Vol. 1 Issue 22
Vol. 1 Issue 22
Capernaum -- Jesus of Nazareth, whom some call a prophet, has been widely recognized as a teacher by friend and foe alike. Even the scribes, Pharisees and leaders of the synagogue have called him rabbi. One striking thing about the rabbi is the way he teaches using things that happen and weaving these events into cryptic stories.
You may recall that last week we reported on four groups of people and what their reaction to Jesus has been. Shortly afterwards the rabbi told a story about a farmer who sowed some seeds, and he spoke of the soil that the seeds fell on and how the seeds grew. Many think that he was speaking of the four groups of people, but no one is quite sure. He told them "He who has ears to hear, let him hear (Mark 4:9 NIV)", but even his disciples weren’t sure what he meant.
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
"'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"
Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop -- thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:10-23 NIV)
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at gerrys@christianlight.com
Copyright © 1996 by Gerry Sturgeon, Indianapolis, Indiana
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.