Following the Master-4 (Soils)

Mark 4:1-20 (TNIV)

 1 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. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times."

    9 Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear."

    10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 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 12 so that, 

       " 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

       and ever hearing but never understanding;

       otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "

    13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 1415 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. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 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. 20 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." 

Are we really listening?  It's not that we don't hear things . . . the question is whether or not we are really listening to what we hear.  Listening is more than a matter of ears absorbing sound waves, but something much more.What are we listening to?  Who are we listening to?  How many conversations would you like to begin by saying to people "Listen!"?  Is it any real surprise to us that Jesus might have to begin one of his parables by telling people to listen? 

Listen.  Listen.  Why do we struggle with this so much?  What do we need to hear?  This parable of Jesus explores this a bit through the imagery of the sower and the seed.  If you would like to listen to Pastor Saul's sermon once again, or for the first time, click here to access our sermon library.

As we listen, some of the things Pastor Saul suggests that we should notice as we listen are:

• The focus of the parable is primarily not on the seed or even the sower, but the soil . . .  the place in the story where the "listening" happens, or not.

• Even Jesus' own disciples had a hard time listening, at least well enough to think carefully about what He was saying to them.  Jesus was giving them a story to chew and reflect on, they wanted pre-chewed food.

• The various soils represent the various ways that we allow the listening process to be

sabotaged - or perhaps not.  What kind of soil are we?  What kind of hearers are we?  What additional things do you hear as you listen?

In what ways might the song to the left be a "parable" that conveys a similar message?