Mark 4:10–20

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.”