In my not-so-humble opinion, Mark 4:13 gives us a starting point when beginning the teachings of Jesus.
According to that verse, Jesus taught that we must understand the parable of the sower to understand the other parables. Without the teachings of Jesus, how can we comprehend the prophecies of Revelation or even the letters of Paul?
Jesus shared a few brief sentences, less than 100 words of vivid vignettes. “Listen! Look! He said. Did the audience listen and look through their minds’ eyes? Can we imagine the scenes today?
A sower seeded a field. We read no more of the sower. However, birds devoured wayside seeds. A few lively rockbound sprouts appeared, only to be scorched in the sun because they lacked root. Thorns grew to choke tender plants so tightly that they could not bear fruit.
Can we avoid sadness if we think of the loss of seed and labor?
If so, our moods must change as we “see” the bigger picture. The fruit-laden field flourished. The sower lost comparatively few seed. The small labor resulted in 30, 60 and 100 times growth!
Oh, we could simply learn to labor without fear of failure and we would have learned a great deal.
However, the word tells us so much more. Hopefully we will gain enough to do more than simply pray …thy will be done on Earth…
Mark wrote that the seed is simply the word. Without the other Gospels, we might wonder, “What word?” We hear many words today. Mindless media drivel shapes our lives and fuels our fears in common directions. Personal faith and growth allow us to blossom. However, personal fears and resentments often limit our growth.
Matthew reported that the seed is “the word of the kingdom” and Luke, “the word of God.” The word kingdom alienates some and confuses others, including me. Perhaps you are simply comforted to believe Jesus to be ruler of the kingdom. However, like Luke, I choose to see the seed as the word of God.
And what is the word of God? At this moment, I choose to continue with the teachings of Jesus unless those teachings lead me elsewhere.
Some seed fell on a path and was eaten by birds.
According to the translators, the Gospels use different names but all three writers see the birds as Satan. By the way, you might notice that I prefer Mark’s use of the name Satan because we know of Satan in the Old Testament—before other cultures influenced Hebrew beliefs. However, only Matthew helps us see that Satan gains power when we do not understand the word.
One small example: Amy appeared to be upset with me. Even though I have great experience with reading minds, I know my accuracy remains minimal. So I asked her, “Are you irritated with me because I’m deaf?”
“No,” she replied, “I’m upset because you don’t wear your hearing aids.” I wonder, "Could misunderstanding really cause us difficulty?" :)
Rooted on Rock
A few lively rockbound sprouts appeared, only to wither in the sun because they lacked root.
Like the Gospel writers, we may readily agree that the seed on stony ground represents those new followers who lack the root to remain. However, the Gospels do not tell us what the root represents.
Personally, I suspect that the root represents the wisdom of the Torah. The first commandment and the golden rule distill that wisdom, according to both Jesus and Hillel. More will be revealed about the lack of root in a future post.
Throttled by Thorns
Thorns grew to choke the tender plants so tightly that they could not bear fruit.
The three writers agreed that cares and riches keep some of us from being fruitful. However, Luke went a bit further and said that when some “choked by cares and riches and pleasures of this life…go forth… [they] bring no fruit to perfection.”
I wonder, “What cares? The morning paper? The evening news? The judgments of my favorite political commentator?
As for riches, I live comfortably. However, Solomon, with all his wealth, could not go 60 miles per hour or enjoy 70-degree comfort in 100-degree heat. By comparison, I just might be choked with riches.
As for pleasures of this world, I occupy much of my time with viewing television, eating too much and cruising the internet. Indeed, the pleasures of this life just might diminish my opportunities to be fruitful.
I shudder in fear while walking in faith. Still, I wonder, “How fruitful am I? In fact, what does it mean to be fruitful?”
A Flourising Field
In the parable, the flourishing field inspires me. According to Jesus, the sower lost comparatively few seed. The sower’s small labor results in 30, 60 and 100 times growth—even untended!
Actually, Luke reported the numerical growth differently than Matthew and Mark. He also used different results to explain the harvest. In the Good News Translation, Luke 8:15 says,
“The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message and
retain it in a good and obedient heart, and they persist until they bear fruit.”
I persist joyfully and pray that I may begin to bear fruit. Until that time, I enjoy comfort knowing that unlike the seed of the parable:
- We may help each other understand, thereby reducing evil around us.
- We may gain root, thereby remaining loyal to the teachings.
- We may be more fruitful as we reduce our concerns with the cares, riches and pleasures of this life.
May we remain grateful knowing that the fields shall flourish!
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