The Gospel According to St. Mark

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 4 -

(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.

And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.

And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.

But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.

He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,

so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’(a)”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The farmer sows the word.

Some are like the seeds (b) 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.

Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.

But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,

but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

(Luke 8:16–18)

Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand?

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.

Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.

All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.

And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.(c)”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?

It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.

But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”

With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand.

He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”

After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.

Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped.

But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”

Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.

“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”

Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Footnotes

(a)4:12 Isaiah 6:9–10 (see also LXX)

(b)4:15 Or the word; similarly in verses 16, 18, and 20; literally Now these are the ones

(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)

Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.

As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds (a) came and devoured it.

Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables

(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)

When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’” (b)

The Parable of the Sower Explained

(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)

He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

The farmer sows the word.

The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

The Lesson of the Lamp

(Luke 8:16–18)

He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket (c) or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?

For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.

If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”

He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear.

For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”

The Seed Growing Secretly

He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)

He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.

A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm.

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Footnotes

(a)4:4 TR adds “of the air”

(b)4:12 ℘ Isaiah 6:9-10