Mark 4:1-41

Christ in the Bible: Mark’s Gospel

Keith Simons

This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.

Chapter 4

The story about the seeds

Verses 1-9

Every farmer knows that he must plant his seeds in good *soil. Seeds are expensive. Also, they are important. You cannot make flour without seeds. And you need flour to make bread.

A farmer wastes any seeds that do not fall on good *soil. Birds eat any seeds that fall on paths. The hot sun kills plants if the *soil is not deep enough. And any weeds are stronger than the farmer’s young plants.

A farmer only plants this kind of seed for one purpose. He wants more seeds. Then he will have seeds that he can sell. And he will have food that he can eat.

Jesus did not explain his story to the people. He wanted them to think about it. God had sent a message to them. So it was clear that, like the farmer, he had a purpose.

People are not ready to learn

Verses 10-12

Jesus explained all these stories to his *disciples. He wanted them to know how God rules his people. Jesus’ *disciples were ready to learn.

But many people in the crowds were not ready to learn. Some people were against Jesus. And some people only wanted Jesus to help them. They did not want to learn anything. They did not want to obey God. They would not think about Jesus’ words.

Jesus said that Isaiah 6:9-10 described these people well. They listened to everything. But they learned nothing. They would never obey God. And God would not save them.

Jesus explains the story about the seeds

Verses 13-20

Jesus explained the story in Mark 4:1-9 to his *disciples. It was not a difficult story. It was easy to understand.

The seed is like God’s message. *Soil receives all the farmer’s seeds. And people receive God’s message. But all the seeds do not fall in the same place. Some places are better than other places. And people are different from each other. Some people obey God if they hear his message. Other people do not obey God.

Some people do not even begin to obey God. They hear God’s message. But immediately, *Satan takes it from them.

Other people like God’s message. They start to obey it. But soon they change their minds. They decide that it is too difficult to obey God.

Other people try to obey God. But other things seem very important to them. They may think about their troubles. They may think about their money. They may think about other things. But they do not still think about God’s message. So they cannot obey him.

God sent his message for a purpose. He sent it so that people would obey him. Those people are like the good plants in Jesus’ story. God will help them to do the things that he wants. Those people will not waste their lives. They will use their lives well, because they will do God’s work.

Jesus speaks about a *lamp

Verses 21-25

The only purpose for a *lamp is to give light. Nobody hides a *lamp.

The *lamp was like God’s message. Jesus had told God’s message to the *disciples. And they must tell it to other people.

God’s message is like something that is valuable. Usually, a person loses something valuable if he does not keep it. But light is different. It is only valuable if people can see it. A person wastes it if he does not give the light away.

So God wanted the *disciples to take his message to many people. If they did that, they would not lose the message! Instead, they would receive even more!

Only God can save

Verses 26-29

This man knows how to plant his seeds. But he does not know how his plants grow. He does not tell his plants what they must do. But each plant grows by itself. And it continues to grow until the new seeds are ready.

It is God who causes the seeds to grow. So the man did his work. But God did the most important work.

The seed is like God’s message. People must tell God’s message to other people. But only God can save someone. Only God can change a person’s life. These things are God’s work.

The plant called mustard

Verses 30-34

This seed was very small. But it became a very large plant.

During Jesus’ life on earth, only a few people believed God’s message. But they told other people. And God did his work. So many more people believed.

Today, there are very many Christians across the world. God has done this. He wants everyone to know his message.

A storm on Lake Galilee

Verses 35-41

Lake Galilee is a very large lake. There are often storms on the lake. But this storm was very bad. There were several *disciples who had worked on the boats there. But even those *disciples were very afraid. They thought that they would die.

Jesus had authority over that storm. He told the wind to stop. And it stopped. The sea became flat again. The wind and the water had to obey Jesus.

It was clear that God had done this. A man cannot stop a storm. So, after the storm, the *disciples were afraid of Jesus. They still did not know who he really was. But by God’s authority, Jesus had saved their lives.

This book is in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).

