Day 16 | February 27, 2023
Mark 4: 1-20
Again 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. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He 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 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some 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. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
REFLECTION
This passage of Scripture contains a well-known parable of Jesus, often called the Parable of the Sower. In this story, a sower went out to sow seed, and as he scattered the seed, some fell along the path, some fell on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on good soil. The seeds that fell on the path were eaten by birds, the seeds on rocky ground withered because they had no root, the seeds among thorns were choked by weeds, but the seeds that fell on good soil produced a crop.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached on this passage and emphasized the importance of the condition of the soil in receiving the Word of God. Wesley argued that the Word of God is like a seed that needs good soil to grow and bear fruit. The path, the rocky ground, and the thorns represent different obstacles that prevent the seed from taking root and growing.
Wesley also pointed out that the parable highlights the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. The seed that fell on rocky ground initially sprouted quickly, but it withered away because it had no root. Similarly, some people may respond enthusiastically to the gospel at first but later fall away because they do not have deep roots in their faith.
Overall, Wesley’s commentary on this passage encourages us to cultivate the soil of our hearts to receive the Word of God and to persevere in our faith even when we face obstacles. It reminds us that a shallow faith that lacks depth will not be able to sustain us through the challenges of life. Instead, we need to cultivate a deep and lasting faith that can withstand the trials of life and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.
Mark 4: 1-20
Again 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. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He 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 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some 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. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
REFLECTION
This passage of Scripture contains a well-known parable of Jesus, often called the Parable of the Sower. In this story, a sower went out to sow seed, and as he scattered the seed, some fell along the path, some fell on rocky ground, some fell among thorns, and some fell on good soil. The seeds that fell on the path were eaten by birds, the seeds on rocky ground withered because they had no root, the seeds among thorns were choked by weeds, but the seeds that fell on good soil produced a crop.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached on this passage and emphasized the importance of the condition of the soil in receiving the Word of God. Wesley argued that the Word of God is like a seed that needs good soil to grow and bear fruit. The path, the rocky ground, and the thorns represent different obstacles that prevent the seed from taking root and growing.
Wesley also pointed out that the parable highlights the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. The seed that fell on rocky ground initially sprouted quickly, but it withered away because it had no root. Similarly, some people may respond enthusiastically to the gospel at first but later fall away because they do not have deep roots in their faith.
Overall, Wesley’s commentary on this passage encourages us to cultivate the soil of our hearts to receive the Word of God and to persevere in our faith even when we face obstacles. It reminds us that a shallow faith that lacks depth will not be able to sustain us through the challenges of life. Instead, we need to cultivate a deep and lasting faith that can withstand the trials of life and bear fruit for the kingdom of God.