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The Gospel of Mark

Chapter 4: Fruit for God and Light for Man

Published since 02. Sep. 2025
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Mark 4
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And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that going on board ship he sat in the sea, and all the crowd were close to the sea on the land. And he taught them many things in parables. And he said to them in his doctrine, Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow. And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up out [of the ground] because it had no depth of earth; and when the sun arose it was burnt up, and because of its not having any root, it withered. And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred. And he said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables. And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables, that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven. And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all the parables? The sower sows the word: and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. And these are they in like manner who are sown upon the rocky places, who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, and they have no root in themselves, but are for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are offended. And others are they who are sown among the thorns: these are they who have heard the word, and the cares of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And these are they who have been sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit; one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred [fold]. And he said to them, Does the lamp come that it should be put under the bushel or under the couch? [Is it] not that it should be set upon the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest; nor does any secret thing take place, but that it should come to light. If any one have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said to them, Take heed what ye hear; with what measure ye mete, it shall be meted to you; and there shall be [more] added to you. For whosoever has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, even what he has shall be taken from him. And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise up night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth bears fruit of itself, first [the] blade, then an ear, then full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is produced, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest is come. And he said, How should we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison should we compare it? As to a grain of mustard [seed], which, when it is sown upon the earth, is less than all seeds which are upon the earth, and when it has been sown, mounts up and becomes greater than all herbs, and produces great branches, so that the birds of heaven can roost under its shadow. And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear, but without a parable spoke he not to them; and in private he explained all things to his disciples. And on that day, when evening was come, he says to them, Let us go over to the other side: and having sent away the crowd, they take him with [them], as he was, in the ship. But other ships also were with him. And there comes a violent gust of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it already filled. And *he* was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they awake him up and say to him, Teacher, dost thou not care that we are perishing? And awaking up he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Silence; be mute. And the wind fell, and there was a great calm. And he said to them, Why are ye [thus] fearful? how [is it] ye have not faith? And they feared [with] great fear, and said one to another, Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

In the fourth chapter of Mark, we encounter four parables and the incident of the storm on the lake, which together provide a comprehensive picture of the Lord's ministry on earth at His first coming and the resulting impact during His absence.

(Vv. 1-20) The rejection of Christ by the Jewish leaders and the consequent severing of ties with Israel, as highlighted in Mark 3, leads to a revelation of the true nature of the Lord's service. Up to this point in His ministry of grace, it may have seemed that He was seeking fruit from Israel. However, the parable of the Sower reveals that He was actually working to produce fruit. His ministry served as a test for Israel, proving that fallen man can bear no fruit for God on his own. Any potential fruit can only arise from God's work in the hearts of men, illustrated by the sowing of the seed.

Moreover, since God's work cannot be limited to one nation, it shows that both Jews and Gentiles are equally in need and helpless to secure their blessings. Thus, the Lord's ministry of grace encompasses the entire world. This principle is underscored by the fact that the Lord "began again to teach by the seaside."

In a strict interpretation of the parable, it is important to recognize that the Lord is the Sower, and the seed represents the word of God. Consequently, the Sower is perfect, the sowing is faultless, and the seed is good. However, due to the character of the soil, in three out of four cases, there is no lasting result. The parable illustrates that when the gospel is preached, it may be received by four different types of hearers: those on the "wayside," those on "stony ground," those likened to "thorny ground," and finally, those who are "good ground" hearers.

The "wayside" hearers listen without having their conscience engaged. They are like seeds falling on hard ground and failing to penetrate beneath the surface. Birds easily devour such seed, and similarly, Satan can take away those thoughts that only capture fleeting interest without affecting the conscience.

The seed that falls on stony ground springs up and shows initial promise, but it fades away quickly under the heat of the sun due to a lack of depth in the soil. The Lord explains that this represents those who, upon hearing the word, immediately receive it with joy, but there is no genuine work of God in their souls. It is concerning when someone receives the word with joy without any prior reflection. When God is at work in someone's heart, He deals with the conscience, awakening a sense of sin and guilt. The first effect of the word often leads to trouble rather than joy, leading to self-judgment and repentance toward God. After this self-judgment, darkness gives way to light, allowing God's truth to penetrate the heart and inspire confidence through His love once the light has done its work.

The third type of hearer receives the good news, but the word is choked and produces no lasting results. In all these cases, the Lord speaks of those who have heard the word rather than those who have never heard the gospel. Hearing the word signifies some form of profession that may suggest true conversion until proven otherwise. Thorny ground hearers represent those so overwhelmed by present anxieties or consumed with worldly pursuits that their profession diminishes. The desires for other things choke out what is truly necessary. The poor may be burdened by cares, while the rich may fall victim to the deceitfulness of wealth. It is sobering to think that a soul may be ruined by cares or lost due to riches. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?

