Mark 4:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,

NIV: Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;

NASB: And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

CSB: Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

NLT: The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word,

KJV: And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

NKJV: Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

As the sower sows his seeds (Matthew 4:1–9), some land in a patch filled with thorns. The word translated "thorn" is from the Greek root word akantha and is the same word used when describing the crown of thorns Jesus wore on the cross (Matthew 27:29).

In the parable, the soil is good enough to nurture thorny plants, so the seed germinates and grows. But the weeds choke the plant before it can develop grain. The spiritual equivalent would be someone who hears the gospel, allows the message to reach his heart, and even shows some spiritual growth, but doesn't display any spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22–23).

These are the people who see Jesus as a good teacher and Christianity as a unique kind of self-help. They may take biblical principles and apply them to their family or marriage or business. They are drawn to the morality of Christianity, and have the appearance of spiritual growth. What these persons don't understand is that "spiritual growth" is only authentic if it is empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit. The "fruit of the Spirit" isn't a list of attitudes to strive for, but the natural result of allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us (Philippians 2:13).

It is these people who believe they can work for their salvation while keeping one foot in the world. They don't understand that they are interpreting the gospel through the world's point of view, and that same world will not let go easily (Mark 4:19; Matthew 6:24).

Mark 4:10–20 follows Jesus' telling of the parable of the sower, and now and the disciples would like to understand the deeper truths in the story. Jesus made a habit of explaining parables to those who wanted to know more than the general crowd. The fact that they are curious proves that they are the good soil that will produce much fruit. Jesus explains how the growth of the seeds represent why people react differently to His message (Mark 3). The subsequent parables will go deeper into what it will take for the gospel to spread successfully. You can also find this account in Matthew 13:10–23 and Luke 8:9–15.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.