THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Mark 4:1-20

Key Verse: 4:20

 

¡°Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.¡±

 

 

 

1.      Read verses 1-2. Which teaching method did Jesus begin to use? Why? (9-12, 33-34) With what kind of attitude should we study the words of God?

 

1Again 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. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:

<9-12> 9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He 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 12so that, " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"

<33-34> 33With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.      Read verses 3-8. List the four different kinds of soils. What does the soil represent? The seed? (14) Why is this parable so important to us? (13) 

 

3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

<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.

 

3.      Read verses 4, 14-15. What are the characteristics of the path-like soil? What happens to the word that falls on path-like heart? What makes a heart become hard like a path? How can such hardened heart turn to good heart?

 

4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.      Read verses 5-6, 16-17. What are the characteristics of the rocky soil? What happens to the word that falls on rocky heart? What is the hot sun compared to? What is the real reason for no fruit? How can the rocky soil turn to good soil? (Ezekiel 36:26)

 

5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

<Ezekiel 36:26> ¡°I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.¡± 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.      Read verses 7, 18-19. What are the characteristics of the thorny soil? What happens to the word that falls on thorny heart? What are the thorns that choke the word? What must be done to make the unfruitful thorny soil fruitful? Why do we have to produce fruit? (Mt 3:10)

 

7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

<Mt 3:10> The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.      Read verses 8 & 20. What are the characteristics of the good soil? What does it mean to ¡°hear¡± and ¡°accept¡± the word? What happens to the word planted in good heart soil? How much fruit does it produce? What does Jesus want to say through this parable? What kind of heart soil do you have?

 

8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."