Sharing Bread Mark 4:1-9

SHARING BREAD

¹ Again 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. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

⁹ Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Mark 4:1-9 (NIV)

Once again we discover the great throngs surrounding our Lord.   Previously we found Jesus teaching in the Synagogue and now we see His venue changing to the water’s edge – ever on the pursuit to reach all.    The masses gathered around Him crowding Him such that He retreats to a boat, sits down and ventures out on the lake.  His voice would certainly carry better over the waters – similar to having a microphone effect - and the view of Him by most if not all of the crowd would have been much improved.  He begins by teaching those in His hearing many things - Scripture tells us – spoken by our Lord in parables to convey rich spiritual Truth.  Parabolic teaching would have been a greater attraction for them enticing their ears to listen and absorb His Words.  People enjoy being spoken to in their common vernacular comparing the familiar and ordinary things with the Truth taught – it makes the Word come to life.  He begins and ends our parable today with a “heads up” command for them and us to listen – to pay close attention – indicating His Words were of great and weighty importance.  We are always in such a distracted hurry that we sadly often miss His still small voice ever speaking to our hearts.

² "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it--the LORD is his name: ³ 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'   Jer 33:2-3 (NIV)

 "God often uses the repetitive events and themes in daily life to get my attention and draw me closer to Himself. Now instead of just listening for God's whisper, I am trying to recognize the sacred echoes- those moments when God speaks the same message to my heart again and again. I call them sacred echoes because I've noticed that throughout my relationships, daily life, and study, the same scripturally sound idea or phrase or word will keep reappearing until I can no longer avoid its presence. Is this mere coincidence or is it something more? When it comes to hearing from God, I firmly believe the Bible is our source and authority. God's Word is like a megaphone to His people. Throughout Scripture God speaks through kings and queens, princes and prophets, poets and pilgrims. He speaks through weather patterns, barnyard animals and even the stars in the sky. God is not only creative, but He is persistent in getting our attention and communicating with us.”   The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg

Jesus begins by giving them what at first blush appears to be a simple agricultural lesson.  Every farmer surely would be shaking their head in agreement over the Lord’s Words.  Seed sown on hardened soil not furrowed or tilled would doubtful produce anything but thorns and thistles.  It took no rocket scientist to comprehend this Truth.  Yet, as always, it was Jesus’ desire for His hearers to go further still with Him.  There was abundantly more in His sayings that at first there appeared to be.  This was a teaching about the condition of their hearts and their ability or lack of ability to assimilate the Truth He taught.  This begs the question for us as well – are our hearts readied to receive what he is so willing to give?  Our Lord is desirous for us to be attentive to His Word and affected by it in order for us to gain the richest understanding of it.  Those wanting to improve their knowledge must first become aware of their ignorance.

³⁰ I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws.  Psalms 119:30 (NIV)

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.   Psalms 119:130 (NIV)

³⁴ Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. ³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.   Psalms 119:34-35 (NIV)

“When you read God’s Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’”    Soren Kierkegaard

Just as God walked with Adam in the Garden in the cool of the day, so too, He walks daily with the believer in the Garden of our hearts.  When His Word comes to a hearer upon what type of soil does it fall?  Are our hearts like the hardened path where Satan’s minions snatch the seed of God’s Truth up sans any penetration or benefit?  Perhaps our hearts are stony and shallow where the seed of God’s Word quickly takes root yet withers just as quickly?  The stones which prevent the growth and provide the shallow soil could be indicative of any number of things present in a life – anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, deceit, pride, gossip, vain conceits, selfish ambitions, etc., etc. – all preventing Truth to flourish.  Or perhaps our hearts are thick with “thorns”, loaded down with the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of wealth, the anxiety over our jobs or our family issues or you fill in the blank and these “weeds” - which basically boil down to our lack of trust - are allowed to grow up and choke out the tender Truth of God’s Word making us unfruitful.  Yet, our Lord tells us, if our hearts are prepared, plowed and readied through repentance to receive what He sends forth we will bear much fruit through His power.      

 “Our claim is that God has revealed Himself by speaking; that this divine (or God-breathed) speech has been written down and preserved in Scripture; and that Scripture is, in fact, God’s Word written, which therefore is true and reliable and has divine authority over men.”   John Stott

What I glean from this:

·       God constantly speaks to me.  The Bible is my authority.

·       God’s Word is Truth.

·       I must ready my heart through repentance to receive His Truth.