Mark 4

The Parable of Christ Sowing Himself

1Again He began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:

When I read this, I see the symbolism of the gulf between man and his Creator, which started at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, then re-enforced at the Tower of Babel.

3“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

Jesus was sowing the Word right then, but nobody got it.

4And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

The path is the broad gate mentioned in Matthew 7:13. Birds in Scripture symbolize spirits, in this case, evil spirits.

5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

Since water has to enter a seed in order for it to sprout, this means the person had access to the pure, Living Water of the Word. The light of truth shone upon the person, exposing the fact that they did not count the cost of losing everything to follow Him. See Luke 14:25-33.

7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.

Thorns and briars growing in an area the Lord made desolate announced the judgment against useful plants (food, herbs, incense, and medicinal ones). The useful plants symbolized the Will and Word of God at work in our lives.

8And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Who prepared the good soil? Jesus gave the answer several times:

John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out.

Also see John 6:39, John 6:65, John 10:28, John 17:2, John 17:6, John 17:9

What are the increases? The levels of sacrifice He advances us through to bare fruits throughout our lives.

Now You All Sow Jesus Like He Did

10And when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parables. 11And He said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12so that

“they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.” [Isaiah 6:9-10]

Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love Me; And those who diligently seek Me will find Me.

John 7:37-38 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ [Isaiah 12:3, Isaiah 55:1, Isaiah 58:11]

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word.

He is telling them, “This is your job: to sow Me, the Living Word, into the hearts of men as you yourself grow in the understanding of My Father’s will.”

15And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

“Your greatest adversary is self—doubt, fear, hopelessness, worry, etc. Stay seeking My supernatural Word to guard yourself against self.”

16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.^a

“Endure in My Father’s Work on your lives as you obey Him, no matter what. He who overcomes will be rewarded.”

18And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

“Do not get caught up in the affairs and desires of this world, believing they are useful to spread Me to others. My Father is Yahweh-Yireh, the God Who provides; He will provide all that you need to spread Me.”

20But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

“See, I am preparing you for this work. Abide in Me and you will see the increase I work through you as you give Me to others.”

Behold, My Light and Oil

21And He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“Share Me with others. Tell them what I have done to you and through you. Show them My Word manifested in you by your deeds in My name.”

24And He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

“My Spirit, the oil for your lamps, will be given as a guide to you. Keep yourself lit (My Word in action through you) and filled (keep seeking My Father’s Will). If you hold back and hide (disobedience to His Will in your life), you shall lose what little you have.” See Matthew 25.

See Me Grow within You

26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

“I am the Kingdom of God’s ambassador, the Bread of Life, The Manna. You eat of Me and I place Myself in you, so I can grow in you, and you become Me. Men cannot comprehend His ways. Your spirit will slowly yield the fruits of the Spirit until you come to maturity, or death of self. Once the Will and Word has finished Their Work in you, you will come home (receive a glorified body so you can stand before the Creator).

See What You Will Produce by Me

30And He said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

“This is My Body, produced by the seed of faith I planted in each of you. See how large it will become! See how it will spread over my garden and footstool, the earth. See how the Holy Spirit (the birds making nests) will dwell within it.”

Jesus, please keep Your Word working through me as I share Your Will, Word, and Spirit with others. Amen.