The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20)

The Parable of the Sower

 

Mark 4:1-20

 

Everyone may desire to live a life without regret. If one, looking back his past at the last moment of his life, has many regretful things and feels empty, he will be very unhappy. If so, he will not be able to smile even if he has made great achievements and enjoyed all good things. People who are truly happy are those who are happy at their last moment in this world. Dying on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” (John 19:30) St. Paul also confessed, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the good fight.” (2Timothy 4:7) It is a truly blessed life that can say so. Psalm 126:5,6 sings: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Our life is sowing seed and harvesting sheaves. Therefore, what is most important is scattering ‘good seed.’ Then, we should work hard to grow the seed through the days given to us. After all the days, our last will be ‘the harvest time.’ We gather what we scattered. It is the time of forgetting tears and reaping joys. Today’s passage invites us to such a ‘life without regret’ and ‘life of producing thirty times, sixty times, and even a hundred times.

 

A large crowd gathered in order to hear Jesus’ teachings. The Lord sat on a small boat floating on the water, and the people sat on the shore, surrounding Jesus as in a lecture hall. Jesus taught them about the Kingdom of God using parables. It is not easy for us living in ‘this world’ to hear and understand ‘the Kingdom of God.’ It is because the two realms are extremely different from each other. Jesus used many parables so that we can understand the Kingdom of God, with which we are not familiar. Using daily events such as farmers’ sowing, women’s cooking of bread, and fishermen’s fishing with a net, Jesus explained the principles of the Heavenly Kingdom. However, Jesus has another purpose of using parables. In verses 11, 12, Jesus says, “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything is said in parables so that they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.” To “you,” namely, “Jesus’ disciples,” the parables are “revelations” that disclose the secrets of the Kingdom of God, but to “those on the outside,” they are “veils” that cover the secrets. Parables are “the language of God’s Kingdom.” While my children have used English as their native tongue since they were young, I began to live in the foreign land on ly at the age of 35 and therefore I am still poor in listening English. When I watch the TV with my children, often they laugh or were excited but I don’t know why they respond that way. This is also the case for the language of the Heavenly Kingdom. The language spoken by Jesus for explaining the Kingdom of God is neither Korean nor English. It is neither Hebrew nor Greek. It is parable, namely, “the Kingdom’s language.” And this language can be heard and understood on ly by “those who believe Jesus as the Christ.” In other words, the exciting and amazing meanings of the language can be recognized on ly “in Jesus.” Therefore, the parables are “secret codes” used for Jesus and his believers to communicate the mysteries of the Kingdom.

 

At the beginning of the parable, Jesus says, “Listen!” At the end of the story as well, Jesus repeats, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Here, “Listen!” does not mean simply to hear the speech. It means, “Pay a careful attention to the saying, and respond and obey the word.” It is similar to parents’ appealing to their children, “Please listen!” The word “Listen!” appears frequently in the Old Testament. A representative example is Deuteronomy 6:4,5: “Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is on e. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.” In addition, Prophet Isaiah’s prophecies begin with this lamentation: “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: ‘I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.’” (Isaiah 1:2) In this way, the word “Listen!” is God’s sincere love to his people, and at the same time, indicates people’s stubborn heart that does not listen to God’s word. God keeps knocking the heart of the rebellious people, by saying “Listen!” Actually, this is a picture upside down. To tell the truth, those who have to say “Listen” desperately are “we who have committed sins and are in very grave situations.” In 1Kings 8:28, Solomon, the King of Israel prays earnestly: “O Lord my God! Give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day!” What is really fearful to us is that God does not speak to use any longer and he does not listen to our prayer any more. If God shuts his mouth and covers his ears, we are trapped in unending despair. Considering this, we see how graceful and delightful the Lord’s word “Listen!” is. Jesus says “Listen!” in order to open our ears and our heart, and to plant the eternal word of life in us.

 

In the parable of the sower, the seeds scattered by the farmer land in four different types of soil. Some fell along the path, some on rocky places covered with shallow soil, some among thorns, and some on good soil. And on ly the seeds on good soil grow well and multiply thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times. In this parable, ‘the seed’ symbolizes ‘God’s word.’ Verse 14 says, “The farmer sows the word.” In addition, ‘the soil” indicates the mind of on e who hears the word. That is, like a farmer scatters seed, God plants his word in people’s heart.

