"Preparing the Soil" (Mark 4:1-20)

The two big areas of interpretation in this text are:

(1) Why Jesus spoke in parables, and what response was he seeking?

(2) What can we learn through the parable of the sower, seeds and soil?

(1) Again there was a large crowd following Jesus. We know from the incidents of healing earlier in this gospel, that some people understood the significance behind the healings, but other people were just following Jesus (as a miracle-worker) for what they could get. Some people were open to God working in their lives, while others were closed off … only having their own agendas. Everything about what God was doing in Jesus was not going to be spelled out in complete detail, but sufficient information would be made available for those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear. This is because people needed to be able to come to faith (an active belief) in Jesus (and in what God was really doing), not just follow a crowd because this seemed a popular thing to do. This is part of entering a relationship by choice, rather than being compelled into relationship because there is obviously no other choice.

So God presents himself in Jesus – a graceful, positive, hopeful, forgiving identity; and asks the question will you enter relationship with me! A crowd gathers because of what Jesus has physically achieved in the lives of many, yet will they commit their lives to the Jesus cause! Will they enter the boat on the sea (which represents Jesus on mission) or will they stay on the land (as they are)? So Jesus says, “Listen” – which doesn’t mean listen a little while you’re still reading the paper or eating a meal, it means really listen … give complete attention to this! At the conclusion of the first parable (verse 9) Jesus says, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen” – meaning … really take this teaching on board, reflect on it, see how it applies to you. It also suggests that there are many who apparently have ears but act as if they haven’t, or can actually hear but act as if they are completely deaf.

God is always turning his mind to us, but we have to be prepared to turn a concentrated listening ear, preferably both ears, back to God. In his own time, Jesus will speak clearly to those who have gathered around him, but to the crowds, he will speak in parables. They will have to be open and humble and ready enough, especially in the area of self-examination, before the light will dawn for them. When these turn for forgiveness, they will have really discovered the depth and purpose of God’s grace, and not just take this casually. Yet, from this first parable itself, we learn that God the “sower” sows generously, and all people should get a fair opportunity to respond affirmatively.

But with Jesus speaking in parables, there is the further chance that even the disciples and those closest to Jesus won’t get them either. This again shows the human side of the disciples which later causes them to misunderstand, become afraid and flee. Even those closest to Jesus can miss the point at times, and have to have things quietly explained to them. Jesus again shows his patience at this point, and takes time to explain to his disciples the meaning of this the first parable in Mark’s gospel. Then the disciples and all later readers will have to spend their own time searching out for meaning and applications. Following Jesus is a very active campaign, always seeking for more truth, and a closer walk with him. Jesus spoke in parables so that people would make very obvious choices for themselves, either for him or against him. Were they insiders or outsiders?

Being able to respond to a parable with understanding will define those who are really followers of Jesus! In the case of the so-called ‘parable of the sower’ it will be people’s readiness to see themselves in the various ‘soils’ that will determine we’re they’re at!!

(2) Because of the explanation offered in verses 14-20, it is very easy for us to understand and apply the parable in verses 3-8. However if we were there listening to Jesus speaking from the boat, would we have easily understood it and saw ourselves in it? I guess it would have been easier if we had agricultural minds – if Jesus wanted to make the same point now he would have used different images … maybe the umpire bouncing the ball at the “G” and how hard or not the players went after it … or maybe the coaches instructions and how well or not the players followed these.

As it happens we have the inherent difficulties experienced by the Galilean farmer used to describe the difficulties of faith in the early church: temptation, persecution and worldly interests. God or Jesus as the “Sower” throws out liberally the seeds of the gospel message. There are no ‘bad seeds’, just good seeds, and a benevolent ‘Sower’, thus any problems derive from the environment or the soil.

We have these various surfaces that the seeds land on: the path, the rocky ground, the thorn-infested place, and finally the good rich soil. What do these represent???
· Our lives … and how we respond to the gospel message!!! What sort of soil do we bring to Jesus? Has this soil been adequately prepared to receive all of what Jesus has to give us (for the long haul of life)?

The “path” (v.4, 15) would be that part of the land that has been set aside for walking on to get around the garden. It has become hard and unsuitable for plants. In my new front landscaping this path is made of ‘Tuscan stone’, pavers and concrete. It has not at all been designed for flourishing plants. The good soil for plant growth is elsewhere. Any seeds that land on this path are just food for the passing birds, because there is no hope that the seeds will penetrate the hard exterior.

There are people who are completely closed off to the Word of God, either feeling content in the way they are (and not realistic enough to know their own need), or so hurt that they can’t trust anyone or anything outside themselves. The first of these is so regrettable, and the second … so tragic – because the ‘seed’ of God’s Word escapes them.

