The Gospel of Mark, rightly Divided
Mark 4:3-20 | Session 15 | Mark Rightly Divided
Mark 4:3-20 | The Parable of the Sower
Verses 3-9 | The Parable Itself
This is likely one of the most familiar parables of Jesus. It introduces major elements such as the Sower, the seed, and the soil, along with minor elements including the birds, the sun, and the thorns. These components, significant in their own right, will be further analyzed in subsequent sections. The parable especially celebrates the seed that fell on good ground, producing fruit bountifully.
This narrative was originally presented in a context that permits broad but specific applications. In other words, the story has a relevance that is both versatile and context-dependent. One could imagine a teacher applying the illustration to the variability in receptiveness among students in her math class.
Jesus concluded this tale with a somewhat cryptic phrase: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (v.9). This statement serves as an invitation for deeper inquiry. It suggests to the listener that there is more to the story, a specific application that requires investigation. The reader is encouraged to delve into the text, questioning, "To what does Jesus intend this story to apply?" This call for interpretative effort prepares us for the layers of complexity that extend beyond the narrative's face value, which will be explored in further commentary.
Verse 10 -
The question from "they that were about him with the twelve" reveals that even those closely associated with Jesus were perplexed by this form of teaching, marking a departure from the more straightforward miracles and authoritative teachings they had witnessed so far. Both the Twelve and those around them seeking clarity is a strong indicator of the narrative's inherent complexity. This turn towards parabolic teaching prompts the hearers to seek a deeper understanding, signifying a shift in Jesus' pedagogical approach that invites active interpretation.
Verse 11 -
This verse is key to understanding and interpreting parables correctly: they reveal “the mystery of the kingdom of God.” Parables are always given to conceal and yet have something to reveal to those who recognize that Jesus is talking about the kingdom.
The definition of the kingdom is simple, if you take it simply from the Word of God. The "Kingdom of God" is the prophesied reign of God through the Messiah, a descendant of King David, who liberates Israel from its oppressors and establishes a just and righteous rule. This Kingdom is a geopolitical reality, centered in Jerusalem, that restores Israel to its former glory and brings peace, justice, and prosperity to the world.
That is the definition of the Kingdom, and is found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The “mystery of the kingdom” is found in the parables of Jesus, revealing information about its arrival on earth.
The parables, therefore, reveal these mysteries to those who will look and listen.
Verse 12 -
Jesus loosely quoted Isaiah 6:9-10. The original words of Isaiah were specifically about the collapse of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Without a deeper revelation or further context, one could only speculate that these words more fully relate to the rejection of the Kingdom message by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles. There is nothing directly in Isaiah 6:9-10 that explicitly connects it to the ultimate rejection of the Kingdom message, and so only by Jesus using the passage here are we able to make the connection without ambiguity.The mystery of the Kingdom lies in the fact that when the Kingdom was finally and clearly offered to Israel, they would see but not perceive, and hear but not understand.
It is important to connect verses 11-12 to understand the connection between parables and Israel’s rejection of her Kingdom. “all _these_ things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive….” The word “that” is an adverbial conjunction, and describes why things are now being done in parables. This strengthens the argument given in the commentary on verse 11, that parables are always given to conceal and yet have something to reveal to those who recognize that Jesus is talking about the kingdom.
Verse 13 -
This verse illuminates another significant key to comprehending parables: understanding the parable of the sower is foundational for interpreting other parables by Jesus. In this context, the word "know" is rendered in Greek as οἶδα (oida), a term that extends beyond mere factual awareness. This Greek term encompasses a deeper sense of understanding and perception, more so than another common Greek term for knowledge, γινώσκω (ginōskō), which often refers to knowledge that comes from personal experience. The choice of οἶδα here underscores the importance of insightful, intellectual comprehension.
Therefore, grasping the implications of this parable is not just an intellectual exercise but a prerequisite for understanding the parables of Jesus. It serves as a hermeneutical key for unlocking the meanings of subsequent parables.
