Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

4Again ^qHe began to teach ^rby the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. ²He taught them many things in parables, ^sand in His teaching ^tHe said to them: ³“Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow. ^u4As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, ^vand the birds came and ate ^wit up. ⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away, ^xsince it didn’t have deep soil. ⁶When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered. ^y7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. ⁸Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased ^z30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.” ^a9Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!” ^b

Why Jesus Used Parables

¹⁰When He was alone with the Twelve, ^cthose who were around Him asked Him about the parables. ^d11He answered them, “The ^•secret ^eof the kingdom of God ^fhas been given to you, but to those outside, ^geverything comes in parables ¹²so that

they may look and look,

yet not perceive;

they may listen and listen,

yet not understand; ^h

otherwise, they might turn back—

and be forgiven.” ^ijk

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹³Then ^lHe said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? ^mHow then will you understand any of the parables? ¹⁴The sower sows ⁿthe word. ^o15These ^pare the ones along the path ^qwhere the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan ^rcomes and takes away the word ^ssown in them. ^t16And these are ^uthe ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. ^v17But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure ^wor persecution comes because of the word, they immediately ^•stumble. ^x18Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹but the worries ^yof this age, ^zthe seduction ^abof wealth, ^cand the desires ^dfor other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ^e20But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, ^fwelcome it, and produce a crop: ^g30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”

Using Your Light

²¹He ^halso said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? ⁱIsn’t it to be put on a lampstand? ^j22For nothing is concealed except to be revealed, ^kand nothing hidden except to come to light. ²³If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!” ^l24Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure ^myou use, ^noit will be measured and added ^pto you. ²⁵For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” ^q

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶“The kingdom of God ^ris like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; ²⁷he sleeps ^sand rises ^t—night ^uand day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. ²⁸The soil produces a crop ^vby itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain ^won the head. ²⁹But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle, ^xbecause the harvest ^yhas come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰And ^zHe said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God, ^aor what parable ^bcan we use to describe it? ³¹It’s like a mustard seed ^cthat, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. ³²And when sown, ^dit comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables, ^eand produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky ^fcan nest in its shade.”

Using Parables

³³He would speak the word ^gto them with many parables ^hlike these, as they were able to understand. ⁱ³⁴And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples. ^j

Wind and Wave Obey the Master

³⁵On ^kthat day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” ³⁶So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. ³⁷A fierce windstorm ^larose, and the waves ^mwere breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸But He was in the stern, sleeping ⁿon the cushion. So they woke Him up ^oand said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?” ^p

³⁹He got up, rebuked ^qthe wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! ^rBe still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful? ^sDo you still have no faith?”

⁴¹And they were terrified ^tand asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey ^uHim!” ^v