Gospel ~ a book that tells about the things that Jesus did. And it includes some things that he taught. There are 4 Gospels in the Bible. They are the books by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
soil ~ the top part of the ground. Plants grow in it.
disciple ~ a student of a great teacher. Usually, the disciple travelled with his teacher and he worked for his teacher.
soil ~ the top part of the ground. Plants grow in it.
Satan ~ the bad angel whom God sent away from heaven a long time ago.
angel ~ one of God’s special servants in heaven. Angels bring messages from God.
heaven ~ God’s home.
lamp ~ a light to use in a house.

Mark’s Good News

Mark’s Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 4

Jesus teaches by means of *parables 4:1-34

1 The *parable of the four soils 4:1-9

2 Jesus explains the *parable 4:10-20

3 A collection of things that Jesus said 4:21-25

4 The *parable of the growing seed 4:26-29

5 The *parable of the tiny seed 4:30-32

6 Jesus’ use of *parables 4:33-34

The *parable of the four soils 4:1-9

v1 Again Jesus began to teach at the side of the sea. A very large crowd gathered round him. So he got into a boat and he sat in it on the sea. The whole crowd was at the side of the sea, on the land. v2 He taught them many things in *parables. This was one of them. v3 ‘Listen! A farmer went out to sow some seed. v4 As he scattered the seed, some fell along the path. The birds came and they ate it up. v5 Other seed fell on shallow soil with rock underneath. Immediately the seed sprang up, because the soil was not deep. v6 When the sun came up, it burnt the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. v7 Some seed fell among weeds. The weeds grew up and they stopped the plant from growing. It therefore could not yield any grain. v8 Other seeds fell into good soil. They grew up. They yielded a crop 30, 60 or a hundred times as much as the seed that the farmer had planted.’ v9 And Jesus said, ‘He who has ears should listen.’

Verses 3-4 Farmers used to scatter the seed by hand. Afterwards they would plough it in. People who used a path through a field would make the ground hard. Birds would quickly eat seeds that fell on top of the path.

Verses 5-6 Seeds could not make strong roots where there was only a thin amount of soil over the rock. They would grow, but the plants would be thin and weak. The hot sun would therefore destroy the weak young plants.

Verse 7 Weeds would use up the goodness in the soil. They would stop the light of the sun from reaching the plants. They would take up all the space. So the plants would not be able to grow enough to yield a crop.

Verse 8 Enough seed would fall on good ground to yield a harvest.

Verse 9 Jesus meant, ‘You have ears to hear with. Listen carefully to what I am saying.’

Jesus explains the *parable 4:10-20

v10 When Jesus was alone, the 12 *disciples asked him about the *parables. So did the other *disciples round him. v11 Jesus told them, ‘You have received the secret of God’s *kingdom. But I use *parables to tell everything to those outside. v12 In this way they will see. But they will never know what they are seeing. They will hear, but they will not understand. Otherwise, they might change their ways and God might forgive them.’ v13 And he said to them, ‘If you do not understand this *parable, you will never understand all the *parables. v14 The farmer sows the word (God’s message). v15 The ones on the path mean people who hear God’s message. But as soon as they hear it, *Satan at once takes away the message from their minds. v16 In the same way, some seed fell on the shallow soil over rocks. That means other people who hear the message. They believe it immediately with joy. v17 But their roots are not very deep. They last for a while. But when trouble or pain happen because of God’s word, they lose their *faith. v18 Other people are like the seeds among weeds. They hear and believe the message. v19 But the worries of this life, the delight in wealth and the desire for other things come. They stop the message, so that their *faith never grows. So it never yields fruit. v20 And there are those seeds that fall on the good soil. Those people hear the message and they believe it. They yield fruit, 30, 60 or even one hundred times as much as the farmer planted.’

Verses 10-11 Jesus contrasted his *disciples with other people. The truths of the *kingdom are ‘secrets’ because people cannot discover them for themselves. But some people are willing to believe. And God shows that Jesus is king to those people. The ordinary person would hear the story but he or she would not understand its meaning.

Verse 12 Jesus used words from Isaiah (6:9). People were ‘blind’ because of their prejudices. They were ‘deaf’ to the truth because they were not willing to change their ways. Those who sincerely want to obey God will think about the meaning of the *parables. They will understand the truths in them. Those who have no real desire to obey God will not understand. The *parable will hide the truth from them.

Verse 14 The ‘farmer’ means first of all Jesus himself. Then the farmer can mean anyone who tells people about the *gospel.

