hundred more people and those one hundred people might find
good soil in one thousand people—I think you get my point. However, don’t
forget that it all started with just one seed; the seed you planted.
This
week, find in the parable of the four soils the challenge to examine yourself
and see if Jesus would consider you to be The
Good Dirt. Also, be a sower of God’s Word. Spread the seed everywhere
either personally or by sharing a link to this website and then pray that God
will direct the seed as He wills and it comes to rest in someone who is prepared
to hear it and incorporate it into their lives. Pray that your seed would find
its way to The Good Dirt in the
world and produces a crop that will be used to plant more seeds to produce an
even bigger crop until the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus is finally
fulfilled.
[1]
Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary,
(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 157.
[2]
Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, I. Howard Marshall, eds., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1992), p. 299.
[3]
Robert A. Guelich, Mark 1-8:26—Word
Biblical Commentary, (Dallas, TX: Word Books, 1989), pp. 220-221.
[4]
William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark—The
New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William
B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), pp. 161-162.
[5] David
E. Garland, Mark—The NIV Application
Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), p. 170.
[6]
Ibid., p. 172.
[7]
Green, et al, eds., Dictionary of Jesus
and the Gospels, p. 705.
[8] Rodney
L. Cooper, Mark—Holman New Testament
Commentary, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2000), p. 69.
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