Sadly, it seems that most interpretation of Jesus ignores the two keys taught in verses 11 to 13. The typical interpretation has virtually nothing to do with the mystery of the Kingdom and almost always relates to the Christian life as we live it today in our non-Kingdom dispensation. This does harm both to our understanding of the Kingdom and our theology of the Christian life.
Verse 14 -
This verse, at first glance, seems straightforward, but warrants a deeper analysis. The term "word" mentioned here should not be misconstrued as referring to the Gospel message of grace. Such an interpretation would constitute eisegesis, imposing later theological frameworks onto the original context of the text. To properly understand what "word" is in view, it is instructive to connect it to Isaiah 6:9-10, where 'the word' signifies a divine message from God.
Isaiah 6:8 offers an additional clue, featuring the well-known query, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" E.W. Bullinger points out that this connects with Isaiah 40:3, describing John the Baptist as "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness." While not an explicit linkage, this offers an intriguing perspective. If the message is veiled within the parable—as the text suggests—then a plausible conjecture could be that the sower represents John the Baptist, and the seed symbolizes the announcement of the imminent arrival of the Kingdom.
In this interpretation of the parable, John the Baptist heralds a message—akin to a seed—that possesses the potential to bring forth the Kingdom, provided it finds fertile soil in the hearts of the people.
One might counter this interpretation by offering a more traditional view, where the sower is Jesus Himself, sowing the seeds of the Gospel. While this is a commonly held view, it is not only eisegesis, as we have mentioned, but will present tremendous problems to a Gospel without works, as we shall see.
This interpretation aligns well with the text's suggestion that parables conceal certain truths while revealing others. In this case, the parable conceals the identity of the sower and the exact nature of the seed, yet it reveals, at least to those who have "ears to hear," that the message concerns the impending Kingdom.
In light of these considerations, rejecting the conjecture that the sower could be John the Baptist limits the interpretive possibilities and may actually stymie a fuller understanding of the text. Given that the message is said to be "hidden" within the parable, the speculation about John the Baptist enriches our comprehension without definitively resolving the mystery, maintaining the text's inherent complexity.
Verses 15-19 -
These verses speak of the three groups that are represented by seed that never germinates or comes to harvest. There is the wayside individual in which the seed is snatched immediately by Satan. Then the stony ground individual looks promising at first, but quickly dies for lack of root. Next the thorny ground individual allows other matters to “choke the word” and thus never produce fruit.
It is unlikely that an early first-century Jew would have believed that the promised Kingdom would be offered to Israel and then rejected. It is even more improbable that they would have suspected that the leaders of Judaism would refuse to even consider the message. Therefore, this parable serves as a warning to the Galilleans that the acceptance of the Kingdom by Israel will not be as automatic as they may have assumed.
If we take the more traditional approach that the seed is the Gospel of salvation, then we end up on a "wild goose chase" of a question of whether or not these people were ever "saved" to begin with. The evangelical website GotQuestions presents the standard view:
To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” [1]
Notice that they have to introduce a “truly saved” category of the Christian life, with the implication that if you do not prove it, you are not saved. This is a works “gospel.”
Recall that this parable is crucial for understanding the mystery of the Kingdom and, consequently, the other parables (v. 13). Therefore, we can conclude that the Kingdom refers to the physical and future reign of the Messiah. The mystery of the Kingdom lies in the fact that the chosen nation would reject this Kingdom. This unfathomable idea was not explicitly revealed in Scripture, but it is concealed through this parable. While the Hebrew Scriptures do teach that the nation would reject the Messiah (i.e.: the King), it should be noted that the rejection of the King came prior to the rejection of the Kingdom, the offer of the Kingdom not being given until after the prophetic fulfillment of the resurrection of the King. This can be seen in the comparison of the words of John the Baptist (”the kingdom of God is at hand” —that is, approaching) and the words of Peter who declares that with repentance will result in “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19, see especially Young’s Literal Translation). The former presents an approaching Kingdom while the later presents an imminent reality, both requiring repentance.
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[[1]](#ftnref1) What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower?_ [https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sower.html](https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-sower.html). Accessed October 11, 2023.
