Mark
Copyright © 2008 Darroll Evans
CHAPTER 4
Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side:
and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a
ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
Again, Jesus began to teach
by the seashore. There is no special
meaning in that. The sea was near, many
of His followers were seamen by trade, and so it would be natural for Christ to
use the sea as a setting for His “classroom.”
A large crowd gathered, and
so He went on board a local boat. Christ was on the ship and the crowd was on
the shore.
Mark 4:2-9
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his
doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of
the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately
it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it
withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it
yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and
increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Christ Jesus taught using
parables.
As he explained His doctrine,
He said, “Behold, a Sower went out to sow”
In this day, many have perverted
the gospel message in that they have pretended that giving money is a form of
sowing “seed.” Such a teaching is
anti-biblical, but it keeps today’s fat cats fat!
As the Sower
sowed, some of the seed fell by the way side. The birds came and devoured it.
Some of the seeds fell on
stony ground. There it had not much earth, nourishing foundation. Immediately
it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth, it was scorched by the sun, and
withered.
Other seeds fell among
thorns. The thorns overwhelmed and choked the resulting plant and it yielded no
fruit.
Yet other seed fell on good
ground. Those seeds yield fruit. Some brought forth thirty, and some sixty, and
some a hundred times.
Jesus closed the teaching by
saying, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Biblical “hearing” demands a
positive response. None may hear unless
the teaching, Christ is both the Teacher and the true teaching.
Mark 4:10-12
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the
kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in
parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and
not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins
should be forgiven them.
At that, the Apostles asked
Him about the parable.
Jesus said, “To you it is
given to know the mystery of the
Christ Jesus taught using
parables so that the Jews of His day would not understand and not be converted,
and their sins should not be forgiven them.
It was not their time.
Many attempt to use their
personal “free will” to come to Christ out of season. That fallacy is taught among many Churches
today.
Mark 4:13-20|
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and
how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the
word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they
have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away
the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with
gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward,
when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts
of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh
unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground;
such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold,
some sixty, and some an hundred.
Jesus told the disciples.
“Don’t you all see {the point of} this parable? And, if not how will you all
understand all the parables?”
Jesus stated bluntly, “The Sower sows the word.”
Many of today’s preachers are
either biblically ignorant or liars! The
seed is the word of God! It is not now,
nor has it ever been money!
He continued, “And, these are
they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan
came immediately, and took away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
That is a sad commentary, but
clearly true. Many have fallen away,
because Satan has stolen what was planted.
That is his job!
John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come
that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus continued his
explanation, “These are they likewise which are sown
on stony ground. When they have heard the word, immediately they receive it
with gladness. However, they have no
root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution arises, for the word's sake, immediately they are offended (Gr. skandalizontai-skandalizontai), or enticed to sin, or become apostate.
Then, Jesus explained the
third group, “And, these are the ones which are sown among thorns. They hear the word, but the cares of this
world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things enters them, and chokes the word, and it becomes
unfruitful.”
This group too is unfruitful,
because they are swept up by the carnal nature.
The carnal nature can choke the word and cause many terrible things.
Gal 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
The carnal nature results in
works of the flesh!
At last, we get to the seed
sown on good ground. Jesus said, “They
hear the word, and receive it, and it brings forth fruit. Some of this seed bring forth thirtyfold,
some sixty, and some a hundred.
Mark 4:21-23
21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be
put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set
on a candlestick?
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be
manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but
that it should come abroad.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Then, Christ asked, “Is a
candle purchased in order to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and, not to
be set on a candlestick?”
You (as Christians) are now
the light to the world.
Matt 5:14a Ye are the light of the world.
You have been purchased by
means of His blood.
1 Cor 6:20a For ye are bought with a
price:
Christ Jesus did not buy your
freedom just to hide you away in a corner.
He told them, “For there is
nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any
thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.”
All shall be manifest, come
to light!
Then He said, “If any man has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
Again, biblical hearing
demands a positive response!
Mark 4:24-25
24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it
shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he
that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
Then Jesus warned the group,
“Pay attention to what you hear! With whatever measure you all give out, that
amount shall be measured back to you. And, to you that hear, more shall be
given. Because, to him that has,
more shall be given. However, from him that has not, what little he has shall
be taken away.”
Mark 4:26-34
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the
ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and
grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth
forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn
in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth
in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is
less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth
out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of
it.
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto
them, as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and
when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
Jesus also said, “So is the
Then He said, “To what shall
we liken the
With many such parables Jesus spoke
the word of God to them. In fact, He used as many as His followers were able to
hear. But, He did not speak to them
without a parable. When they, His disciples, were alone, He explained all
things to them.
Mark 4:35-41
35 And the same day, when the even
was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto
the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in
the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so
that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they
awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not
that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What
manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
When evening had come on than same day, Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the other
side.”
When they sent the multitude
away, they took him to a ship. There were also other small ships around. As
they crossed the lake, a great storm arose. The waves beat onto the ship, so
that it was now full.
Jesus was asleep in the aft
section of the ship. They awakened Him, and say, “Master, don’t you care that
we are about to perish?”
At that he arose, rebuked the wind,
and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”
The wind ceased, and there
was a great calm!
Then Jesus asked, “Why are
you all so fearful? Don’t you all have
faith?”
They were exceedingly fearful
and said to each another, “What manner of man is this, that even the wind and
the sea obey him?”
If you think that Christ
Jesus calmed the storm to help the Apostles you are correct in only one sense!
What He did was to tell the
storms within our lives to “be at peace, be still!”
You shall face inner storms
during this lifetime, but why fret and worry about them? Be still!
Be at peace! Fear not!
Christ has met the storms of
life and defeated them!
Do you trust Christ? Then, why do you live in turmoil?