We ourselves should be careful that our discipleship doesn’t wander from the garden of good soil onto a dead ‘path’, and we miss out on all the new blessings God wants to bring us. Responding to Jesus is not a one off act, but rather a continuing journey – a journey that can involve all sorts of surprises [like the plants that spring up in the ‘good soil’ that you never even knew had been planted].

It’s a pretty tough call (in Mark’s gospel) that those who have initially responded to Jesus positively, but have then refused to be involved with producing fruit, are being numbered alongside the “outsiders” who (because of their outright rejection of Jesus) are missing “the secret of the Kingdom” – but that indeed leads us to the “rocky ground”.

The “rocky ground” (v.5-6, 16-17) is also not conducive to good plant growth. The seed falls there and finds some shallow soil … and does spring up into life just a little, but doesn’t really take root, so that when difficult climatic conditions occur (like scorching sun), it can’t survive and withers away.

These are people who like what they hear in the gospel message, and even seem to take it on board and make a commitment to it, yet really they are only playing games, perhaps saying the words they think others want to hear! They want the good bits of the gospel message like salvation and personal forgiveness, but are not prepared to embrace the implications of following Jesus. This is too inconvenient, or too much change is required, or, just like the rich young ruler (that spoke to Jesus), there is too much to have to give up.

So when things get tough in life (for whatever reason), their faith in Jesus and God’s Word is too shallow or has not taken root well enough, and they fall away, with the inevitable result of faith and life withering and dying. Persecution was a reality for Mark’s Christian community in Rome around 70CE. The notion of the ‘seed’ falling on “rocky ground” was a real challenge to them about how deeply their faith was ‘rooted’, and whether they would stand against all the trials they were experiencing.

When I read about the thorn-infested areas (in v.7, 18-19), I think of those rambling blackberry bushes that for a few weeks each year might produce some good berries, but actually accessing and picking them is a bit of a nightmare. Your hands get scratched, and the thorns reach out and grab your clothes! The rest of the year they are just useless weedy ugliness, where no other plants have space to take root and grow.

Here there is certainly the potential for productive soil, but the actual presence of these ‘thorn-bushes’ [resist or] defy any such potential. They represent all those things that get in the way of fulfilling life, those distractions that separate us from God and God’s purposes for our lives. We might like to start thinking about what those would be for ourselves! What are the thorn-bushes in our lives? What things tend to reach out and grab us and take away our joy? We might really desire God’s best for us, but this is so often choked away from us.

{This could also involve our negative-thinking at times. We might be putting for victory on the 18th hole, just needing a clear head to complete this good round with a straight two-metre putt. But there are so many distractions in our head – the people who don’t believe we can succeed, the people who occasionally laugh at us, all the doubts of missed putts in the past.}

The embryonic growing plant that is our spiritual lives can also be so easily choked by competing priorities, where we haven’t established our daily spiritual walk with God as our number one priority. Where our journey with Jesus is only seen as one part of equally competing aspects of life, rather than the glue that holds everything else together, then we are a sitting duck to be choked in the ‘thorny ground’.

So how can we prepare the soil of our lives into being the sort of “good soil” in which life can flourish? There is great hope for the ‘seed’ that falls into ‘good soil’ (v.8, 20). It can result in abundant fruit – a magnificent harvest! Good soil will be receptive to the seed sower, ready to be a good environment in which such seed can take strong root, and produce plants that will feed the whole community.

a. Unlike the hard “path”, we can be humble and open to what God can do in our lives, making sure we don’t set up a hard concrete like surface around ourselves (without any opening for new growth). This will require being communicative, relational and honest with others (as well as with God); so new opportunities of growth aren’t plucked away from us.

b. Unlike the “rocky ground”, we can make sure that the seed that touches us can work its way down deep, so that our faith is not a dispensable commodity, but rather the centre of who we are (and is thus able to stand up to any difficulty). This will require the hard disciplines of prayer, bible study, church involvement and missional activity; without such a disciplined approach to our faith … it will inevitably wither (in the hot sun).

c. Unlike the ‘thorny place’, we can make sure that we centre our attention on God, so that we don’t get distracted by things that will tend to take away our opportunities to really thrive. This will require some memory exercises about how much God loves us, how much God has sacrificed for us, how much Jesus wants to be our Saviour and Friend, how faithful God has been to us in the past; thus defeating some of the negative-thinking that holds us back. Thorns annoy, cut skin and draw blood, while good soils produce nutrients that promote health, well-being and hopeful outcomes.