Mark4

Jesus teaches by the sea, using the parable of the sower to illustrate how people receive the word of God. He explains the purpose of parables to his disciples, revealing that truth is meant to be manifested. Jesus further describes the growth of the Kingdom of God through the parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed. The chapter concludes with Jesus calming a violent storm on the sea, demonstrating his authority over nature and questioning his disciples' lack of faith.

Jesus Teaches the Parable of the Sower

Again Yeshua began to teach by the lake, but the crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the crowd remained on shore at the water's edge.

He taught them many things in parables. In the course of his teaching, he said to them:

"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.

As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow;

but when the sun rose, the young plants were scorched; and since their roots were not deep, they dried up.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked it; so that it yielded no grain.

But other seed fell into rich soil and produced grain; it sprouted, and grew, and yielded a crop -- thirty, sixty, even a hundred times what was sown."

And he concluded, "Whoever has ears to hear with, let him hear!"

The Purpose of Parables

When Yeshua was alone, the people around him with the Twelve asked him about the parables.

He answered them, "To you the secret of the Kingdom of God has been given; but to those outside, everything is in parables,

so that they may be always looking but never seeing; always listening but never understanding. Otherwise, they might turn and be forgiven!"

Interpretation of the Sower Parable

Then Yeshua said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How will you be able to understand any parable?

The sower sows the message.

Those alongside the path where the message is sown are people who no sooner hear it than the Adversary comes and takes away the message sown in them.

Likewise, those receiving seed on rocky patches are people who hear the message and joyfully accept it at once; but they have no root in themselves. So they hold out for a while, but as

soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, they immediately fall away.

Others are those sown among thorns -- they hear the message;

but the worries of the world, the deceitful glamor of wealth and all the other kinds of desires push in and choke the message; so that it produces nothing.

But those sown on rich soil hear the message, accept it and bear fruit -- thirty, sixty or a hundredfold."

Sayings on Hearing and Revelation

He said to them, "A lamp isn't brought in to be put under a bowl or under the bed, is it? Wouldn't you put it on a lampstand?

Indeed, nothing is hidden, except to be disclosed; and nothing is covered up, except to come out into the open.

Those who have ears to hear with, let them hear!"

He also said to them, "Pay attention to what you are hearing! The measure with which you measure out will be used to measure to you -- and more besides!

For anyone who has something will be given more; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away."

The Parable of the Growing Seed

And he said, "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.

Nights he sleeps, days he's awake; and meanwhile the seeds sprout and grow -- how, he doesn't know.

By itself the soil produces a crop -- first the stalk, then the head, and finally the full grain in the head.

But as soon as the crop is ready, the man comes with his sickle, because it's harvest-time."

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Yeshua also said, "With what can we compare the Kingdom of God? What illustration should we use to describe it?

It is like a mustard seed, which, when planted, is the smallest of all the seeds in the field;

but after it has been planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all the plants, with such big branches that the birds flying about can build nests in its shade."

With many parables like these he spoke the message to them, to the extent that they were capable of hearing it.

He did not say a thing to them without using a parable; when he was alone with his own talmidim he explained everything to them.

Jesus Calms a Great Storm

That day, when evening had come, Yeshua said to them, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake."

So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.

A furious windstorm arose, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was close to being swamped.

But he was in the stern on a cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, "Rabbi, doesn't it matter to you that we're about to be killed?"

He awoke, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" The wind subsided, and there was a dead calm.

He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no trust even now?"

But they were terrified and asked each other, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the waves obey him?"

Study Notes for Mark 4

Verse 1

Teaching from the boat was a practical necessity, providing a natural pulpit and acoustic advantage over the large crowd gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Verse 2

Parables were common teaching tools in Judaism, using earthly stories to illustrate heavenly truths, but Jesus’s use of them often veiled the meaning from those unwilling to accept his authority.

Verse 11

The 'mystery of the kingdom' refers not to something unknowable, but to a truth previously hidden in God's plan and now revealed through Christ, specifically the nature of the Kingdom of God.

Verse 12

This citation of Isaiah 6:9–10 highlights the judicial hardening of those who refuse to respond to Jesus's clear message. The parables function as a test, revealing the receptive hearts while obscuring the truth from the resistant.

Verse 13

Jesus implies that the Parable of the Sower is foundational; if the disciples cannot grasp this analogy about receiving the word, they will struggle with all deeper truths about the Kingdom.

Verse 14

The central element of the parable is identified: the seed is the Word (or message) of the Kingdom.

Verse 17

The lack of root signifies a superficial faith based purely on emotion or immediate benefit, unable to withstand the inevitable trials and persecutions that follow genuine commitment.

Verse 19

Mark specifies three obstacles to fruitfulness: worldly cares, deceitfulness of riches, and lusts for other things. These represent practical idolatry that chokes spiritual life and productivity.

Verse 21

The lamp represents the truth of the Kingdom, which, once revealed through Jesus to the disciples, is meant to illuminate the world, not remain hidden among a small group.

Verse 22

This verse affirms that the truths currently hidden in parables will eventually be fully revealed, implying both a future public manifestation and the disciples’ responsibility to preach what they have learned.

Verse 24

This warning emphasizes responsibility: the measure of attention and obedience given to God’s word will determine the measure of spiritual insight and blessing received in return.

Verse 25

This 'Law of Receptivity' indicates that spiritual knowledge is cumulative; those who utilize what they have received will gain more, while those who neglect it will lose even their perceived understanding.

Verse 26

This parable, unique to Mark, stresses the sovereignty of God in growth. The farmer plants the seed (the word), but the growth of the Kingdom is a divine process independent of human effort.

Verse 29

The harvest signifies the consummation of the age and the final judgment, when the Kingdom is fully realized.

Verse 32

The mustard seed, though tiny, represents the humble and unpromising beginnings of the Kingdom (Jesus’s ministry) which will eventually grow into a massive, worldwide reality, sheltering all nations.

Verse 34

Mark emphasizes that Jesus tailored his public teaching to the crowd's capacity, reserving the full, explicit explanation of the Kingdom for his inner circle.

Verse 35

This event marks a transition in the narrative, moving from Jesus’s teaching ministry to demonstrations of his divine authority over the natural world.

Verse 38

Jesus being soundly asleep during a severe storm emphasizes his genuine humanity and deep trust in the Father. The disciples’ panicked question reveals their lack of faith despite witnessing his power.

Verse 39

Jesus’s command ('Peace, be still!') uses language similar to exorcisms, suggesting that the chaos of the natural world, like spiritual evil, is subject to his divine authority.

Verse 40

Jesus contrasts their fear (*deilia*) with their lack of faith (*pistis*). The miracle serves as a lesson in trusting his presence and power, even when circumstances seem dire.

Verse 41

The disciples’ reaction shifts from fear of the storm to profound awe and fear (*phobos*) of Jesus himself. This miracle reveals his divine identity as the one who commands creation (cf. Psalm 107:29).

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Mark4

Jesus Teaches the Parable of the Sower

The Purpose of Parables

Interpretation of the Sower Parable

Sayings on Hearing and Revelation

The Parable of the Growing Seed

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Jesus Calms a Great Storm

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options