The sower, one of Jesus’ parables
Read Mark 4:1-9, 13-20
1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
Discussion questions
Question 1. In this agricultural parable, Jesus teaches truths about Him, His Word, and us.
a. What or who is represented by the farmer?
b. What or who is represented by the seed?
c. What or who is represented by the soil?
Question 2. Which four types of soil do you see?
a. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the reasons the seed is not becoming a plant?
What or who is represented by the birds? Vss. 4, 15
b. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the reasons the seed is not becoming a plant?
What or who is represented by rocky places? Vss. 5, 16-17
c. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the many reasons the seed is not becoming a fruit bearing
plant?
d. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
Why is this soil called good? Do you see it in the text? If not, describe why you would call it good soil.
What are the reasons this type of soil is bearing fruit? What is the multiplication factor?
What kind of fruit bearing is meant here? Compare Galatians 5:22
Question 3. What type of soil represents you?
Question 4. Do you want to become another type of soil? If so, what do you need to do? (if possible, use agricultural terms to describe your actions)
Question 5. If you could change the title of this parable, how would you call it?
Read Mark 4:1-9, 13-20
1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
Discussion questions
Question 1. In this agricultural parable, Jesus teaches truths about Him, His Word, and us.
a. What or who is represented by the farmer?
b. What or who is represented by the seed?
c. What or who is represented by the soil?
Question 2. Which four types of soil do you see?
a. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the reasons the seed is not becoming a plant?
What or who is represented by the birds? Vss. 4, 15
b. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the reasons the seed is not becoming a plant?
What or who is represented by rocky places? Vss. 5, 16-17
c. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
What are the many reasons the seed is not becoming a fruit bearing
plant?
d. The
REVEAL ANSWER
What happens to the seed?
Why is this soil called good? Do you see it in the text? If not, describe why you would call it good soil.
What are the reasons this type of soil is bearing fruit? What is the multiplication factor?
What kind of fruit bearing is meant here? Compare Galatians 5:22
Question 3. What type of soil represents you?
Question 4. Do you want to become another type of soil? If so, what do you need to do? (if possible, use agricultural terms to describe your actions)
Question 5. If you could change the title of this parable, how would you call it?