Mark 4:1-20
4: Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! 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.”
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Reflection
Jesus’ parables are designed to puzzle and expose the motives and hard hearts of those “outside” his kingdom (Mark 4:11–12; cf. Isa. 6:9–10). At the same time, for those who belong to Christ, the parables are designed to reveal the “secret of the kingdom of God” (Mark 4:10). In other words, the parables reveal insights about the new life that God grants to those who belong to his kingdom.
Every benefit we receive from God is simply because of his grace. Even our understanding of who he is must not be thought of as a human achievement.
It is ultimately a gift that is initiated and sustained by his kind willingness to reveal himself (cf. Luke 10:21–24).
1 Corinthians 16:19-24
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Reflection
Paul’s closing words (1 Cor. 16:22–24) powerfully summarize four themes: (1) only a relationship with Christ can provide freedom from the curse; (2) obedience to the instructions contained in 1 Corinthians is considered an act of “love for the Lord”; (3) the life of the church is sustained by “the grace of the Lord Jesus”; and (4) this grace leads to love for all who are “in Christ Jesus.” Like the Corinthians, our lives, our relationships, and our churches may be weighed down by many problems. Yet the grace of the Lord and the fellowship of his people are available to anyone who is united to him by faith.
Psalm 119:18
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Our understanding of God is the result of his gracious revelation to us. Be a prayerful reader of the Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to give you insight into the things he is speaking through his Word.