Mark 4:1-9 1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.
6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
When Jesus taught he often used Parables. They were stories that related to everyday life - seed of grain, fields, landowners, debtors, etc. - and he used the stories to teach Kingdom truths. Chapter 4 of Mark Jesus teaches the well-known story - the parable of a sower. Jesus says, The seed falls on four types of ground, but only one type of ground bears fruit. On the other three types of ground the seed is lost - it fell, but it didn't bear root.
We don't have to wonder about the interpretation because Jesus himself interprets the 4 types:
One falls on a hardened heart,
One on a heart that gives access to Satan,
One is so consumed by the world around - it's riches, it's concerns, etc...that the seed simply has no place in that tangle of weeds.
Only the last one falls and bears root when it lands on a welcoming open heart.
I know some have taught that it is four types of people, but I think he’s talking to all of us about what we do with our listening and how receptive each of us can or might not be when we’re hearing God’s word. In the parable of the lamp that follows Jesus makes the point of what the teachings he gave are all about: "Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” There it is…we Listen in order that we might Understand, or else we lose it!
The one thing missing from most communication between anyone - government officials, husbands and wives, employer and employee, parent and child - is the ability to get to the place of "understanding".
It is one thing to hear the words, it is quite another to understand it in our heart. Above all else, we as Christ's followers, ought to be people who seek understanding.
The writer of Proverbs said at one point: "Seek wisdom with all of your heart, and with all of your wisdom, seek understanding." Peace
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
When Jesus taught he often used Parables. They were stories that related to everyday life - seed of grain, fields, landowners, debtors, etc. - and he used the stories to teach Kingdom truths. Chapter 4 of Mark Jesus teaches the well-known story - the parable of a sower. Jesus says, The seed falls on four types of ground, but only one type of ground bears fruit. On the other three types of ground the seed is lost - it fell, but it didn't bear root.
We don't have to wonder about the interpretation because Jesus himself interprets the 4 types:
One falls on a hardened heart,
One on a heart that gives access to Satan,
One is so consumed by the world around - it's riches, it's concerns, etc...that the seed simply has no place in that tangle of weeds.
Only the last one falls and bears root when it lands on a welcoming open heart.
I know some have taught that it is four types of people, but I think he’s talking to all of us about what we do with our listening and how receptive each of us can or might not be when we’re hearing God’s word. In the parable of the lamp that follows Jesus makes the point of what the teachings he gave are all about: "Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” There it is…we Listen in order that we might Understand, or else we lose it!
The one thing missing from most communication between anyone - government officials, husbands and wives, employer and employee, parent and child - is the ability to get to the place of "understanding".
It is one thing to hear the words, it is quite another to understand it in our heart. Above all else, we as Christ's followers, ought to be people who seek understanding.
The writer of Proverbs said at one point: "Seek wisdom with all of your heart, and with all of your wisdom, seek understanding." Peace
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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