Daily Bread Mark 4
Scripture
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some 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. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, 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."
Observation: Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables and then takes time to explain the parables to the disciples. Even with the interpretation the disciples are still slow to understand the parable’s meaning. In 3 out of the first four of these parables in the beginning of Mark 4, Jesus uses the analogy of a growing seed as analogous to growth in the kingdom.
Observation:
In each parable regarding the seeds there are obstacles to growth. Some of them are: the condition of the soil, the thorns, and the size of the seed. And later, by interpretation, Satan, the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth all act to snatch away the seed before it can take root. But in every case the seed (which represents God’s Word) grows in spite of the odds and obstacles.
So we can conclude that God’s Kingdom (His rule or reign) will grow in spite of the obstacles. In fact, in the parable of the growing seeds it shows that even when the farmer spreads the seed it grows night and day even unbeknownst to the farmer.
Application:
There is a passage in the bible that says that God’s Word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11) Meaning when God plants a seed it will grow to fruition. As we are faithful to sow God’s Word, God will be faithful to reap the harvest in those who come to believe through our preaching and teaching. As we are faithful to listen to, understand and apply God’s Word, there will be a harvest in our lives of 30, 60 even a hundred times. Meaning God will multiply our efforts way beyond ourselves. This is the abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10:10 when he told his disciples, “I have come to give you life and life to the full.”
But despite all these rich promises, the passage also warns us that there will be many obstacles to this kind of abundant life. Out of the four scenarios above, only one seed ends up re-producing and becoming what it was intended for. The other passages though give us the hope that God does much of the work. We see that the growth even happens during the night when the farmer is sleeping, and even the smallest seed can produce big things. This reminds us that with a little faith in a big God we can do amazing things in His name.
What kind of life are you living right now? Is it characterized by the seed that is reproducing itself? As someone once asked me, “If you watched a videotape of your life would it be one that you would want someone else to imitate”. The apostle Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ”. The small mustard seed and many other stories in the bible remind us that God uses things that are not necessarily great in the world’s eyes to do great things.
Ultimately the only thing up to us is to be good soil. Good soil that is receptive to God’s teaching and His Word, so that our roots will go deep and produce much fruit that will last eternally.
Prayer: God help me to be like that good soil that receives Your Word and multiplies itself many times over. Protect me from all the things that would threaten to sabotage the abundant life you want to produce in and through me for Jesus’ sake, Amen.
13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some 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. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, 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."
Observation: Jesus speaks to the crowds in parables and then takes time to explain the parables to the disciples. Even with the interpretation the disciples are still slow to understand the parable’s meaning. In 3 out of the first four of these parables in the beginning of Mark 4, Jesus uses the analogy of a growing seed as analogous to growth in the kingdom.
Observation:
In each parable regarding the seeds there are obstacles to growth. Some of them are: the condition of the soil, the thorns, and the size of the seed. And later, by interpretation, Satan, the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth all act to snatch away the seed before it can take root. But in every case the seed (which represents God’s Word) grows in spite of the odds and obstacles.
So we can conclude that God’s Kingdom (His rule or reign) will grow in spite of the obstacles. In fact, in the parable of the growing seeds it shows that even when the farmer spreads the seed it grows night and day even unbeknownst to the farmer.
Application:
There is a passage in the bible that says that God’s Word does not return void. (Isaiah 55:11) Meaning when God plants a seed it will grow to fruition. As we are faithful to sow God’s Word, God will be faithful to reap the harvest in those who come to believe through our preaching and teaching. As we are faithful to listen to, understand and apply God’s Word, there will be a harvest in our lives of 30, 60 even a hundred times. Meaning God will multiply our efforts way beyond ourselves. This is the abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10:10 when he told his disciples, “I have come to give you life and life to the full.”
But despite all these rich promises, the passage also warns us that there will be many obstacles to this kind of abundant life. Out of the four scenarios above, only one seed ends up re-producing and becoming what it was intended for. The other passages though give us the hope that God does much of the work. We see that the growth even happens during the night when the farmer is sleeping, and even the smallest seed can produce big things. This reminds us that with a little faith in a big God we can do amazing things in His name.
What kind of life are you living right now? Is it characterized by the seed that is reproducing itself? As someone once asked me, “If you watched a videotape of your life would it be one that you would want someone else to imitate”. The apostle Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ”. The small mustard seed and many other stories in the bible remind us that God uses things that are not necessarily great in the world’s eyes to do great things.
Ultimately the only thing up to us is to be good soil. Good soil that is receptive to God’s teaching and His Word, so that our roots will go deep and produce much fruit that will last eternally.
Prayer: God help me to be like that good soil that receives Your Word and multiplies itself many times over. Protect me from all the things that would threaten to sabotage the abundant life you want to produce in and through me for Jesus’ sake, Amen.
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