Verse 15 The ‘seed’ of God’s message cannot enter the minds of people who are like the hard path. They have no interest at all in the *gospel. They do not realise how important it is.

Verses 16-17 Some people may accept what Jesus taught with joy. But, like a plant without deep roots, their *faith is not very strong. They do not let their *faith make a real difference to the way that they live. Problems and *temptations come. People insult or even attack them. Then their *faith dies like the plant in the hot sun.

Verses 18-19 Like tall weeds, there are many things that push out the life of *faith. They may be responsibilities, ambitions, the desire for money. Or they may be any of a wide variety of things that people enjoy doing. Some of these things are not wrong in themselves. But they can provide excuses to neglect the *spiritual life of prayer and *worship. They occupy so much time and attention that there is no space left for God.

Verse 20 Some people accept and believe the message. They are serious about their *faith and they produce the ‘fruit’ of a good life.

The *parable might cause people to think about their own ‘soil’. Their attitude would show whether their *faith was genuine. The *parable would also encourage the *disciples. There would be a ‘harvest’ of those who believed Jesus and his *disciples. This was true even if some of their efforts seemed to have no good result. God’s word would not ‘return to him without succeeding’ (Isaiah 55:11).

A collection of things that Jesus said 4:21-25

Mark groups together some of the things that Jesus said. In Matthew and Luke, they are separate from each other.

The lamp 4:21-22

v21 Jesus said to them, ‘You do not bring in a lamp in order to put it under a large bowl or under a bed. You put it on something tall. v22 One day, everyone will see clearly whatever people are hiding now. Every secret must come out into the light.’

Verse 21 A lamp would be of no use if people hid it under something. It should light up a room so that people can see. Jesus’ *disciples must not hide their *faith. They must allow other people to see the ‘light’ of God’s good news.

Verse 22 Men may try to cover up their actions, words and thoughts. But they will not be successful. Adam and Eve tried to hide from God, but they failed (Genesis 3:8-9). In the end, God will bring everything into the ‘light’ of his judgement.

The result when people listen 4:23-25

v23 ‘Anyone who has ears must listen’, he said. v24 And he said to them, ‘Be careful how you listen. You will get whatever you give. And you will receive even more. v25 Because the person who has will receive more. But some people do not have much of anything. They will lose whatever they do have.’

Verses 23-24 People must listen so that they can understand. Then they should obey what Jesus taught. Then, they will be able to understand more of the truth.

Verse 25 For example, a man may play football or he may run fast. He becomes more skilful if he practises. But he loses his skill if he does not practise. Some people do not try to understand Jesus’ *parables. In the end, they will lose the power to take any notice of them.

The *parable of the growing seed 4:26-29

This *parable is in Mark’s *Gospel only.

v26 Jesus said, ‘This is what the *kingdom of God is like. A farmer plants seeds in his field. v27 He goes to sleep at night and he wakes up in the day. The seed begins to grow, but he does not know how. v28 The earth produces fruit without help from anyone. First, there is the stem, then the part that will have seeds in, then all the seeds in that part. v29 When the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts the corn at once. He cuts it because the time of harvest has come.’

Verses 26-28 A farmer can prepare the ground, but he cannot make the seed grow. He does not even understand how it grows. While he is carrying on his normal life, the seed is growing. *Disciples are like the farmer. They can work to give the ‘seed’ of God’s message to other people. But it is God who works out his purpose. His purpose is to bring more people into his *kingdom. People think that the *kingdom grows slowly. But *disciples know that God will bring a harvest.

Verse 29 There is also a final harvest. It is God’s day of judgement. Christians should wait for that time with patience and hope. They are like the farmer who is waiting for the harvest.

The *parable about the tiny seed 4:30-32

v30 Jesus said, ‘It is hard to say what the *kingdom of God is like. It is hard to find a *parable to use for it.

v31 It is like the tiny seed called mustard. It is the smallest of all seeds when you put it into the ground. v32 But it grows up and it becomes the largest of all bushes. So even the birds can make nests in its shade.’

Verses 31-32 The mustard seed is very tiny. The *Jews spoke about it as the smallest seed. But it can grow into a very tall bush, more like a tree. The *kingdom of God began with few *disciples. But it has grown and it has become world-wide. A tree was picture language for a powerful nation. Many people will find safety in God’s *Kingdom.

