The story of the parable of the Parable of the Sower (Mk 4:1–20 and parallels) is clearly meant to be a lesson about how different people respond to the teaching of Jesus. We can be sure of this because when Jesus’ disciples ask about the meaning of the parable this is what Jesus spends most of his time explaining (vv. 11–20). Moreover, Jesus concludes the parable itself with the direction: “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (v. 9).
By teaching in parables, Jesus was fulfilling the prophetic pattern enacting judgment on heard-hearted Israel. He was unapologetic in his critique of the shallow interest of the crowds (vv. 11–12). The disciples are meant to be those who listen to Jesus and keep listening; who ask questions and follow up (v. 10); and so like the good soil produce a crop, “some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown” (v. 20).
However, I think there are other lessons that we can draw from this parable that complement this primary point.
Should We Expect Any More?
What I’m proposing might sound a little bit risky. If Jesus wanted other points to be gleaned from his teaching, why not spend more time drawing specific attention to them in his interpretation? However, I believe we should expect Jesus’ teaching to be rich fare, able to communicate more than one thing. This parable teaches that much growth comes from listening to Jesus, so couldn’t that mean that even this parable has a lot to say?
In the structure of his Gospel, Mark has made his readers incredibly hungry to listen to Jesus, having only hinted at the content of his teaching thus far. Jesus bursts onto the scene with an unequivocal divine endorsement, through an audible voice from heaven and physical manifestation of the Spirit (1:10–11). But then Mark has us wait until chapter 4 before we get to listen to Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom in an extended fashion, on his own terms. We know Jesus had a proclamation of God’s kingdom (1:14–15), that he preached in different contexts (for e.g. 1:29, 1:31; 2:2, 2:13), and that he needed to go more places to preach in order to fulfil his mission (1:38), but we read very little of that teaching until chapter 4.
I don’t want to go beyond what is written, but here’s what I’ve noticed as I’ve reflected on the text.
An Optimistic Farmer, Precious Seed, an Outrageous Harvest
Farmers, from my experience in the mid-west of Western Australia, are very thoughtful about what they plant and where. Seed is expensive and you wouldn’t want to waste it. Jesus’ sower is incredibly liberal, or at least unconcerned that some seed is eaten by birds, unable to take root or choked out by weeds.
What is that seed? Jesus explains that directly, albeit briefly, in Mark 4:14: “ The farmer sows the word.” This is shorthand that Mark uses for Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom (for e.g. 2:2; 4:33) and for a proper interpretation of the Scriptures (for e.g. 7:13). The seed is even more precious than that which might be saved for next year’s crop. It is God’s word and the gospel as Jesus preached it.
A third thing to notice is that the harvest is outrageously bountiful. This can be lost on modern readers, simply because of our distance from farming practices. Jesus repeats the result: thirty, sixty, one hundred times what was sown (vv. 8, 20). With all our modern technology and fertiliser, figures from Agriculture Victoria suggest that a twenty-six-times yield can be expected on average. In this parable, even the minimum yield on the good soil exceeds that. Some even doubles or triples it! Such bumper harvests in Jesus’ context could only have been interpreted as the blessing of the God who makes the rain fall and sun shine (Matt 5:45).
Putting These Observations Together
Putting these three ideas together leads us to understand more of Jesus’ mission and how we ought to respond.
Firstly, we gain an insight into Jesus’ concern as the chief sower of the word. He is unconcerned about wasting seed because, while it is indeed precious, there is plenty to go around. For his seed is the word of God. Jesus is not worried about words wastefully falling on deaf ears, as if they were scarce. He’ll just keep reaching into the bag to toss out more. The sower appears to be more concerned that that a section of good soil might remain unsown, than that the seed might be sown too liberally.
Secondly, we see that this is all from God, from seed to harvest. The seed is his word, he’s the one who sent the farmer and he’s the one who richly blesses the harvest. On the one hand, this means that we cannot ever take our growth and potential for granted, since even good soil remains only a patch of dirt without the sower, his seed and God’s blessing. On the other hand, Jesus is showing his disciples that that all his actions are divinely endorsed. It’s God’s work from beginning to end and we need to be humble and thankful for what we receive in Jesus.
Thirdly, we who value Jesus’ word and persevere in hearing and accepting it should dial our expectations of God’s blessings up to eleven. An unseeded paddock, no matter how good the soil is, can produce nothing. But if the ground will receive and retain the seed then it can can exceed all reasonable prediction—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times! The maturity and potential we’re speaking of is on his terms and not ours, but we should surely be aware that when we (who by ourselves can do nothing) keep listening to Christ, we can exceed all expectations. That should make us listen all the more.
Finally, even though such scattergun sowing would ordinarily be terrible farming practice, this is what Jesus did and what God wants for sowers of his word. The return on good soil will more than make up for any “wasted seed” along the way. As we preach and promote the gospel, there might indeed be hard soil. But we must, like Jesus, be willing to sow optimistically. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Despite the utter preciousness of this seed, the bag will never run out. You don’t have to be afraid to sprinkle seed far and wide.
More Reasons to Listen
None of this should take away from the key lesson of the parable, that of the importance of listening to Jesus. Instead, it underscores and enriches that lesson, showing us that there’s even more to find in Jesus’ teaching, giving us more reason to look. Jesus offers the secret of the kingdom to those who ask. Jesus sows the word of the Lord everywhere and we should do likewise.
