seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Mark 4:1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 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. 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. 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. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
a. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10
This is from bible-studys.org.
Jesus extends His influence by His teaching.
This parable depicts the teaching of the gospel throughout the world and the various responses of people to it. Some will reject it; some will accept it for a brief time but then fall away; yet some will believe and will lead others to believe.
Jesus interprets the parable. The four soils represent four kinds of people who hear the gospel.
(1) Unresponsive people, “they by the way side,” fail to respond to the seed or “work” (gospel) sown, so “Satan” quickly removes it lest they be saved (Luke 8:12).
(2) Impulsive people, the “stony ground,” are those who “immediately receive”, the gospel, but not counting the cost, “have no root” (spiritual reality), “in themselves”. They believe for a while (Luke 8:13), but soon are “offended” (verse 17; defect from the truth), because of persecution”. Their rejection of the gospel is as speedy as their reception of it.
(3) Preoccupied people, those “among thorns,” allow legitimate matters (“cares of this world”), and illegitimate matters (“deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things”), to take priority over the gospel, and
(4) Some people, “good ground, hear” and “receive” (take to heart), the gospel, which bears the fruits of faith, obedience, and fidelity in them.
Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower, who is in fact Jesus Himself (Matt. 13:37), and anyone who proclaims the gospel.
“Candle” refers to a small lamp. Jesus’ point, seems to be that God’s in-breaking kingdom, which it is Jesus’ task to reveal in God’s time, must for now be partially hidden. But the time will come when it is gloriously revealed.
This may be paraphrased: “Give careful attention to what you hear. For according to the proportion of study given God’s Word, a corresponding amount of knowledge will be given you, and generously multiplied at that.”
The point is that God’s truth, instead of being divinely hidden from man, will be understood in proportion to one’s attention to and study of it.
The central truth here is: Although God’s work in Jesus currently is very small, apparently insignificant, and making little visible headway, His kingdom will grow eventually worldwide and have global impact.
This is a summary statement. Jesus’ indirect method of teaching created interest and summoned to decision, while yet leaving time to reflect and decide. The parables are at once both a sort of judgment on the hearers’ spiritual dullness and an expression of God’s active willingness to enlighten and save.
This is from the easy English site.You hardly believe me at all! There is no reason for you to be so afraid Jesus had been so busy all day that he needed rest away from the crowds. The ‘other side’ means the east side of the lake.
Jesus had taught from a boat. The words ‘exactly as he was’ probably mean that Jesus did not leave that boat. The detail about the ‘other boats’ is in Mark’s Gospel only.
The lake is below sea level and there are mountains on both sides of it. The wind can rush down the valley without warning. And it can make the lake very dangerous. Some of the disciples used to catch fish and so they knew about these sudden storms. They knew how easily the boat might sink. Then they would drown.
Jesus was so tired that he was asleep. He was not even aware of the storm until the frightened disciples woke him.
Jesus gave orders that immediately brought calmness to the lake. The writer of the Psalms says that God makes the stormy sea calm (Psalm 89:9; 107:28-29). Jesus had shown his authority over nature in the same way as God who created everything. Jesus said that his disciples ‘still’ did not seem to believe at all. He was sad. They had heard so much that he had said. And they had seen so many things that he had done. But they were still not able to trust him.
OK... the story about the boat.... When Jesus says.... "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" ..... I wonder what demeanor He used. Was He growling, like impatient? Was He giggling, like He was tickled with the stupid humans? Wast He perturbed, like they should have done it themselves? Was He nonchalant, like barking at the weather should be an everyday occurrence? Just what intonation did Jesus apply when He barked at the clouds and then talked to the disciples? Surely the Messiah didn't wake up angry! Or.... was He sad because the stupid human disciples were so trapped in the human mindset they just couldn't understand that He was really God's Son. He only had a short time to get those disciples up to speed. Pretty soon everyone who wants it can have eternal life..... and I bet eternal life comes with some upgrades.On a couple of occasions in my life... I resulted to door to door sales to increase our income. My dad sold Rena Ware Cookware for some time and he was quite good at it.... but I'm not very good at it.... ANYWAY.... one of the things I was told in both jobs.... the more people who see the "program" the more who will buy it. If the "program" sits gathering dust it won't sell itself. Amway infested one church I attended. The parable of the seeds is like that Amway program.... some people got in early, understood it, and they are still using it today.... some bought in right away.... and then realized they didn't like it.... and the kit collected dust forever..... some people never got it and weren't interested. In that particular church, Amway had saturated the church so much, it split up. People got in fights over the "spirituality" of the sales pitches that built the group.
If everyone who heard the Amway pitch..... and everyone bought it.... and everyone stuck too it.... and everyone excluded every other product.... and if everyone used it so exclusively that the other products started to loose their sales........... the owner of the company selling the other product would do something to stop the Amway products..... and if everyone heard the real story of the Bible..... what would Satan do if everyone started believing?
I believe Jesus was there when the lake was sculpted into the mountains. I believe Jesus would have discussed the probable storms that landscape would cause. I believe God knows everything before it happens [along with what decisions we make and how it affects the outcome] and so it would be natural for God and His Son discussed the particular day when Jesus had to bark at the waves.... wait... did He have to bark at the waves.... He just said "Be Quiet". Which makes me wonder..... when Jesus told the waves to be quiet.... did He think about the talks They had and smile to Himself.
Stupid humans are not all going to believe that Jesus could talk to storms and storms would obey Him. Those who would believe it are the ones who will enjoy an eternal life. If I can believe that a man can talk to the wind and the waves and they will obey Him.... I can open my mind up enough to realize that anything is possible...... even eternal life.
