June 2, 2024 NOTES NOT EDITED
The Story of Jesus According to
Mark
The Parable of Dirt
Mark 4:1-20
Jesus taught an entire parable about just that--The Parable of the Dirt.
We are going to look at that parable this morning.
First, a little textual background. In the first thirty-four verses of Mark, chapter 4, the word for “hearing” is used thirteen times. The first time is in Mark 4, verse 3. It begins with the imperative, “Listen.” The theme of “hearing the word” of God runs throughout the parable of the Sower and the Seed, and is repeated again in the following discussion about “putting light under a bushel basket.”
But, Mark is not simply discussing the physical ability for one’s ear to pick up sound. Often, when the Bible speaks about “hearing” the idea extends first to comprehension and then to “obedience.” Thus, “hearing the Word of God” is a Biblical expression for “obeying God’s commands.”
Obedience to God’s commands, throughout the Bible, is the key to both having God’s blessing and also sharing the blessings of God.
I’ve been reading through the Book of Leviticus, and these words in chapter represent an oft repeated theme, not only in Leviticus, but also throughout the Bible. Leviticus 26:3ff says,
“If you follow My statutes and faithfully observe My commands, 4 I
will give you rain at the right time, and the land will yield its produce, and
the trees of the field will bear their fruit.
Moses continues by contrasting the result of disobedience:
14 “But if you do not obey Me and observe all these commands— 15 if you reject My statutes and despise My ordinances, and do not observe all My commands—and break My covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring terror on you—wasting disease and fever that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away..
Moses had a bit more to say about the curse of disobedience, but I think you get the point.
Hearing and obeying God’s word will produce a great harvest of blessings both in and through one’s life. As we read the Parable of the Soils, notice the result of “hearing and obeying”—truly hearing—the Word of God brings “30, 60, or 100 fold” blessings.
READ: MARK 4:1-9
According to Jesus, this is the most important parable He ever spoke. Verse 13 makes that clear. This parable summarizes the entire “Gospel Story,” or story of redemption. It has four significant parts: A sower, seed, four different types of soil, and a promise of a great harvest. First, notice that
1. The Sower is ESSENTIAL. (v3) (“The Farmer sowed”)
Nothing happens in regard to salvation in any person’s life until someone in some way shares the story of God’s love. Paul emphasized this in Rom 10:
13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. z14 But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can
they believe without hearing about Him?
And how can they hear without a preacher?
Think about the gospel as taking a trip in the car. The first thing you have to do is start the car. That’s what sowing is: starting the car.
HUMOR: Starting the car is ESSENTIAL to any road trip, but it can sometime be difficult. I remember a wife calling her husband who was already at work one morning when she had to take a road trip for work. The husband was already very nervous about the trip because he knew his wife was a terrible driver. Anyway, she said to her husband, "The car won't start.” Then she added, “I think there’s water in the engine.” The husband replied, “How would you know if there was water in the engine. You can’t even find the engine.” The wife’s voice was cracking and she said again, “I’m telling you I think there is water in the engine.” The husband was frustrated but said, “OK. I’ll be right over. Where is the car parked?” The woman apologetically replied, “In the swimming pool.”
The gospel is powerful. But in order for the gospel’s power to be applied a “Sower is ESSENTIAL.” That’s where the process starts.
God has decreed and designed that the means by which one is saved is by hearing the gospel message from someone else. Now, that could be someone else preaching on the radio. That could be someone else giving out a gospel leaflet. The gospel could be communicated by any number of people in any number of ways – but the gospel has to be “sown” into the lives of others before it can take root and grow up into eternal salvation.
2. The Seed, that is God’s Word, is SUFFICIENT (v 14)
In the parable Jesus states clearly, the seed being sown is the Word of God. (Verse 14)
Make no mistake about this folks: the most powerful force ever to fall upon humanity is the Word of God.
For centuries tyrants have tried to wash away the Word of God in a flood of martyrs’s blood. Copies of the Word of burned. Secular scholars have tried to discredit it, and modern educators and politicians have tried to marginalize it. Legislators and law-makers have tried to outlaw it. Godless scientists scoff at it.
Yet, thousands of years have passed and the Bible is still the number one selling book in the world! Where the Bible is still being preached—lives are being transformed in great numbers, even in Muslim countries where preaching the Bible can result in a death sentence.
Notice something about the preaching of Jesus in verse 1:
4 Again He began to
teach by the sea, and a very large
crowd gathered around Him.
