Ears to Hear
Mark 4:1-20
Main Idea: We must consider if we have rightly heard the gospel and are responding to Jesus accordingly.
A parable is when: ‘A metaphor or story connected with the affairs of daily life is used as an illustration of moral and spiritual truths, on the assumption that what applies in one sphere is relevant also in the others.’
~Vincent Taylor
“When Jesus teaches a parable, he is not opening up “Chicken Soup for the Soul” or a fortune cookie but a window to the hidden heavenlies. He is revealing a glimpse of eternity crashing into time, a flash photo of his own wisdom brought to bear. The parables give us a direct portal to the kingdom of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.”
~Jared Wilson, The Storytelling God
I. The Parable (v. 1-9)
Up to this point in Mark, and arguably the whole Gospel of Mark, Mark has been aiming to show the authority of Jesus as the Christ (Messiah). Whether through acts of miracles or teaching with true authority, all of Jesus’ life is pointing to the fact that He is Lord. But, it doesn’t look like how anyone expected.
As the crowds are gathering, Jesus begins to teach them with a parable (using story) that would have been familiar and relevant in their current context. He is describing a type of farming called broadcast farming. Seed is scattered somewhat randomly by hand and it lands in different places:
Some seeds fell “along the path” (4:4), and “the birds came and devoured it.” (4:4)
Some seeds fell “on rocky ground” (4:5), and it grew quickly, but then “withered” and was “scorched” since it had “no root” (4:6).
Some seeds fell “among thorns” (4:7) and they “choked” out the seed and it “yielded no grain” (4:7).
Some seeds fell “into good soil” (4:8), “produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (4:8)
When we zoom out of the parable and look around our own world, the world does not seem to be flourishing in many ways, does it? We do not see complete peace and “Shalom” in every area of life, do we? All seeds are not accepted and all trees do not sprout forth a hundred fold. Jesus is hinting that there are in fact two ways to hear him, causing us to consider if we indeed are hearing him rightly.
“One aim in using this method is to encourage serious, persistent, perceptive faith. Each of those adjectives is important. The emphasis on seriousness was necessary because ‘hearing Jesus’ seems to have become ‘one of the things to do’ at the time. Crowds begat crowds, and there was enough excitement, in the healings, exorcisms and controversy, to keep them coming. The parable requires seriousness if we are to begin to grasp its meaning, hence, ‘Listen!’, in verse 3. Persistence was also important. There were plenty of wandering teachers and miracle workers around. The parabolic method of teaching did not pander to the casual, half-hearted listener. The hearer had to work at it and continue with it. Perception was needed, too, since at face value the stories were about things that just about everybody in the crowd knew already. Unless there was some veiled meaning, they were innocuous, even shallow tales. Yet the perceptive saw more than was obvious.”
~Donald English, The Message of Mark: The Mystery of Faith
II. The Purpose (v. 10-12)
Looking back at the parable, why would Jesus speak this way? His disciples don’t seem to understand it, at the end of chapter 3 his own family don’t seem to fully understand it either, and here Jesus responds with His purpose in v. 10-12.
The “Markan Sandwich” is used when Mark starts a story (v. 1-9) and then inserts something into the middle of it (v.10-12) and then continues on in the story (v. 13-20). The insertion in the middle explains or provides clarity for the rest of the story.
Ultimately, there are two kingdoms and two people in God’s world. God does reveal himself, and by His grace some are invited into His kingdom. Our ability to respond must be given (v. 11). We must be given eyes to see and ears to hear. God is completely sovereign over this act (Col. 1:27, Romans 16:25, Eph. 2:1-10). God is both simultaneously concealing and revealing this reality to the world.
1. Concealed to those “outside” (v. 11)
1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
“The day of the Lord’s favor is a new dawn to widows and lepers, but to the self-centered, self-righteous rabble, it’s just any old day. The parables are just any old stories to some, but they are smart bombs of glory to others.”
~Jared Wilson, The Storytelling God
2. Revealed to those “given” (v. 11)
Colossians 1:27 “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
“Parables alone will not produce faith, otherwise all who hear would believe. Parables are an invitation to faith as is the gospel itself. Neither parables in particular, nor the gospel in general, enforce or ensure faith. What is required is the secret of the kingdom of Jesus. Without that, the parables will simply go on frustrating the hearers, for they mistake the signpost for the destination, the shadow for the reality, the metaphor for the truth.
~Donald English, The Message of Mark: The Mystery of Faith
III. The Particulars (v. 13-20)
Simply, Jesus is the sower, the word is the seed, and the listener is the soil. Understanding that the only variable factor in the equation seems to be the soil is key. Examining this we see 4 types of soil or types of hearing at the heart level:
Soil of the heart that is hardened (v. 14-15)
Soil of the heart that is shallow (v. 16-17)
Soil of the heart that is distracted (v. 18-19)
Soil of the heart that is fruitful (v. 4:20)
"There is such a thing as being 'gospel-hardened': it is possible to sit under sermons till your heart becomes dead, and callous. ... never startled, never astonished. ... you come (to church) but yet the tear does not trickle down your cheek, your soul never seems to mount up to heaven on the wings of praise, nor deep mourning over sin. Your heart is iron…unless God himself shall be pleased to crack it in sunder with an earthquake, or with a heart-quake, there will never be room for the seed of heaven to lodge there."
~ Charles Spurgeon
A key phrase to this whole parable is found in verse 20 when it says “Hear the word and accept it” (v. 20). This is the only response to the gospel that leads to life and life abundant. This response unites us and secures us firmly in Christ. As we abide in Christ, we abide in life. He went into the ground, overcame death, and brought forward eternal life for all who “accept” him (John 12:24).
John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
The gospel alone is the power to save, transform, and bring forth life from death. It alone can produce the lasting fruit of change that we all desperately desire. The beautiful part is it applies to all people, in all places, at all times. So, the question this morning I'll leave you with is: How are you hearing this today? How is the gospel speaking to you? And how might the Holy Spirit in fact be stirring you to respond to that reality?
*BONUS CONTENT (MARK 4:21-34)
Pastor Ian and Pastor Andrew recorded a podcast discussion surrounding chapter 4 verses 21 through 34 which were not covered during the sermon on Sunday morning. You see both the video and audio recordings of this bonus content below.
