0 SAB Mark 4

All these things are done in parables: 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. 4:11

Trivia: In Mark 1, who called Jesus the Holy One of God?

Mark

CHAPTER 4

The parable of the sower
4:1-9, Cf. Mt 13:1-9, Lk 8:4-8

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.

Jesus began again to teach on the seashore.

Because the crowd was so large, he boarded a boat and spoke from there.

2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

He taught many things by parable.

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

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.

Here is one that he told them:

A sower went out to sow.

Some seed fell on the wayside, and the birds ate them.

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:

Some fell on stony ground, and the seeds sprouted immediately,

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

but died when the sun came up,

because they had no roots.

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

Some fell among thorns, and the thorns choked them,

so they yielded not fruit.

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.

And some fell on good ground, and yielded 30, 60, or 100 fruits.

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

If you have ears, hear.

The purpose of the parables (to confuse people)
4:10-19, Cf. Mt 13:10-17, Lk 8:9-10

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

Later when the twelve were alone with Jesus,

they asked him to explain the parable to them.

11And 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:

12That 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.

Jesus said,

You are permitted to understand what I'm saying about the kingdom of God,

but to everyone else, I speak in parables,

so they see and hear, but don't understand,

lest they should be converted and their sins be forgiven. [1]

Jesus explains the parable of the sower
4:13-20, Cf. Mt 13:18-23, Lk 8:11-15

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Then Jesus said to them,

If you can't understand this parable, how will you understand any of the others?

14 The sower soweth the word.

The sower sows 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.

The seed that falls by the wayside are the people who hear the word, but Satan comes and takes it from 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;

The stony ground refers to people who hear the word gladly,

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.

but give up when troubles and persecution comes.

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.

The ones who are like seeds sown among thorns have the word choked by the riches and cares of this world.

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.

And the seed on good ground are like people who receive the word and bring forth fruit thirty or a hundredfold.

Candles, secrets, haves, and have nots
4:21-25, Cf. Lk 8:16-18

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?

Should you put a candle under a bushel, bed, or candlestick?

22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

Nothing will be hidden or kept secret.

Everything will be exposed.

23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

If you have ears, 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.

But listen to what your hear.

You'll be judged the same way you judge others.

And those who hear will be given more.

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

Because those who have will be given more.

And those who have not will have what little they have taken from them. [2]

More seeds
4:26-29"

26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

Jesus said,

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted seeds in the ground.

27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

He went to sleep, and the next morning the seeds sprouted.

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

And soon the plants were ready to harvest.

29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

So he harvested them.

A mustard seed
4:30-32, Cf. Mt 13:31-32, Lk 13:18-19

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Jesus said,

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,

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:

which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. [3]

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.

But it grows to become the largest of all herbs,

with branches that are large enough for birds to nest.

33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.

Jesus told as many parables as they were able to hear.

34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.

He never said anything that wasn't a parable.

Jesus calms a storm
4:35-41, Cf. Mt 8:23-27, Lk 8:22-25

35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

The same day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples,

Let's go to 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.

So they sent the people away and left in boats.

37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

While they were crossing, a storm came up and swamped the boat that Jesus was in.

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?

Jesus was asleep, so they woke him up, saying,

We're all going to die. Don't you care?

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.

Jesus woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea,

Be quiet.

And it was calm.

40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Jesus said to his disciples,

Why are you afraid? Why don't you have any faith?

And it was calm.

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?

And they were all afraid, saying to one another,

What kind of man is this that even the wind and sea obey him?

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