I'm grateful for, again, the opportunity to bring the Word of God to you. And let's commit this time that we're about to have together, looking at God's Word in chapter four of the Gospel of Mark. Let's go to the throne in prayer. Dear Lord, we're grateful for this time, for this opportunity to be fed by your word. Your word is true. It is pure. It is clean. Lord, your word sanctifies us. It convicts us of sin. It draws us closer to Christ. And Lord, we ask that that's exactly what would take place today as we Consider this particular portion of your holy word. Change our lives, Lord. Make us yours. Draw us closer to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, your son. Amen. So we're covering today Mark chapter four, verses one to 20. Again, we're taking on a rather large portion of scripture. In fact, this has to be the most verses that I've ever preached on, 20 verses, but really I couldn't help it for the same reason that I did so many verses last time, which is that we are actually returning to Mark's delicatessen. You could say, as you'll recall, the last time at the end of Mark chapter three, we got to see for the first time how Mark uses what's called the Markin sandwich, right? We had our bread, story A, and then story A doesn't finish, and then we get a complete story B, and then the other slice of the bread, we go back to story A and finish that again. And that's exactly what happens in these first 20 verses. of Mark chapter four. So that's how we're going to break it down again. So what we have if you're in Mark four is in the first nine verses is the parable itself, the parable of the sower. Then in verses 10 through 12, Jesus talks about the purpose of the parables. And then in verses 13 to 20, we have a return to the parable of the sower because it's the interpretation. The disciples asked what it all meant and he returns back to it. So, I'm sure that that whole sandwich setup is a lot more obvious in this particular portion of scripture because you can see just clearly you have the sower, you have the purpose of the parables, which is kind of that meat of our sandwich, and then it comes right back to that same parable of the sower. So the way that I'm going to go about this is, I guess, in a sense, the way that Jesus did with his disciples in that I will comment on the first verse because it provides some setting, but I'll read the parable itself. just the way the disciples would have heard the parable, but I won't actually go line by line or verse by verse through the parable. Then I'll hit the portion on the purpose of the parables, and then we'll look at how the parable itself applies. So overall, here's our purpose, or here's our goal, rather, is to identify, first of all, the purpose of the parables, and basically in their entirety, the way that Jesus has kind of explained it. And then second of all, what is this particular application of this particular parable? So that's the direction, that's the map that we're using. So without any further ado, let's look at Mark chapter four, verse one, where it reads, and he began to teach beside the sea and a very large crowd gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. Now, at this point, as far as the setting, we've kind of gotten used to this whole lakeside, lakeshore setting in chapter one. You'll recall that it was Jesus walking along the lake, that same sea right there, where he called his first four disciples. And then in chapter two, again, it says he went out again beside the sea. And at that time now, not only did he have the disciples that he had called to that point, but the crowd started to grow. So he went out again beside the sea and the crowd kept coming. And then by the time it progresses to chapter three, it says that Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea and a great crowd followed. So again, he retreats or he finds himself returning to the side, the lakeside, along with this crowd that just keeps growing and growing. And to the point where in fact, In chapter three, it says that, and we looked at that where he had them, he had his disciples get a boat ready. And actually this is kind of an interesting little fact as well, is that that particular boat, the word for that particular boat means a small boat, because you'll recall that he was going to have that at the ready in case he kind of needed to escape. But here we have him back at the seaside, at the lakeside, and there's a boat. But actually the Greek word that's behind that, it means a larger boat, you know, more of a ship. So I noticed that in the ESV, it just uses boat interchangeably for both. I believe the King James actually says in chapter three, a small ship, and then in where we are in chapter four, it just says ship. So it kind of picks up on that and the idea that one is smaller and one is a little bit bigger. So what's happened is that, In the chapter three account where he returns to the lakeside and needs, wants a small boat, you know, to kind of have a route of escape if necessary. In chapter four, he actually has secured a larger platform that's going to serve as ultimately a floating pulpit for the masses. He's got so many people that are there to hear him that he has to go out into the water a ways and actually use this ship or this boat as a mobile or a floating pulpit. And we know that he's there to teach. It doesn't actually, or it says Andy began to teach beside the sea, but in addition to you'll see that it says he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea. And actually that just reiterates what it is that he was doing because in their culture at that particular time, it was exactly the opposite. We stand to speak and to teach, but that particular time they would sit to teach. And so that's what he was doing. He got on this boat along with the 12 and he was going to teach because Jesus was a faithful teacher. And in fact, What it is that he was going to do, I think is reflected perfectly from Isaiah and his terminology from Isaiah 28, where it says that he is teaching knowledge and explaining the message. And I love the way that it's described in Isaiah 28. 