Everywhere Jesus went His message
and ministry drew huge crowds. Here, it
says the crowds a “very large.” Listen
to what Mark said just a few verses ago in chapter three—just months, maybe
even days before: 7 and a large
crowd followed
Notice the change in the adjective,
“large.” An adjective has three
degrees, the regular degree, such as “large,” the comparative degree
such as, “larger,” and the superlative degree, “largest.”
The Word of God is absolutely SUFFICIENT to accomplish everything God wants to accomplish. Even centuries before Isaiah, the great prophet, recognized the ALL SUFFICIENT power of the Word of God:
Isaiah 55:11 so My word that comes from My mouth will not returnto Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it ⌊to do⌋.
The Word of God has been accomplishing supernatural feats ever since the Bible says, “3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Everything that is or will ever be has come about or will come about as a result of God’s Word. The Bible you hold in your hand is of the same substance and measure as the Word God used to speak the universe into existence.
So many churches trust in clever programming and Christian entertainment to draw a crowd. But, Jesus drew the crowds with His Word. The Parable makes it clear that the essence of the gospel—the very seed of salvation—is the Word of God, the Bible.
3. The Soil is ELEMENTARY (14-20)
By elementary, I mean that the nature of the soil is the key to everything in regard to the story of redemption. The sower, or preacher, is indeed essential in the gospel story. The preacher is so essential to the gospel story that this story is usually called the Parable of the Sower. Yet, the sower is mentioned only twice, and only as an introduction to the telling of the parable, and then again in the introduction to the explanation of the parable. The word for “seed” does not even exist in the entire parable. The seed is assumed to be what the “sower sowed” because that’s what “sower’s sow.
The real issue in this parable are the four types of soil—especially the fourth type of soil, or the “good soil.”
William Barclay, the pastor—scholar, outlined the key to understanding a parable when he highlighted the difference between an allegory and a parable. He points out, and rightfully so, that an allegory is a story that is intended to be dissected in writing. In an allegory, there are many types and symbols. Each element in an allegory has a one-to-one relationship with something in the real world. Many of us read Animal House when we were in high school and college. Animal Farm is an allegory describing the turmoil in Russia leading up to WWII with the uprising against Moscow controlled by, Joseph Stalin. The White Boar, Old Major, for example was an allegory for Karl Marx, and the Berkshire Boar, or pig, was an allegorical description of Joseph Stalin. The various other farmyard animals likewise represented major players in the rebellion against Stalin.
But, a parable is different from an allegory in many ways. For one, parables were intended to be simple spoken stories with one primary lesson. William Barclay taught that to understand a parable in the Bible one must ask, “What one idea would flash into a person’s mind when he or she heard the story for the first time?”
Indeed, there may be more than one application that could be made from a parable, but there is only one over-riding lesson that should form the basis for all applications. One must be careful not to give an allegorical, one-to-one interpretation for every element in a parable.
What is the single, over-riding lesson that would have “flashed into the minds of those hearing this parable for the first time?” The bulk of the parable—the heart so to speak—relates to the “four types of soil or dirt.” In fact, the real meat of the story is what happens with the fourth type of soil, or the good soil. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, let’s look as the three types of soil that did NOT result in growth from the seed.
(1) The Seed sowed on the path (15)
(NIV84) 15 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.
Before the Word of God even has a chance to take hold in a person’s life, Satan comes along and “snatches it away.” In Matthew’s account Satan is represented by “evil birds.” Make no mistake about this my friend: Satan will do everything he can do to keep the Word of God from taking root in a person’s life. He knows He must act quickly (hence, the word, “immediately”).
Satan’s most effective strategy is to “harden” a person’s heart against the truth of God’s Word. He does this in any number of ways. He can harden a person’s heart by letting them be successful, living in comfort and ease. There simply is no consideration to one’s personal need to repent of one’s sin. Satan can harden a person’s heart by “breeding an innocuous familiarity” with the things of God. He will lead a person to “attach” himself or herself with a church that will allow them to think that sitting in a pew, or even giving some money, is all that Christianity is about. There are even some who are members of this church, but they have no tenderness toward the things of God. Still, Satan will sometimes harden a heart through despair and discouragement. Satan will get a person to “blame” God for the misfortunes of life. Some seeds fell on the hard path.
(2) And some fell on “rocky soil v 16-17
(NIV84) 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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.
