MARK

Mark Chapter 4

• Mark 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
• 2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

This chapter contains one of my favorite parables. It explains so much why some receive the word gladly and then do not last long but return back to the way from which they came. It explains why some receive the word and start right away living a changed victorious life.

• Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

The sower is the one who teaches or preaches the word of God. It is compared to planting seed. When a preacher preaches God's word, he is planting seed into the hearts and minds of the listeners.

• Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Notice that some seed fell by the way side. This seed did not take root and grow. It fell in a place unprepared to receive it. This could be compared to someone hearing the word and either ignoring it or taking it lightly. This could have been a half-hearted listener or one who heard a sound but did not take heed to it.

I've seen this throughout the years. Some that hear the word of God maybe by passing through a room where the TV is on and a preacher is fervently preaching. They seem to walk on brushing off whatever words they might have heard. I've also heard the word discussed and the listener quickly ignores it and changes the subject. Another example may be that they were compelled to go with a friend but their heart wasn't in it and they just didn't pay attention and what little they heard was soon forgotten.

It excites me to meet someone that just hungers and thirsts after the word of God as opposed to someone who just takes it lightly or ignores it.

• Mark 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Other seed fell on stony ground. This ground was hard and had no deep soil in order for the seed to grow.

• Mark 4:6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

When the sun came up, the seed died and withered away. It had no roots. One can receive the word gladly then get made fun of and mistreated for believing the word and be offended and lose what was received out of fear of men. The word is lost before it has a chance to take root and grow. This is why a person should study the word diligently after hearing of it. We need to get the word planted deep into our hearts that in time of temptation and trials, we do not turn away.

I remember a time when going to the movies was considered a sin by some churches. This was back before the movies became really bad as they are today. I remember some of my relatives loved going to movies and they may have held back becoming a Christian because of that desire. I remember one relative, thank God she changed her mind later, saying that she wanted to have fun first and then get saved.

Maybe you might think that the church was wrong to teach that strict and should have stuck to the message of the gospel only. That may or may not be true but one thing that we should consider. Is not our salvation and walk with Christ worth more than sitting down to watch a movie? If going to a movie would cause us to be just one jot out of fellowship with the Lord, would it be worth it? Is He not better than anything on the face of the earth?

Maybe the old church used to make things a little hard for people but when we stop of think of it, isn't He worth giving up anything for if it was required? However, we must not add or take away from the word. One thing I would say though, if we truly kept the scripture, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind," I don't think we would have to worry about whether some things were right or wrong, we just would not desire anything that we even imagined would separate us from our fellowship with the Lord.

If we walk in the Spirit we would get an uneasy feeling if we were some place that He did not want us to be. The danger comes when we ignore that uneasy feeling and do what we want instead of what God wants.

I will say one thing about movies of today though, not to guilt anyone but do we ever stop to think that back when movies were frowned upon before they got bad, the Holy Spirit knew where they were headed. The same can be said of cigarettes. The Church of God taught against cigarettes long before they knew it was medically unsafe and caused many diseases. Yet, the Holy Spirit would have known. Thank about it. 

• Mark 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

This verse goes more along with what I mentioned previously. Some fell among thorns. Thorns will choke and destroy good seed. That's why you see people who love gardening faithfully out weeding their gardens daily. They want those weeds out so that their flowers and vegetables will grow to it's full potential.

Thorns represent the cares and temptations of the world. Worldliness. If after we become a Christian, we walk back in our own ways and go to the places we went to when we were not saved, we are in danger of being choked by the former sins and pleasures of this life. To guard against this we must stay in close fellowship with our Lord daily so that we develop a love for Him that surpasses anything we once had for the world.

• Mark 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Good ground brings forth much good fruit. Have you ever seen a new convert that begins to grow in the Lord and become fruitful almost immediately after conversion. This is precious. Others may grow at a slower pace but they are still growing and that is precious also. Both represent seed that falls on good ground. Seed that is growing, multiplying and bringing forth fruit for the glory of God.

• Mark 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Those that hear the right way will bring forth fruit.