28 verse 10, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. And that's exactly what Jesus is doing. He has gotten onto the ship. He's got this large crowd, his largest crowd yet. that is hungering to hear the Word being preached. And I hope that you are in that same position, hungry to hear the Word being preached. And here it is, Jesus is feeding that hunger, bringing it precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little. And so, in light of doing that, he then says to them what we read in verses two through nine. And he was teaching them many things in parables. And in his teaching, he said to them, listen, behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path. And the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky soil, where it did not have much soil. I'm sorry. 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. And when the sun rose, it was scorched. And since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns. And the thorns grew up and choked it. And it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing, and yielding thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. And he said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Now, before I do move on directly to the whole purpose of the parables, I just want, while that kind of ruminates and you're thinking about this parable, what it is he just said, I want to point out just a couple of things. Namely, that look at the way he begins and ends this parable. He begins with an imperative. He begins with an imperative. He says, listen. He's shouting to them. He's saying, listen. And then he adds onto that an interjection, which is behold. So he's basically telling everybody to pay attention. This is important stuff that they need to hear. Behold, listen to what it is that I have to say. And then he gives the parable itself of the sower. And then he ends by saying, Again, relating this echo of the whole idea of listening, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. So behold, listen, pay attention. And then at the end of it, if you have ears to hear, hear this, what I'm trying to tell you. So just kind of absorb that, park that for just a few minutes while we look now. at the purpose of the parables. So going ahead with Mark 4 verses 10 to 12, it says, and when he was alone, those around him with the 12 asked him about the parables. 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. so that they may indeed see, but not perceive, and may indeed hear, but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven." Now, I don't know if that particular section, those verses right there, those last couple of verses in particular, what it is Jesus has to say to his disciples. has ever given you any kind of conflict or consternation? Do you read that and go, okay, so what are these parables all about? What's their purpose? And what's this whole idea of lest they turn and be forgiven? Isn't that what we want? Doesn't Jesus want them to turn and be forgiven? There seems like there's some discontinuity or dissonance in what it is that he has to say. And if you've ever felt that or ever thought that, I guess, you're not alone because the disciples themselves did the same thing. In fact, once they were alone, they basically were like, Hey, what, what is this all about? And we know that he, we can suspect that he's probably not on the boat anymore because it's when he was alone. And remember it, it said earlier that he was on the boat with the 12 and in this particular portion, it says, and when he was alone, those around him with the 12. So he probably was off the, the ship at this point, off the boat, and he's got the 12 plus however many more that are with him, but in a more secluded area. And then he goes on to tell them the purpose of the parables. Now, just the fact that this is where he is giving this insight on the purpose of the parables is interesting, right? I mean, he's going to have, he's going to give a lot of parables and he could have said it anywhere, or Mark could have placed this account of Jesus explaining the purpose of the parables anywhere. And yet here it is right in the middle of this specific parable. And again, this takes us back to this whole idea of the Mark and sandwich. See that, that middle piece, that meat of our sandwich helps us to understand with greater clarity what it is that's being communicated by part A on both sides, on our two slices of bread. So this is what we're going to see. There's the obvious piece that those two slices of bread are already a parable and he's giving the purpose of the parable. So sure, there's that idea. But I think what you're going to see is there's even more overlap with this particular this particular explanation that Jesus is giving about the purpose of the parables that gives us a lot more clarity about this specific parable at this specific time. But in order for me to adequately explain what is happening and what it is that Jesus is communicating, We have to go back to Isaiah. So if you would, please turn, if you've got your Bibles with you, please go ahead and turn back to Isaiah chapter one. Now, while you're turning there, I'll just make note of the fact that this portion where Jesus says, they may see, but not perceive, they may indeed hear, but not understand. That also, that is taken from Isaiah, Isaiah chapter six verses nine and 10. But we're actually going to go back just a little bit further to Isaiah chapter one. So in Isaiah chapter one, walk through this progression with me so you can know what the Jews of that time would have known about Isaiah and the progression that took place up to what it is that's said in chapter six. In Isaiah chapter one, this is what's going on. Essentially we have Yahweh himself that is initiating legal proceedings. against his rebellious sons. He's got his chosen people. He's got the Israelites, a chosen nation, and they have absolutely disobeyed. And he is now initiating legal proceedings against his sons. So if you look at verses two and three, and you'll see that these verses basically characterize the wickedness of Judah. Verses two and three of Isaiah 1, "'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. Children I have reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know, my people do not understand." So here already Isaiah is giving some sense of you have fallen away, you have rebelled. And then go down to verses five through nine. And what we see is that a description of the wounds and the desolation that are going to result from this rebellion. Why will you still be struck down? Why will you continue to rebel? The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot, even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but bruises and sores and raw wounds. They are not pressed out or bound up. or softened with oil. Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire, and your very presence foreigners devour your land. It is desolate as overthrown by foreigners. And the daughter of Zion is left like a booth in a vineyard, like a lodge in a cucumber field, like a besieged city. If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah." So again, Isaiah is describing, if it weren't for the remnant, that very few that God maintained, then there would be complete and utter desolation because of their rebellion. And then in verses 10 through 15, what Isaiah is describing is that just because you start to increase your religious rights, just because you start to act more, you start to do the physical things that the law required, that God required of you, but yet your hearts are completely rebellious, it is not going to help you. It does not result in righteousness. So that's what's going on in verses 10 through 15. Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom. Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah. What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices, says the Lord? I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings, incenses and abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations I cannot endure. iniquity, and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you, even though you make many prayers. I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood." And so Isaiah is describing, just because you do these things, just because you bring your prayers, it is going to be absolutely useless. And then in verses 16 and 17 of chapter one, it describes what it is that God actually wants. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean, remove the evil of your deeds before my eyes. Cease to do evil. God wants them to do justice. Learn to do good. Seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. That's what God is telling them to do. Stop with the acting like church thing and bringing these prayers and these sacrifices when your heart is absolutely far from him. And then finally in verses 18 to 20, we see his pronouncement, which is that they would need to either repent and obey or be devoured in his justice. Verse 18, Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." So this is what's going on. I'm laboring this point of what's taking place in Isaiah because this is the progression of the people of Israel. is that they were a chosen people, they were selected, they were set apart, they were appointed by God to be His, to be a shining light to all the other nations. And instead, they were turned away to the gods of other nations. And then he says, okay, if you do not repent, if you do not turn back to me, then you will absolutely be devoured by my own judgment." So what you end up reading in the subsequent chapters in Isaiah 2 through 5 is this ongoing, this sustained verbiage about God's judgment of his people. So in other words, they were given the truth. They were absolutely given the truth and they chose idolatry. And what does Yahweh ultimately do then is he gives them their heart's desire. He ratifies their choice. If they would like to be in service to a blind and a deaf idol, then so be it. Then that's exactly what you're going to get. If you're going to reject the truth, you're essentially rejecting the light. You are choosing blindness. And if you haven't thought of it already, doesn't this just ring that sense of familiarity with the story of Pharaoh, right? He kept hardening his own heart. He kept choosing blindness. He was choosing deafness. He did not want to hear what Moses had to say or what God had to say through Moses. And then ultimately what happens? God gives him over to that. He says, okay, you want to choose to be deaf? You want to choose to be blind? then there is a judgment that's going to take place. I'm going to give you exactly what it is that you want. And in fact, as a result of rejecting that truth and choosing darkness over light and choosing blindness and in choosing hardness, then you're going to get it in spades. You're going to get it even more. Consider Psalm 115 verses four to eight. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak, eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear, noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel, feet, but do not walk. And they do not make a sound in their throat." And verse eight, those who make them become like them. So do all who trust in them." This is the description the psalmist is giving. If you're going to commit to this, if you are going to give your heart over to these idols and to reject the truth and the light, then that's exactly what you're going to get. So if you're still in Isaiah, if you go ahead and go to Isaiah chapter 6 verses 9 and 10, which is exactly what Jesus was quoting from when he is talking to his disciples, then this is how Isaiah 6, 9, and 10 reads. And he said, go and say to this people, keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed. This is fascinating. In Isaiah, he is being commanded to go do this. He's being commanded to go make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy and to blind their eyes. Now, how would he do that? How would he carry out that command to obey God? He would do that by prophesying truth, by bringing that very truth. Or, to use the language that Jesus is using in Mark chapter 4, he is sowing the word. He's sowing the word of truth. And by doing that, he's increasing their blindness, he's increasing their deafness. Because hearing, in the hearing of it, they do not understand. In the seeing of it, they do not perceive. And why would Isaiah be sent to do that? Because they had a refusal to acknowledge the kingship of Yahweh. They did not see God as the one true God worthy of sacrifice, worthy of committing their entire life to. They hungered for other gods, for power. They wanted to manipulate other powers to try to get their own desires satisfied. So ultimately what they have done is they have chosen to make God, make Yahweh himself an enemy. Now go back to Mark chapter four, with all of that in mind, go back to Mark chapter four and think about this, what we talked about at the end of chapter three, that whole Beelzebul controversy. where the religious leaders themselves who would know that material better than anyone else. And remember it was the scribes, those people in the royal household with the greatest and best education from Jerusalem that had come up, the ones that have the most access to the most truth. They are the ones that accused Jesus of being from the evil one and being under the power of the evil one. They committed the eternal sin. And what did they do by doing that? They made Yahweh an enemy. In their seeing Jesus, they were blinded. In their hearing his truth pronounced, they did not perceive. They chose darkness over light. They chose blindness over sight. So what's happening? is a judicial ruling is being made. There is a division of Israel that's going to take place, that is taking place. We've been talking about that. Israel is changing. What Israel as a chosen people had originally been created through the Exodus, we have this whole new Exodus theme that comes a lot from Isaiah, which we looked at so much, and it all hinges on the Israelites or any person's response to Jesus. That's the change. So when Isaiah was commanded, make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy and blind their eyes, it was in the sowing of that seed of that word of truth. So when we look at Jesus's explanation of the parables, go back up to verse nine here in chapter four, where it says, and he said, he who has ears to hear, let him hear. You must have a willingness to hear the truth. You must have a sensitivity to the word of God. You must have a humility to his word and to the son. If your response to Yahweh as Jesus Christ is in any other way, then you are in danger of your own judgment being increased, of your blindness becoming increased, of your deafness becoming increased. And then in verses 11 and 12 in Mark 4, it's, he said to them, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those outside, everything is in parables so that they may see, but not perceive. They may indeed hear, but not understand. lest they should turn and be forgiven." So actually, certainly this rendering in English is absolutely appropriate. But if you're going to go back to the more direct translation in the Greek, it would actually say, while seeing they do not perceive and while