Mar 4:16-17 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord makes it clear that if they understand the parable of the sower, they will understand all parables. For this parable lays the foundation for all other parables. He does not say that He Himself is the sower, but emphasizes what the sower does. This fits the character of this Gospel in which He is presented as the true Servant. A servant is about what he does, not who he is. The work of the Servant is to sow the Word, these are the words of God. Only the Word gives fruit. Fruit is not obtained through civilization, education, upbringing, or examples, however useful these things may be. The sower sows only the Word and nothing else. The effect of the sown Word does not lie in the Word, but in the condition of the soil. The soil in which the seed falls represents the spiritual state of the human being who hears the Word. Mark speaks of the seed as “the Word”. Matthew speaks of the seed as “the Word of the kingdom” ( ), which indicates the content of the Word. Luke speaks of the seed as “the Word of God” ( ), which indicates the source, the origin of the Word. Those who are beside the road are those who have hardened hearts. When they hear the Word, it does nothing to them. They are so under the influence of satan that he immediately takes away the sown Word. In this group we see the scribes. With them the soil is so hard that nothing of the seed can grow. Demonic powers take it away. But the application is also for us. For example, we can say: ‘I don’t understand anything’ and then we proceed to the order of the day, without making any effort to understand what we have read. Satan wants us to react like this. The next group of people consists of those who “immediately receive it with joy”. Joy, however, is never the first result of the sown Word. The first thing the Word does is to discover man to himself, through which he sees that he is a lost sinner who deserves hell. When God speaks to someone, He speaks to that person’s conscience, awakening a sense of sin and guilt ( ). When people joyfully accept the Word immediately, there is no root. People can become emotional from what they see or hear without their conscience being reached ( ). As soon as pressure is put on them because of their confession, they will be exposed. God uses oppression or persecution to test the authenticity of faith. In this second group and also in the next group, we can see the Lord’s relatives. They are not enemies of Him and the Word. There is a soil in which the seed falls and shoots. Yet there is no fruit. This happens when the Word is only accepted by feeling. They become happy and get a warm feeling, but the conscience remains unaffected. When they are away from the sphere of the Word, they have forgotten everything again. The sown Word has not convinced the heart of sin and judgment. That would bring repentance. The application to us is that there is a danger that anything but our conscience will be appealed to, so that we will not be brought to a life of dedication to Christ. The third category of people who hear the Word are compared to those who are sown between the thorns. These people live in conditions that influence them so much that the Word heard is overgrown by them. The circumstances in which they live can consist of worries, wealth, and desires. Poverty and wealth are two extremes. Both have the great danger of seizing us so much that we forget the Word ( ). He who is poor must be wary that the worries do not occupy him in such a way that the Word cannot do its work. He who is rich must be wary that he is not carried away by the deceitfulness of riches by which he becomes disconnected from God and the Word cannot affect him. For all people, desires for all kinds of other things can come in, that is, into the heart. The things we have are a danger, and the things we don’t have are if we want them. What the eye sees awakens the desire to want it. If someone can only think about that, he shuts himself off from the workings of the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. This too has its application to the believers. Even on the good soil there is a difference in result. What is fatal for the unbeliever can seriously harm the fruit of the believer. Fruit can be described as follows: the received blessing is returned to God – what we do by worshiping Him for that blessing He has given – and life is lived in His presence and to His glory. In this way God receives fruit from the life of His own. As said, in the Gospel according to Matthew we see the reverse order because it is about what man does with what is entrusted to him and then we see that decay occurs in it. Here it is about the service, and in this we see an increase, because the Lord’s service is aimed at us producing more fruit.

‏ Mark 4:16-17

Explaining the Parable of the Sower

The Lord makes it clear that if they understand the parable of the sower, they will understand all parables. For this parable lays the foundation for all other parables.

He does not say that He Himself is the sower, but emphasizes what the sower does. This fits the character of this Gospel in which He is presented as the true Servant. A servant is about what he does, not who he is. The work of the Servant is to sow the Word, these are the words of God. Only the Word gives fruit. Fruit is not obtained through civilization, education, upbringing, or examples, however useful these things may be. The sower sows only the Word and nothing else. The effect of the sown Word does not lie in the Word, but in the condition of the soil. The soil in which the seed falls represents the spiritual state of the human being who hears the Word.

Mark speaks of the seed as “the Word”. Matthew speaks of the seed as “the Word of the kingdom” (Mt 13:19), which indicates the content of the Word. Luke speaks of the seed as “the Word of God” (Lk 8:11), which indicates the source, the origin of the Word.

Those who are beside the road are those who have hardened hearts. When they hear the Word, it does nothing to them. They are so under the influence of satan that he immediately takes away the sown Word. In this group we see the scribes. With them the soil is so hard that nothing of the seed can grow. Demonic powers take it away. But the application is also for us. For example, we can say: ‘I don’t understand anything’ and then we proceed to the order of the day, without making any effort to understand what we have read. Satan wants us to react like this.

The next group of people consists of those who “immediately receive it with joy”. Joy, however, is never the first result of the sown Word. The first thing the Word does is to discover man to himself, through which he sees that he is a lost sinner who deserves hell. When God speaks to someone, He speaks to that person’s conscience, awakening a sense of sin and guilt (Acts 2:37). When people joyfully accept the Word immediately, there is no root. People can become emotional from what they see or hear without their conscience being reached (Acts 23:27-28). As soon as pressure is put on them because of their confession, they will be exposed. God uses oppression or persecution to test the authenticity of faith.

In this second group and also in the next group, we can see the Lord’s relatives. They are not enemies of Him and the Word. There is a soil in which the seed falls and shoots. Yet there is no fruit. This happens when the Word is only accepted by feeling. They become happy and get a warm feeling, but the conscience remains unaffected. When they are away from the sphere of the Word, they have forgotten everything again. The sown Word has not convinced the heart of sin and judgment. That would bring repentance. The application to us is that there is a danger that anything but our conscience will be appealed to, so that we will not be brought to a life of dedication to Christ.

The third category of people who hear the Word are compared to those who are sown between the thorns. These people live in conditions that influence them so much that the Word heard is overgrown by them. The circumstances in which they live can consist of worries, wealth, and desires.

Poverty and wealth are two extremes. Both have the great danger of seizing us so much that we forget the Word (Pro 30:8-9). He who is poor must be wary that the worries do not occupy him in such a way that the Word cannot do its work. He who is rich must be wary that he is not carried away by the deceitfulness of riches by which he becomes disconnected from God and the Word cannot affect him.

For all people, desires for all kinds of other things can come in, that is, into the heart. The things we have are a danger, and the things we don’t have are if we want them. What the eye sees awakens the desire to want it. If someone can only think about that, he shuts himself off from the workings of the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. This too has its application to the believers.

Even on the good soil there is a difference in result. What is fatal for the unbeliever can seriously harm the fruit of the believer. Fruit can be described as follows: the received blessing is returned to God – what we do by worshiping Him for that blessing He has given – and life is lived in His presence and to His glory. In this way God receives fruit from the life of His own.

As said, in the Gospel according to Matthew we see the reverse order because it is about what man does with what is entrusted to him and then we see that decay occurs in it. Here it is about the service, and in this we see an increase, because the Lord’s service is aimed at us producing more fruit.