Sharing Bread Mark 4:13-20

SHARING BREAD

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵ Some 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. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."

Mark 4:13-20 (NIV)

If Jesus’ guys did not intuitively understand this parable in an absolute sense, how in the world would they ever be able to comprehend through experience any further kingdom parable?  This was definitely “Parable 101” and surely should have been readily discernible by those closest to the Master yet there they sat, scratching their heads, confused and befuddled.  In our verses for today sweet Jesus clears the air by removing any cloudy veil - opening their eyes to the pure unadulterated Truth.

Our Lord begins by stating the message of God, the Word, “the seed”, is sown.  The Sower is not identified but the context is indicative of it being Jesus and all those subsequently following proclaiming the message of God.  The field on which the seed is sown indicates the hearts of the hearers.  Our Lord gives us three negative responses and one positive which we will further discuss.  It is interesting to note that the seed is sown vastly, disposed to all indiscriminately.  The scattering of the “Seed” is in order to increase the harvest for God’s kingdom and His glory.

Basically, the first seed is sown on what appears to be an impenetrable surface.  Impressions that are not deep will not be lasting.  Hardened hearts hear halfheartedly with an indifference and pride that prevent them from readily embracing God’s Truth.  Satan and his minions are depicted as the birds of the air which swoop down and quickly gobble up the hearers missed opportunity – sadly - before they would be able to give the message much thought. Satan is busy among careless hearers.  We must be careful as we learn from Scripture that Pharaoh hardened his heart five times before finally, it states, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  There is a limit to our door of opportunity when presented with the Truth of the Gospel just as Paul states in 2 Corinthians.  There is no better moment for trusting in Jesus than the present one:

¹ As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. ² For he says,
"In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.   2 Cor 6:1-2 (NIV)

Next we discover seed that falls on the hasty enthusiastic – those overly zealous driven by emotionalism - those that get caught up in fervor – willing to jump on board without counting the cost.  Their roots are surface only – never drawing nourishment from the Life that is truly life.  Sheer emotionalism will not carry your faith particularly when troubles taunt.  Remember God’s Word tells us even the demons believe and tremble (they show emotion) yet do not follow and they are certainly not saved:

¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.  James 2:19 (NIV)

Further, Jesus describes the outcome of the heart on which the seed is sown yet the weeds and thorns of this world are allowed to choke it out.  The troubles and heartaches, the lures and lusts, the enticements and entrapments of this sinful world prevent the Word from producing fruit in the life.  Competing concerns - distractions, deceitfulness and wrong desires – blight the crop keeping it from thriving.  We must beware of embracing an inordinate appetite and desire towards things that are pleasing to the senses. We also are to be leery of possessing a heart weighed down by anxiety and fret which evidences lack of faith.  When our convictions are overcome by our corruptions they lose the lasting impression they are meant to make.  Believers are to be conformed in the image of Jesus – bearing fruit as we grow in the knowledge of Him.  We are not to be entrapped by our troubles and desires.  Remember, our Lord came to set us free from these things.

“Whenever we take what God has done and put it in the place of Himself, we become idolaters.”   Oswald Chambers

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.   2 Cor 3:17-18 (NIV)

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.   Gal 5:1 (NIV)

Lastly, Jesus describes the seed sown in a readied heart – a humble and contrite heart which the Lord does not despise as King David writes.  It is good ground and produces a vast crop – a crop that is eternal.  We are so temporal focused barely seeing past the end of our noses as if this world was the “be all, end all”.  The tiny dot on the timeline of eternity of which we find ourselves is not what we are to be living for yet what we do on this dot will make a difference in our eternal state.  We must pray for God to quicken our affections giving us glances of heaven so that we may be in love with what we see – setting our sights on things higher still

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“Pride alienates man from heaven; humility leads to heaven.”  Bridget of Sweden

“To love God, to serve Him because we love Him, is…our highest happiness…Love makes all labor light.  We serve with enthusiasm where we love with sincerity.”   Hannah More

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.    1 Tim 6:6 (NIV)

What I glean from this:

·       The seed of God’s Word is sown vastly - disposed to all indiscriminately.

·       I am not to receive God’s grace in vain.

·       Christ came to set me free – I am not to be burdened again by slavery.