The Sower and the Seed...

A message from Jesus in the book of Mark.

The Sower and the Seed. Though we may sow seed everywhere we go, only some of it will spring forth and bear fruit. Sometimes, we think all people should receive God's word and be excited and accept it. This parable is a reminder to the sower and to the one who receives the message.

As a sower I am instructed to spread my message to all types of people along my path. Some will receive it and be fruitful and other's will appear to be fruitful for a little while. And still other's won't respond at all. Regardless of the outcome of my sowing, my job as a Christian is to just keep spreading the good news and let Jesus bring in His bounty crop.

As one who hears the Word I am also warned in this parable to not allow Satan or other earthly desires to choke out God from my life. The scorching sun, thorns and thistles, and Satan himself will be stumbling blocks in my walk with Jesus. I must cultivate my soil and bear good fruit.

Here is the parable from Mark 4:2-20.

Mar 4:2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching,
Mar 4:3 "Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;
Mar 4:4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Mar 4:5 "Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.
Mar 4:6 "And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7 "Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
Mar 4:8 "Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."
Mar 4:9 And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Mar 4:10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.
Mar 4:11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,
Mar 4:12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN."
Mar 4:13 And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
Mar 4:14 "The sower sows the word.
Mar 4:15 "These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
Mar 4:16 "In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;
Mar 4:17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.
Mar 4:18 "And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
Mar 4:19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Mar 4:20 "And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold."