Wednesday of Week 3 of Ordinary Time – Gospel
1Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3“Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9And he said, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”
10When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything comes in parables, 12in order that
‘they may indeed look but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’ ”
13And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the age and the lure of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Commentary on Mark 4:1-20
Today we see Jesus teaching by the seashore. The crowds were so great that Jesus had to use one of his disciples’ boats and preach from there. Generally speaking, Jesus teaches the crowds near the sea, but when teaching his disciples, he tends to go to a mountain or secluded place.
For the first time in Mark, we come across a number of parables spoken by Jesus. Before we go on to discuss the parable in today’s passage, let us make a few remarks about parables in general. In the New Testament the word ‘parable’ represents a wide range of literary forms. In general, however, it can be said that a parable is a way of illustrating a point of Jesus’ teaching through an illustration from daily life. Sometimes there may be an exaggerated element only to make the point of the parable more striking.
Strictly speaking, the difference between a parable and an allegory is that the former just makes one point using a comparison, while in the latter each of the items in the story has a symbolism of its own. Generally speaking, Jesus’ parables were of the first kind, but allegory cannot always be excluded. We will see that today’s parable of the sower is a parable in the strict sense, but when Jesus explains the parable to his disciples it is made to look more like an allegory. That said, this is not a point to argue about.
The parable of the sower, as presented here, is in three parts. The first part seems to be close to what Jesus actually said and, like most parables, just makes one point. That point is that God’s sowing represents his plan to build the Kingdom and to make his reign effective in the world. Although it may seem to meet with partial or total failure in some areas, overall it will certainly succeed. God’s plans will not be frustrated.
It is a parable to induce confidence, especially for a tiny Church in times of difficulty and persecution (which Mark’s Church would have been experiencing). The parable concludes with the call:
If you have ears to hear, then hear!
Listening is a very important element in our relationship with God and Jesus. In the gospel, listening involves:
- actually hearing the message,
- understanding the message,
- assimilating the message into one’s own thinking, and…
Once we have reached the third stage, the fourth and final stage will inevitably follow:
- acting on the message.
Once a way of seeing life becomes part of us, then we will want to behave accordingly. We will not have to force ourselves to act. This is the freedom that comes with being one with Christ and his Way.
The next part of the passage may seem strange. It seems to say that Jesus spoke in parables so that those outside his own circle would not be able to understand. That does not really make sense. Was his message not for all? In fact, Jesus is quoting a rather cynical passage from the Hebrew (Old) Testament about people who keep looking, but never see and keep listening, but never hear (see Is 6:9-10). Why? Because if they did see and understand, they might be converted and change, but they do not want to be converted or to change. They have already made up their minds. We certainly meet people like that today.
In fact, the parables, using graphic images from familiar scenes in daily life, were spoken precisely to help people understand the message of Jesus. But as we have seen, there were those who simply did not want to see even the obvious.
Finally, there is another interpretation of the parable in response to a request by the disciples for an explanation. The explanation somewhat changes the emphasis on the parable itself and it becomes more an allegory than a parable. In the original parable the emphasis is really on the Sower, i.e. God, and the ultimate success of his work.
In this alternate interpretation, the emphasis is on the soil in which the seed is trying to grow. It describes different responses to the Word of God (the seed). We have to realise first that, in Palestine at this time, the sowing took place before the ploughing. Then we need to visualise a rock-strewn field lying fallow since the last harvest. There are public paths going across it. Weeds and brambles have grown up in parts. This is where the farmer will scatter his seed.
Some seed falls on the barren paths. It gets no welcome and never even begins to grow. Birds come and eat it up. This refers to those who come in contact with the message of Jesus, but it never even gets a start in their lives.
Some falls on the rocks, where in the crevices there may be some moisture. Though the seed begins to grow, it soon runs out of moisture and nourishment, and it withers and dies. This soil is compared to those who embrace Christianity with enthusiasm, but once they meet with some opposition or persecution (which would have been common in the early Church), they fall away.
Some seed falls among the weeds and brambles. It takes root, but the weeds are growing too, and they eventually choke out the wheat. This is a picture of the Christian who gets caught up in the prevailing (materialistic) values of the surrounding society and ends up producing nothing.
Finally, there is seed which falls on fertile soil and yields a good harvest in varying amounts. These are the Christians who really ‘hear’ the word (see above) and produce much fruit.
Notice that to be a Christian, it is not enough just to be fervent and observant, but one also must be productive:
…every good tree bears good fruit…Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
(Matt 7:17,19)
Perhaps we may reflect today which of the above categories best describes us.
