Mark 4:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

NIV: Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.'

NASB: Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.'

CSB: Still other seed fell on good ground and it grew up, producing fruit that increased thirty, sixty, and a hundred times."

NLT: Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

As the sower spreads his seed, some falls on the hardened path, the rocky ground, and the thorn patch. The sower's aim, however, is the field of good soil. This soil not only allows the seed to root deeply, it nourishes the sprout, ensuring it grows and produces more seed—up to one hundred times as much as was planted.

Jesus explains that this ground represents the heart that is ready to hear and accept His words (Mark 4:20). It is not hardened, or easily deceived by Satan's lies (Mark 4:15). It does not have a short attention span, vulnerable to criticism of its faith (Mark 4:17). And it is not easily swayed by the delights of the world that would distract it from eternal things (Mark 4:19).

Good soil isn't entirely protected from hardships. People who are open to Jesus' message can still be harassed by Satan, persecuted for their beliefs, and tempted by the world. But they hear Christ's words willingly and openly (Mark 4:24). Like the Bereans, they examine what they are taught to determine what is true (Acts 17:10–12). And they value the truth, letting it inform who they are and what they do.

The natural result is that they emulate Jesus in spreading the gospel and turn into sowers, themselves. They trust God with the harvest (Mark 4:26–29), and watch as their faithfulness draws dozens more to a saving relationship with Jesus.

Mark 4:1–9 is this Gospel's first major account of Jesus' teaching. In the previous chapter, Jesus encountered varied reactions to His ministry. This passage opens with a parable describing why people react in these ways. Ironically, the very act of using parables reveals what kind of a student someone is. Those intrigued by the story and trusting of the teacher want to know more. Those who are hardened, shallow, or distracted don't allow Jesus' message to change their hearts. These events are also found in Matthew 13:1–9 and Luke 8:4–8.

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.