Jesus’ use of *parables 4:33-34

v33 Jesus used many such *parables. He taught as much as the people were able to understand. v34 He did not speak without *parables. But when he was alone with his *disciples, he explained the meaning to them.

Verse 33 Jesus used *parables so that people would think about the meaning of his words. He told stories that were suitable for the hearers.

Verse 34 The *disciples wanted to understand. Jesus could therefore help them to understand what he taught completely.

Four *miracles Chapter 4:35 - Chapter 5:34

Mark recorded four incidents that show the authority and power of Jesus:

1 The storm on the lake 4:35-41.

2 The mad man from Gerasa 5:1-20.

3 The daughter of Jairus 5:21-24; 35-43. This incident is in two parts.

4 The account of the woman who was bleeding (5:25-34). This account is between the two parts of the account of Jairus’s daughter.

The storm on the lake 4:35-41

v35 That day, in the evening, Jesus said to his *disciples, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ v36 So they left the crowd. They took him with them, exactly as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. v37 A great storm of wind started and the waves came over the side into the boat. It was nearly full of water. v38 But Jesus was in the back of the boat. He was asleep with his head on a cushion. They woke him up, and they said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care if we die?’ v39 Jesus woke and he gave a command to the wind, ‘Be quiet!’ And he said to the sea, ‘Be still!’ And the wind became less strong, and everything became very calm. v40 Jesus said to them, ‘There is no reason for you to be so afraid. You still do not seem to believe at all!’ v41 They felt fear and surprise. They said to each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

Verse 35 You hardly believe me at all! There is no reason for you to be so afraid Jesus had been so busy all day that he needed rest away from the crowds. The ‘other side’ means the east side of the lake.

Verse 36 Jesus had taught from a boat. The words ‘exactly as he was’ probably mean that Jesus did not leave that boat. The detail about the ‘other boats’ is in Mark’s *Gospel only.

Verse 37 The lake is below sea level and there are mountains on both sides of it. The wind can rush down the valley without warning. And it can make the lake very dangerous. Some of the *disciples used to catch fish and so they knew about these sudden storms. They knew how easily the boat might sink. Then they would drown.

Verse 38 Jesus was so tired that he was asleep. He was not even aware of the storm until the frightened *disciples woke him.

Verse 39 Jesus gave orders that immediately brought calmness to the lake. The writer of the Psalms says that God makes the stormy sea calm (Psalms 89:9; Psalms 107:28-29). Jesus had shown his authority over nature in the same way as God who created everything. Jesus said that his *disciples ‘still’ did not seem to believe at all. He was sad. They had heard so much that he had said. And they had seen so many things that he had done. But they were still not able to trust him.

Jesus can bring calmness in the events in life that are like ‘storms’. Christians often use this event in Matthew 4 to show that he can do that. Sudden *temptations, illness, family problems and political troubles are a great danger to a person’s peace of mind. To have *faith in the care and power of Jesus is better than to worry and to be afraid.

parable ~ a story with a hidden meaning.
disciples ~ people who follow someone in order to learn from him.
kingdom ~ people or place that a king rules; or people that God rules.
Satan ~ the chief evil spirit.
spirit ~ the part of a person who is alive that we cannot see. There are good spirits, like God’s Spirit and his angels. And there are bad spirits, like Satan and his angels.
angel ~ God’s special messenger.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
faith ~ belief in someone or something, or things that Christians believe about Jesus.
gospel ~ good news that God saves people from sin by Jesus Christ.
Gospel ~ one of the first four books in the New Testament.
save ~ rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about Jesus’ works and the things that he taught and about the first Christians.
temptation ~ something that tries to make us do wrong things.'spiritual, spiritually ~ about the part of us that never dies.
worship ~ show honour to God, usually with other people.
gospel ~ good news that God saves people from sin by Jesus Christ.
Gospel ~ one of the first four books in the New Testament.
save ~ rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ when people do not obey God’s commands.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus. It is about Jesus’ works and the things that he taught and about the first Christians.
disciples ~ people who follow someone in order to learn from him.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes what Jews believe.
kingdom ~ people or place that a king rules; or people that God rules.
miracle ~ a wonderful work that someone does by God’s power.