Parable of the Sower
Public Meeting at ECU Joondalup. Mark 4:1-25
Picture yourself in a group assignment and someone just keeps interrupting and talking over everyone. That’s surely annoying isn’t it? Or say you go on a date with someone. And all they do is talk about themselves. That’s not very enjoyable is it? Who would you rather go out for coffee with, someone who speaks really well or someone who listens really well? Just as important to good communication, and perhaps more important in a relationship is listening well.
Our passage today will show us that the same is true when it comes to God. It’s about how we listen more than what we say. We can say all the right things but it won’t make a difference if we don’t listen as well. The point of this passage is clear:
How we hear shows us who we are.
The parable itself is simple. Starting from v.3, the picture is of a farmer who scatters seeds as he walks. Where the seeds land determine whether or not it grows. Those on the path were eaten by birds. Those on rocky ground managed to grow but can’t survive. Those among thorns were choked out and had no fruit. Only those which landed on good soil grew and produced fruit. Moral of the story? Plant your seeds in good soil. Duh! Isn’t that right? Unless you want to waste your time, figure out which soil is good and plant there.
I don’t know if you guys have seen the little plant pot things that woollies is giving out. Each little container comes with instructions on how to grow that particular herb. You only have yourself to blame if instead of water you put juice, and the seed never grows. Everyone knows that. So why does Jesus tell us about a farmer who does the opposite? And when the disciples asked Jesus to explain the parable he gives this very cryptic message in v. 11.
Mark 4:11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
It sure sounds like Jesus doesn’t want people to turn and be forgiven! Does it sound like he is purposely making it difficult for people to believe? Why speak in parables? Why can’t God just be honest with us?
Well, it might surprise you to know Jesus is actually being completely honest with the disciples here. He’s not trying to hide anything. He’s reminding his disciples of the prophet Isaiah. Verse 12 is a quote from the book of Isaiah where God tells Isaiah to speak out against the people knowing that they won’t listen. God says to Isaiah, I want you to go tell those people to obey me. Oh and btw heads’ up, none of them will listen to you. That’s what God did. He is in a sense reassuring Isaiah, that it’s not his fault if people don’t listen. God alone is the one who has the power to make people hear and see. Your job is simply to speak out. You’re my messenger boy, not my lawyer.
And so far from being dishonest, Jesus is actually being upfront with the disciples. He’s preparing them. So they know what to expect and not expect. But what does that have to do with the parable of the sower? Look at verse 13.
“And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” 14 The sower sows the word.
Remember how the passage started. There you were at the beach with Jesus when crowds of people started gathering and they all want to get close to Jesus. What does Jesus do? Sorry, only men allowed. Sorry, only those who have paid their membership fee allowed. Sorry, only good people can come. He doesn’t do that. He got into a boat, sat on it on the sea, and taught everyone. Later on after the crowd leaves, he explains to his disciples what he was doing was sowing.
It’s as if he was saying to his disciples, Did you see the crowd? I want you to know not everyone was there because they actually wanted me. Not everyone there was listening with an open heart. Not everyone in this room actually has a relationship with God. But I’m sowing anyway. Just like with Isaiah, He’s actually being completely honest with his disciples. And the lesson they are supposed to learn is not to only sow in good soil. It’s the opposite! Keep sowing everywhere! That’s the lesson for the disciples.
“The parable of the sower is not about a farmer who’s terrible at his job. It’s a picture of God who is so generous that He still speaks to us, no matter how many times we let him down.”
The parable of the sower illustrates what God is like. God who is so generous and magnanimous that he doesn’t discriminate. He doesn’t hold back. He still speaks to those who curse him. He sends rain on the righteous as well as the wicked. Do you see? He is always on speaking terms even with people who only ever say bad things about him. And he’s the same with us. He still speaks to us, no matter how many times we let him down.
Listen, you can leave here today and tonight go do something that betrays God’s love for you. Guess what? He won’t cut you off. You can still come back next week. God is like the farmer who insists on sowing his seed on the road, behind rocks, between thorns. Why? It sounds illogical. But it is the good news! Would you really have it any other way? Do we really want a God who only speaks to those who listen? Who only blesses people who are good? No. God is a generous sower.
What about us? If God is the sower, we are the soil. Jesus explains to the disciples from v.15 onward that when God speaks, 1 out of 4 possible things can happen. One, they completely reject it from the start. Two, they accept it but give up when its hard. Three, they believe it but have a change of heart when something better comes along. And four is when the Word actually finds someone who genuinely listens and there it grows.
You know you can go to Bunnings today and find 10 different brands and types of potting soil. There’s regular, then premium, then premium plus, then organic. Some for tomatoes, some succulents, some expensive some cheap. You get my drift. But how do you tell which is actually good? Try to grow something in it. What you find is that how the plant responds shows how good the soil is. How we listen shows us who we are.
God’s Word doesn’t just reveal God, they reveal us as well, by how we listen. I can’t blame my kids for doing something they didn’t know they shouldn’t. But if I’ve told him many times and he’s heard me say don’t pull your sister’s hair and he nevertheless goes and does it, that’s worse isn’t it? Isn’t that a deeper insight into the heart of a child? It would have been better if he had not heard my warnings for then he could claim ignorance. Alas, having heard the warnings compound his guilt. God’s generosity in speaking has the same effect. It shows us what we are on the inside by how we respond. That’s what v.21 says.
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The point is this: Listen carefully! Because how we hear, shows us who we are.
“God is like the farmer who insists on sowing his seed on the road, behind rocks, between thorns. Why? It sounds illogical. But it is the good news! ”
Here are some practical tips on how we can listen carefully.
Make it a point to come to things. There are bible study groups that meet on campus Monday to Thursday. If you haven’t been to one, make it a point to go.
Don’t miss church. I know how it feels when you’ve had a crazy week and you’re tired and the assignment’s due. But don’t miss church.
Make the most of your travel time. Instead of Triple J, why not turn on a podcast? I’m subscribed to the gospel coalition podcast. There’s great stuff in there.
Avoid technology. We are already easily distracted. Don’t make it easier by having social media just a screen swipe away.