The final case is that of the good ground hearer. Good ground is always prepared ground, where the conscience has been reached, leading to the production of fruit, though in varying degrees—some yielding thirty, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. The things detrimental to the unbeliever may still greatly hinder the fruitfulness of the true believer.

In the second parable, we learn that the one who has received the good seed of the word into their heart is both fitted and responsible to be a witness to others. The fruit that glorifies God becomes light for humanity. This shining of light is not merely about having a gift or exercising it in preaching and teaching, but rather about the new life reflecting something of Christ as it becomes evident in our character: "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15).

The Lord warns us that while there may be hindrances to the seed becoming effective, similarly, genuine work in the heart can also be hindered from shining forth to others. Just as the cares of this world can choke the seed, our light can be dimmed by getting too caught up in the business of life, represented by a bushel, or by seeking comfort, illustrated by a bed. The Christian is seen not merely as a light but as a light-holder. Christ is the light, while the Christian acts as the candlestick or light-bearer.

Ultimately, our faithfulness or unfaithfulness in bearing witness for Christ will be revealed. The key to shining for Christ is having Christ in our hearts. "Unless the heart is full of Christ, the truth will not be revealed: if the heart is filled with other things, Christ cannot be shown" (J.N.D.).

So, how can we fill our hearts with Christ? The Lord's instruction suggests that to enlighten others, we must first hear for ourselves: "If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." The Lord can assert through the prophet, "The Lord Jehovah has given me the tongue of the instructed, that I should know how to comfort the weary with a word. He wakes me morning by morning; He awakens my ear to hear as the instructed" (Isa. 50:4, N.Tr.). To speak as one instructed, we must first be learners ourselves. To know how to comfort the weary, we must first receive the word from One who is never weary. Like Mary of old, we need to sit at His feet to hear His word before we can witness to others.

Additionally, as we witness to others, we will also receive blessings ourselves, for the Lord states, "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you." The more we share with others, the more we will be given in return. If we allow our light to shine, we will receive more light. It has been aptly stated that Heaven's law is "Scattering for increase." However, we must also remember that if we neglect to use the light we have, we will eventually lose it. It is not our life that we lose, but the light.

In verses 26-29, the Lord uses a third parable to illustrate that believers give their testimony during His absence. The Kingdom of God was about to take on a form in which the King would not be present. It resembles a man who plants seeds in the ground and does nothing further until harvest. The Lord personally sowed the seed at His first coming and will return at the end of the age when the judgment of this world is ready. Between His first and second comings, the Lord is at the right hand of God, continually working in grace on behalf of His people, yet He does not publicly and directly interfere in world affairs. However, the seed that the Lord has sown grows and bears fruit.

In verses 30-34, the final parable depicts the results of seed-sowing when left to man's responsibility. Initially, Christianity appeared very small, similar to a "grain of mustard seed," but it has become a great power on earth in man's hands. Yet, in its vastness, it also shelters evil; "the fowls of the air lodge under its shelter." What initially gathered souls around the Lord ultimately develops into a large system that conceals every evil thing.

Verses 35-41 present an incident involving a storm on the lake, which summarizes the chapter's teaching. We have seen the Lord sowing the good seed, and we've learned that those in whose hearts the seed takes effect are left in this world to be a light for Christ. The third parable taught us that this witness occurs during His absence, while the last parable warns us that a vast religious profession would grow during this time, providing shelter for evil. Now we learn that amidst such a world, the Lord's true followers will face trials, but the Lord Jesus, though absent to sight, is present to faith and remains supreme over all the storms His people encounter.

The narrative begins with the Lord's words, "Let us pass over to the other side." His last words to Peter before leaving this world were, "Follow thou Me." Drawn by our need and His grace, we follow Him along a path leading to "the other side," far into the glorious depths where He has gone. However, when we are in His company, we should expect conflict, as the devil is always opposed to Christ. In the story, "there arose a great storm of wind." Yet Jesus was with them, even though He was "asleep on a pillow." Just as in the parable, where the sower slept after sowing the seed, He appeared to be indifferent to His people's trials during the storm. Such circumstances can test our faith, causing us to question whether He truly cares for us. While they test our faith, they also provide an opportunity to reveal His supremacy over all our trials. Just as He "arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still,'" He can still calm every storm and bring us into "a great calm" in His own time and way. In the spirit of this striking scene, the apostle writes to the Thessalonian believers, "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all" (2 Thess. 3:16). Faith recognizes that no matter what storms we face, the Lord is with us, offering peace at all times and in every circumstance. Focused on "a great storm of wind and the waves" crashing into our little ship, we may forget Christ and selfishly think only of ourselves, leading us to declare, "We perish." But will any storm raised by the devil ever thwart God's purposes for Christ and His people? None of His sheep will ever perish; all will be brought home eventually. As often happens with us, the disciples' trouble arises from a feeble understanding of the glory of the Person with us. They hardly realized that the Man in their midst was also the Son of God.

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