The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4: 1-20 The Parable of the Sower

What is a Parable?

What is a parable? A Parable is a story to explain spiritual truth. (Mark 4:10-12)

To unbelievers it is a warning or judgment and to believers it is instruction. Those who have ears hear and those who have eyes see. Therefore, His parables produce different results in different people.

Breaking Down the Parable

Palestine was an agricultural community. The seed is taken and scattered on different types of soil. Some like 

the path had no intention to be plowed.  

Who is the sower? Jesus and us

What is seed? The Gospel

The soil?  The human heart.

1.      

Who are the first group of people, the seed that fell on the path? (v.4)

These people don’t believe, Satan comes and takes it away – they do not believe and are hard to the Gospel. Jesus was talking about the Scribes, Pharisee, and most of Israel. Jesus walked in their presence and they killed Him. Today, this can be people we share with and they flat out say “no” I do not want anything to do with Jesus.

2.      Who are the second group of people, the seed that fell on Rocky Soil? (v.5-7)

They make a profession of faith. But when it is shaken out it is a false profession. Here the seed or Gospel seems to be accepted but eventually their hearts are hardened and don’t believe. These people saw the miracles Jesus was doing. They go excited and followed Him. Yet, when the cost discipleship came up, they bailed.

What would these people look like in our church or culture today? How does this play out? Some view coming to Christ as just getting a ticket to Heaven. They may come or believe for a season .Christianity is a heart thing. At first, these people seem so on fire for Jesus, but it blows out.

Manipulation and emotionalism is dangerous. And remember the purpose of trails. Part of trails is to see who the real believes are (1 Peter 1:6-7).

3.      Who are the third group of people, the seed that fell on thorns? (v. 7)

These people profess to believe in Jesus. They are involved in church for a while. They may even be moral people. Then the idols of the world which is typically sex, money or success, choke it out. And the heart shows that they don’t believe the Gospel. They are false professions.

This is at the heart of our country. Our country is built around the American dream. Greed, the love of money, the love of fame, the love success all proves to be fatal idols.

These people fall more in love with money or material success than Jesus. In the end, they are not true believers.

4.      Who are the fourth group of people, the seed that felon good soil? (v.8)

These are the true believers! The typical crop in Palestine yielded a crop of fivefold to fifteen fold in Palestine. In the history of Israel, a hundredfold was seen as a blessing from God. (Genesis 26:12)

 Jesus is supreme for these people. He is all loving for these people. His laws are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). They want to and love to obey Him (1 John 3:4-10). When they sin, they hate it. They love Jesus more than there sin. Jesus is all satisfying. They live their lives, loving people, loving the church, loving unbelievers, and loving Jesus.

Mark 4:10-13 is a quote from Isaiah 6:9-10 and Jeremiah 5:21. The disciples knew this passage. They knew he was talking about the religious leaders and the Nation of Israel. The One they were waiting on (the Messiah) was right in front of them and they missed it. They killed Him instead.