• Mark 4:10  And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 
• 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
• 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
• 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

There may be many explanations for these sayings of Jesus. The eyes of some were blinded. Through their blindness, salvation came to the Gentiles, the plan of God was brought to pass for the salvation of all. If they had not been blinded to the truth, Jesus Christ would not have been crucified and also would not have died for our sins. Their blindness was a tool to carry out the plan of God for all who would believe.

Yet some were saved. If we seek God, He will not turn us away. If our motives are to seek God and after seeking Him, continue in the word, we will be saved. If we seek Him for other reasons, examples: Because it may be popular trend at the time, we want something different, we like excitement, we are bored with everything else. Yet those that begin to hunger and thirst after righteousness, will receive.

After continual hardness of heart, we become blind and deaf to the word of God. This was the state of the nation of Israel at the time of Christ's visitation and God used it to carry out His plans.

• Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
• 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
• 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
• 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
• 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
• 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
• 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Oh that we be the fruitful ones that bring forth a hundredfold fruit. Then when we face the savior one day, He will say, "Well done thy good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord."

• Mark 4:21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

There is nothing secret but all will be revealed. This should motivate us to keep our lives pure just as if it was an open book. Let the light of the Word of God shine into our lives so that others will see Jesus in us. Nothing is secret, God sees all and we need all sin under the blood of Jesus and not have any reason to be ashamed at His coming.

The wonderful thing is it can be that way. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It would be much better to repent and forsake sins now rather than wait and be embarrassed in front of everyone when everything that is not under the blood of Jesus will be made open and manifest before all. Now is the time to make things right and not wait. The main thing is to always have in mind what Jesus did for us. Our salvation depends on our faith in Him, not in our good works or holy living. All of which counts as nothing if we have not come to Christ. Afterwards there is a reward to those that keep His word but we have to continue to rest in His grace and not trust in ourselves but rely on His keeping power.

• Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
  23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
• 24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Here the Lord reminds us to hear and also to be careful how we hear. Remember we read earlier in this chapter about the parable of the seed and how the seed fell on different kinds of soil. It's up to us how we receive the word and how we act upon the word. How we receive and act upon what we receive will determine how much more is given us.

• Mark 4:25  For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

Those that receive the whole truth of God shall be given more but them that disobey and refuse will lose what they have.

• Mark 4: 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
• 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
• 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
• 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
• 30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
• 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
• 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
• 33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
• 34  But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples. 

The word starts out small and then grows. It is compared to a mustard seed that starts out very small but then grows very large.

I've heard it said that the fowls of the air here represent evil and that evil and good dwell within it until the harvest when the Lord separates the bad and good.

When the gospel was first preached only a small few believed; then later it grew to a large number.

Jesus spoke in parables so that only those that search with their hearts and want to hear will understand. Those that are dull of hearing and have hardened hearts will not understand.

I've heard it said that it takes at least a high school education to understand the King James Version of the bible. I have to disagree with that. I think that the more of this world's type of education the less of the bible you will understand. If the bible is read and sought after with the spirit of the world then they will not understand. If the bible is read with the mind of the Holy Spirit it will be understood. This is a spiritual book and it takes the Spirit of God to give us understanding. Line upon line and little by little.

I've known people with little or no education that can understand the KJV more than any college professor could unless of course that college professor happens to be a person who seeks God with His whole heart.

• Mark 4: 35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
• 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
• 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
• 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
• 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
• 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Here we see Jesus calming the wind and waves when the storm arose. He asks the disciples why they were afraid. This is what a true follower of Jesus needs to try to overcome. Perfect love casts out all fear. There is no fear in love. We need to seek such a daily walk with our Lord that we walk in faith and love, trusting Him in every situation. I do not always do this myself but it is something to consider. Fear is lack of faith. Perfect faith and perfect love would be a life fully trusting the Lord with no fear.

How I long to live like that. We need to remember how great He is and that He has all power to change any situation. There is no one too far that He can't reach. No sinner too bad that He can't save, no sickness too serious that He can't heal and there is nothing impossible with Him.

• Mark 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Truly we must consider, "What manner of Man is Jesus?" DC