Rocky soil here probably does not mean a field with rocks in it. Seeds can grow fine between rocks, if the soil between the rocks is good. This probably refers to the type “shallow” soil that is found in parts of Palestine. There is a rock shale just inches beneath the surface. The soil covers the rock shale, but it is not deep enough to support long term growth. Life springs forth from the seed, but at the first sign of trouble, or call for deeper commitment, the fledgling plant dies. How often I’ve seen people come forward in a moment of emotion and then, in just a matter of days, perhaps weeks, they are right back to the life they were leading before the emotional moment.
(3) And some fell among thorns v 18-19
(NIV84) 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 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.
These seeds are much like the ones on the rocky soil. They start to take root, but then the ways of the world choke out any spiritual growth. One thorn specifically mentioned is “worries.” People hear the Word of God, but they don’t “hear with faith.” They trust in their circumstances more than in the Savior, and the cares of life snuff out any spiritual growth. Another thorn mentioned is “wealth.” You can interpret this broadly as “stuff.” People love their “stuff” more than they love God. Yet another thorn is “
One writer refers to this kind of heart as, “The Preoccupied Heart.” This is the life so filled up with “other stuff and other attitudes” there is no room for God. In fact, the Word calls these thorns, “desires for other things.” The word desire is the same word for sexual desire or a desire for food. Thorny hearts allow “other things” to take the place of God.
All three of these soils represent people who have been exposed to the truth of God’s Word but did not respond with heart-felt, passionate, persevering obedience. They are like race horses who never get out of the gate. They show up to the race, but it ends for them even before it gets started.
Wow! That’s depressing! But that’s the point. That’s the reaction that Jesus intended in speaking this parable. That is the “setting” of this story, but it is not the “diamond.” The part of the story that gives this parable is single, over-riding meaning is the statement in verse 20. This is the “whole enchilada” as they say in – well, I’m not sure where they say that –
20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times ⌊what was sown⌋.”
4. Good Soil: A Great Harvest is INEVITABLE (20)
(NIV84) 20 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.”
Here’s the major teaching of this parable condensed down to its most basic lesson: hearing and obeying the Word of God results in a great harvest.”
Regardless of whatever else might be gleaned as applicable to the Christian life from this parable, one lesson overrides all others: hearing and obeying the Word of God results in great blessings for believers and through believers.
This is the one lesson that would grab hold of any audience and move them to faith in God. This verse is to the parable what “bang” is to “dynamite!”
Hearing and obeying the Word of God will not only bring you great blessings, but it will make you a great blessing to others!
Too many Christians never bear much
fruit for Jesus because they are “deaf to His Word.” They can’t, or
won’t “hear it and obey.”
You know, some
scientific experiments are rather cruel, but still can teach us
much. “ One scientist conducted an experiment with a frog. He sets the frog
down and shouts, "Jump, frog." The frog jumps ten feet. The scientist
writes down, FROG JUMPS 10 FEET. Then the scientist removes one of the
frogs' legs and says, "Jump, frog." and the frog jumps five feet. The
scientist writes CUT OFF ONE FOOT, FROG JUMPS 5 FEET. Then he removes
another leg and says, "Jump." and the frog jumps two feet. The
scientist writes down CUT OFF TWO LEGS, FROG JUMPS TWO FEET. Then he
cuts off all the frogs' legs and says, "Jump." and the frog just lies
there. The scientist writes down the conclusions of the test: CUTTING OFF ALL THE FROGS' LEGS
MAKES THE SUBJECT GO DEAF.”
Judging by how high and far most of us “jump for Jesus,” I’d conclude “deafness is a real problem in churches.”
The key to “Biblical hearing” is “obedience.” Faithful, enthusiastic, sacrificial devotion to Jesus Christ as the Lord of Life is what the gospel story is all about.
To say more simply: If the soil of your heart is obedient, a fruitful life for Christ will be evident.
CONCLUSION: Today would be a very good day to do a “soil check.” Ask yourself a few questions. 1. Has your life become a path so hardened to God’s Word that the seed lays on the surface until it is quickly snatched away by the Devil? 2. Is the soil of your life simply a shallow, charade of a Christian life without any real evidence God has indwelled you? 3. Is your life so full of the trials and trinkets of this world that there simply is no room for God? Make a commitment that from this day forward you are going to be “good soil bringing forth 30, 60, or 100 fold” blessings in and through your life.
Be “Good Dirt!”
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