Dwell in the Word Mark 4:1-9

Consider these questions as we dwell in Mark 4:1-9:

1. How does the title "Parable of the Sower" potentially shift our focus from the true emphasis of the parable, which is on the different types of soil? Why is understanding the nature of the soil crucial to grasping the message of this parable?

2. What does the parable teach us about the role of the Holy Spirit in producing good soil within us? How does faith grow and flourish in the hearts of believers according to this parable?

3. In light of Jesus' call for us to scatter the seed of God's word, how can we practically and effectively share the gospel with others? How can we trust in God's sovereign work to bring about growth and transformation in the hearts of those who hear the message?

Transcript:

Today we land in the parable of the Sower. Now that's kind of an interesting title that's not in the text that is added later on. It doesn't have those headings, as you know, above the scripture to tell us that this is a parable of the sower. But that's what we know it as. And that's really kind of an interesting title when we stop and think about it though, isn't it?

 Because really, do we know much about the sower other than that he scattered the seed? Isn't this more a parable of the ground, something to think about? And really when we read it, that is what we focus on. Now, back when Jesus was giving this parable, the way that they would sow the seed is they would scatter it everywhere and then they would go through and plow the grain over in hopes that it would go down and go deep into the good soil and take root and grow. Well, you can see here from the way Jesus tells his parable, the different things that could happen and they just make logical sense.

 If it's on the path, it's ground that's padded down, the birds can come and pick it up. If it's rocky, you're going to get there with the plow and maybe you can get a shallow depth of the seed in, but really it's not going to be able to take root because there is rock there. There was not much soil, as Jesus said, so it springs up, but it has no depth of soil, and it dies. The sun scorches it, it withers away and then we see that other seed falls among the thorns and the thorns overwhelm it. But then there is the good soil.

 Those seeds fall there and the plow comes through and tills it down and the seeds are able to take root and to grow. And then what happens? It says that they increase and they yield 30 fold, 60 fold and 100 fold. Imagine a crop that yields to that degree. We would probably be happy with a tenfold or a 15 fold crop.

 But Jesus is saying that this good soil yields 30, 61 hundredfold. And so what is Jesus saying here? Well, that the good soil is where the Word actually takes root, where the Spirit is at work. The reason that we are good soil is not because, hey, we're great soil, we're smarter, we're better, we're better people. It's because the Spirit has been at work in us to create faith in us.

 And so we heard the Word when it was scattered to us and we believed by faith and we grew in that. And so now as we continue to grow, we will yield thirtyfold, 60 fold, one hundredfold. We will care for others, we will share the Word ourselves. And so may we grow, may we grow in faith because we have the good soil. And may we be willing to scatter the seed ourselves, trusting that it will land where God intends it to land.

 And he will, by his word and Spirit, help it to continue to grow. And notice how Jesus ends this passage. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He's saying that those who have the ears to understand this, let them not only hear this, but may they believe it, may they live it out, may they apply this. And so let's think about this for us.

 As I already mentioned, we should be scattering the seed of God's word, trusting that God will take it and he will till up the soil, and the seeds that are going to take root will take root, and he will cause it to grow. And so may we be unashamed to proclaim the gospel may we have boldness to proclaim the gospel that those who have ears to hear will hear and come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.