…Mark 4:3-9 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Now, I’ll explain the parable later, after Jesus explains it. But consider two things here: the emphasis on God’s providence and then the call to hear. This sower sows liberally, abundantly, generously, lavishly. The sower sows in every part of the field, including the edges, the paths in and around the field, and even rocky parts of the field. A normal farmer will not do such a thing. They won’t waste the seed on parts they already know will be unfruitful. They determine through observation and practice that certain types of soil will produce fruit and which will not. And then they sow the seed on the productive soil. Not this sower. This sower saturates the entire field and its surrounding area with seed.
It reminded me of a line from the prophets.
Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
The sower sows, and he sows liberally, covering the whole ground. But as you know, not every seed takes root and bears fruit. You’ve planted gardens and fields and grass and flowers. Much of what you have sown died in the seed. So it is with this sower and the seed. Many parts of the ground prove unfruitful. Some seed fell on the hard path, and the seed was “easy pickens” for the hungry birds. Some seed fell on rocky ground which had no place for the roots. Other seed fell into weeds, and the weeds choked out the life in the seed. Like trying to plant a single flower in a dandelion patch.
But some seed did bear fruit, because it fell on good soil. Now, how did this seed fall on good soil? Because the sower sowed it there. How did the good soil become good soil? The parable doesn’t say, but usually soil doesn’t exactly cultivate and till itself.
Thus, “he who has ears to hear, let him hear…”
