Chapter 4

Read Mark 4:1-34, Jesus teaches in parables

I love parables as a teaching tool. I have also heard that teaching style called “word pictures”. The concept is to tell a story in a framework that those who are listening can easily understand. For example, if I said to you the phrase “a total blue sky” you could easily picture a beautiful cloudless day. The story is a real-world example, but the teaching is a spiritual truth parallel.

The area they were in is an agricultural area very acquainted with sowing and reaping crops. In this setting, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower in 4:1-20. In verse 3 He gives the crowd a picture they are very familiar with. A farmer walking along with a seed bag over his shoulder, reaching into the bag for a handful of seed and then scattering on his field. In their lives they have become aware of the reasons mentioned that affect the crop; birds, bad soil and good soil. And then Jesus leaves them to think about it in verse 9…

 ⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

That is one of my favorite Bible sayings. We all have ears, but do we hear just words or do we hear the meaning? The disciples asked a question that Jesus gave an interesting answer to in verses 10-12 where He quotes Isaiah 6:9-10…

¹⁰ When He was alone, the Twelve and the others around Him asked Him about the parables. ¹¹ 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 ¹² so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
 and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!

I find that statement confusing, but interesting. Verse 13 helps me know the disciples were also confused…

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?

And then He goes on to interpret the parable in verses 14-20. What is being sown is the Word. Some gets snatched away by Satan as he creates disbelief, some hear the Word and get excited by it but in the sallowness of their faith it dies, others are described in verse 19…

¹⁹ 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.

But the good news is the Word planted in “good soil” produces a crop much greater than itself.

Verses 21-25 are another example of a word picture. We can all understand if we place a lamp under something the light will not shine in the room. He is asking if our life shines His light or do we keep it concealed? He adds those testing words, if anyone has ears to hear, let them hear. 

Then in verses 30-32 Jesus uses a mustard seed, another common thing in their world, to describe how the Kingdom of God grows. Once planted it will become mighty.

Read Mark 4:35-41, the Calming of the Storm

When evening came Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side”. So, they all got in the boat and Jesus “chooses” to lay down and go to sleep. Jesus knew what was going to happen and He set up a teaching moment. 

Picture yourself as one of the disciples. These guys were professional fishermen. They had been in many storms on the lake. Verse 37 says, “A furious squall came up”. It must have been terrible. They panicked and then saw Jesus sleeping. Full of fear when they wake up Jesus they ask, “Don’t you care if we drowned”. I bet you could cut the tension with a knife.

Then I imagine Jesus calmly standing up and saying in a powerful voice in verses 39-40…

³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Can you picture the scene? The twelve afraid they were going to die, and Jesus calmly says, “Quiet! Be still!” and everything is calm. That sets up the teaching moment when He asks them, “Do you still have no faith?”. That scene brings great depth to verse 41…

⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!”

Their words show you they still don’t understand who Jesus was. He was not just a prophet bringing God’s truth to His people. He was God! Take a minute and let that scene sink in.