 

God’s word is similar to ‘seed’ in several ways. What is most important is that the word has ‘life’ in it as a seed does. A seed looks very small and unattractive, but it contains ‘the knowledge of life (genetic code).’ Because the knowledge is extremely mysterious and delicate, it cannot be made up by man. Even the most advanced human science is far behind from creating a tiny mustard seed. Seed is God’s creation. It is ‘the knowledge of life’ from God. There are many pieces of manmade knowledge in the world. Such knowledge can give pride to people but it cannot give life. Rather, it is ‘false knowledge’ that kills lives. It is like the lie told by the serpent to Even: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4,5). Like a seed looks unattractive, God’s word may look ‘poor’ compared to worldly knowledge. It is like comparing Jesus on the cross with the Roman Emperor whose soldiers crucified Jesus. However, the word contains marvelous power of life. And this power mightier than death is found on ly in the word.

 

Another similarity between the word and seed is that they have to be planted. Although a seed contains life in it, it remains as a seed unless it is planted. If a seed is not planted, nothing happens. No matter how many years have passed, it remains as a grain of seed. on ce it is planted in soil, however, an unbelievable magic is displayed before us. From the small seed, roots spread, the sprout comes out, the stem grows, the flower blooms, and the fruit is produced. This is also the case for God’s word. The word is given to us as ‘letters written in the book.’ As it is, it is no more than ‘black symbols.’ If we listen to the word carefully and keep it in our heart, it begins to grow. Then, the Kingdom of God comes upon us, and our life is transformed in a mysterious way. This happens simply by accepting the word and keeping it in our heart.

 

When we study the Bible, we often include the step of ‘application.’ This is to think about how to use the word in our lives or in solving our life problems. In many cases, however, the word in the Bible is not so useful to ‘our lives in this world.’ It is because the word is basically ‘the secret of God’s Kingdom.’ Moreover, like it takes time for a seed to grow, we may have to wait several years or even several decades until we experience the real power of the living word. Accordingly, the habit of application’ can be an obstacle to receiving God’s word. It is because, when receiving the word, we ask, “How useful is it for my immediate life or problems?” Figuratively speaking, this is putting seed into a pot and cooking it for a meal today instead of planting it for the future. Of course, God’s word is useful but it is not the first reason that we should listen to it. The more fundamental reason for us to listen and receive God’s word is that it is “God’s word.” That is, we should listen and receive God’s word because God said so. Thus, even when the word is not so useful or it causes many problems just now, we still listen to God’s word and obey it. Even if nothing happens for a long time, still we should keep the word in our heart. Simply speaking, we should not try to apply the word to my life. Instead, we should apply my life to the word. This is the way of life.

 

As mentioned above, the four kinds of soils, namely, the hard path, the rocky ground covered with shallow soil, the thorny ground, and the good soil indicate the conditions of people’s hearts. When God’s word is spoken, the word is rejected by some people because their hearts are closed from the beginning. Some receive the word gladly, but they give it up easily when faced with trouble or persecution caused by the word. Some have all kinds of worries and worldly desires, which choke the word. These facts show clearly what problem we have. The problem is in ‘my heart.’ Through their life of faith, people expect a better life from God. They expect that their current problems may be solved, they may have good people around, or their living conditions may be improved. However, “the on ly way that God blesses us” is planting His word in my heart so that God’s Kingdom may come upon me. And the obstacle to the work of God is nothing but ‘myself.’ It is ‘I’ that should be changed and corrected. Even it takes a very long time to accept this.

 

According to Bible scholars, God’s word works in us through the process as follows: revealing – rebuking – redeeming – restoring. Through such a ‘fierce’ process, I am being transformed into good soil on the on e hand, and God’s word grows and prospers in me on the other hand. In today’s passage, the good soil is explained as “one who hears the word, accepts it, and produces a crop – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what is sown.” In some sense, the stubborn heart, the rocky heart, or the heart full of many worries and desires seems to have ‘a very strong and clear ego,’ but the heart listening to the word gladly seems to be colorless. It is a “passive” heart that hears and accepts. However, Jesus calls this ‘a good soil” and this is the truth. In his book On the Cosmic Mystery of Christ, an ancient theologian called Maximus the Confessor characterized on e before being born again (one in this flesh) and on e after being born again (one in the Spirit) by his ‘activity’ and ‘passivity,’ respectively. That is, on e in his flesh is an active agent who is working ceaselessly with his strength and for himself. on the contrary, on e in the Holy Spirit is a passive recipient, denying himself and entrusting himself in the work of the Holy Spirit. Some call this ‘active passivity.’ That is, a truly born-again believer receives God’s word “gladly” and produces a crop.

 

The working of the Holy Spirit for us is a truth as clear as the sun shining in the sky. However, the Spirit works on ly on “the word planted in on e’s heart,” and on “a heart planted with the word.” Thus, God’s word is important, and our hearts receiving the word are important. We are already given ‘the good seed.’ So I pray that we become good soil, namely, a 100% passive recipient toward God’s word. May the Holy Spirit work on our lives powerfully and let us produce thirty times, sixty times, and even a hundred times.

 

 

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