hearing do not understand. So for me, that's helpful in the sense that thinking that it's the while this is taking place, while the word of God is being preached, while the word of truth is being sown. If that very word in its being sown, if you are exposed to that, and as that truth comes to you, if your heart is hardened, then woe to you because you are putting yourself in peril of God's judgment. And I mentioned this earlier, if the lust in this thing gives you trouble, the whole idea of the lust. lest they should turn and be forgiven." Think about this. This is all a judicial act. So hopefully you followed with me through this. Just like in Isaiah, what Jesus is communicating is that if you had administered justice, if you had repented, if you had obeyed, you would be healed. You would receive forgiveness. But if not, know this, that he is the Yahweh over his kingdom. He is the king over the kingdom. And if you are hardened to Christ, then you stand in judgment. Otherwise, you would, in fact, as he promises, would be forgiven. Okay. One thing I want to mention is, I think this is helpful. All of us, or many of us, if you grew up in church, you hear about the parables. Even people that don't really go to church, they know about parables. They can even repeat some of the parables. But man, are they completely misunderstood. So one thing I can tell you what parables absolutely are not, are not just some moralistic teaching. There's not like Aesop's fables where you can read it and then there's a moral at the end of the story and you're like, oh wow, that's a great way to tell the story so that I can be a better person. That's not the case. In fact, I would even say that if you want to make it a more spiritual version of that same analogy, I think it's a pretty common thing, and you've probably heard it in some Sunday school class, that parables are an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Now that's true. I'm not going to say that that's absolutely wrong, but what it is, is absolutely anemic. I mean, that's a pleasant way of saying, okay, here's a moralistic story, but it comes from the Bible. So do it the way that the Bible says so that you can be a better, again, be a better person. And that, I mean, there's truth to that. That's not inaccurate, but it is woefully insufficient in my mind. By the way, I'll mention that we are planning on having a Sunday school series coming up pretty soon on the parables. There is so much to say about the construction of parables. And I think it's going to be a fascinating series. So I'm not going to go into incredible detail about that, but it is absolutely important that you realize just a few of these nuggets. So one of them that it's not just a moralistic story, and another that it's not just a way for us to remember a story all on its own and just so that it benefits us personally. Okay? Let me explain why. Okay? All of the parables are Christ focused and kingdom related. They're Christ focused and kingdom related. So what I'm saying is that they're not just good advice. This is good news. And all of these particular parables are situated exactly where they're supposed to be within scripture. They're applied to their own context. They take the pertinent truth where that parable is told in the events of Jesus's life that are going on at that particular time. And they apply to those and they point back to Jesus and they point to his kingdom. And then ultimately what it is that parables are doing is they're increasing understanding for those who have ears to hear. And at the same time, they are increasing judgment for those who do not have ears to hear. That's what's taking place. So as we look at the parables, we have to make sure that we're looking at, okay, what is being taught? How does this relate to Jesus specifically in this specific circumstance at this particular time that he's telling it? And what does it have to tell us about the kingdom of God, the kingdom that Jesus is ushering in? In fact, in Exodus 14 verses 19 to 20, I think that this is a great example as far as this whole idea of both simultaneously increasing understanding and increasing judgment. Perhaps you remember the cloud. In Exodus 14, 19 to 20, then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness, and it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. So in other words, the same cloud, the angel of God, Jesus, The same cloud provided guidance and light and direction to God's chosen people. And it's the same cloud that served as darkness to those that were outside. And that's exactly what we see that the parables themselves are doing this. Okay. So knowing all of this, let's actually go to the parable itself and look at this bottom slice of bread and consider the interpretation of the parable here in verses 13 to 20. All right. So the first question I'll ask is for whom is the parable intended? Well, based on what we read in verse nine, it's for those that have ears to hear. All right. So it's for believers. It's for those who are inclined to trust Jesus, who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ. Okay. But here's a clarification. It is for them, but it is not about them. It is not about believers. So perhaps you've been told before that the parable of the sower with these different soils is some sort of, you know, you've gotten, or maybe you've come to this conclusion on your own, that it's some sort of a disc assessment, some sort of a Myers-Briggs type thing for the Christian. Like, oh boy, I hope I'm not in this group. And I hope I can shift over to that group. And that it's some evaluation tool for believers. Absolutely not. This parable is not about believers. It's for those who have ears to hear, but not about them. The only soil that's referenced that has to do with believers is the fourth soil. So there we have four total. Three of them are not about believers, and the fourth one is. And yes, the fourth one does have the comment about the 30-fold, the 60-fold, the 100-fold. But I have to tell you this as well, not the point. Not the point. Again, if you are a believer, this parable is not about you. It's for you, not about you. It is about Jesus and it's about his kingdom. How do I know? Well, let me give you three different reasons. First of all, just look at the real estate committed to the characters, ultimately, the participants, the characters in the parable itself. So as it relates to the sower, you have one verse. As it relates to the good soil, the fourth soil, the good soil, you have one verse. As it relates to the bad soils, you have five verses. So right there, and again, we'll cover this kind of thing when we get to it in our Sunday School series, but already you have five verses of real estate committed to the bad soils. So the bad soils are the focus of this particular parable. Second of all, and kind of related to that first point, is that even the details given, the amount of detail given to the different players varies drastically. Think about the sower. Maybe you've been told explicitly, or you've assumed that the sower automatically is God or Jesus. I think that's true, but not exclusively. I think the sower, it actually doesn't say that in any of the accounts in the Synoptic Gospels. It doesn't say that the sower is just God. The sower is the one that sows the word. It's the one, you know, Isaiah, in Isaiah's account. Of course, Jesus, but any that are testifying, that are providing their testimony, that are preaching the word, they're sowing the truth. The truth is going out. But the point being is there isn't additional information given about the sower. Also, if you think about the good soil, in our one verse, there is a little bit of information given, but there's not ultimately an outcome that's described for the good soils. What's given is the most detail about those bad soils, which covers the five verses. And so let me tell you the third reason, and I got to tell you, You know, sometimes this is what happens when you take a Greek for a while. You see these things, which is absolutely glorious, but I've got to take you on this little journey with me. So put your Greek nerd pocket protector on for just a minute and follow with me, okay? Now there is, both in English and in Greek, a part of speech called a near-demonstrative pronoun and a far-demonstrative pronoun. So near-demonstrative pronouns would be this and these. Far-demonstrative pronouns would be that and those. And so in Greek, and actually it works similarly in English, but for sure in Greek, what you can do is you can see what the theme is of a passage or of what somebody is saying is if they use a near demonstrative pronoun. If they say this and these, that is the primary theme of what they're talking about. And if they say that or those, it's involved, but it's, it's more of an ancillary or an add on a supplement to the primary theme. Okay. So in light of that, follow with me. Okay. So look at your Bible there and look at verse 15 of Mark 4. It says, I'm sorry, verse, yeah, verse 15. Now I need to turn there. Mark 4, verse 15. And these are the ones along the path where the word is sown. So right out of the gate, Jesus is using a these. All right. And then if you look at verse 16, and these are the ones sown on rocky soil. So that's our second one. All right. Now, if you skip down to verse eight, it says, and others, now that's just an adjective. So it's neither one. And I'm reading from the ESV, and others are the ones sown among the thorns. They are those who hear the word. Now that seems like a far demonstrative, right? Those, that, but just hit pause on that. So we have these for our ones by the path. We have these for our ones in rocky ground. Hit pause on the third group. And then our fourth one in verse 19, if you look down at that, it says, I'm sorry, verse 20, but those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it. So we have a very clear, far demonstrative pronoun for the good soil. They fit into a those, the first two fit into a these, and that third one, we kind of wonder, well, what's going on with that? Well, I have to tell you this kind of, um, put me in knots for a little while trying to figure this out. And then when I walked through the Greek, I had this glorious moment of realization that the translation itself in the ESV, there's nothing wrong with it, except that if you know what the more wooden translation, the more direct translation is, it actually reads a little bit different. So in the ESV, it says in verse 18, and others are the ones among, sown among the thorns, but then it says, they are those who hear the word. That's how the ESV reads. However, in Greek, it actually reads, and others are the ones sown among the thorn plants. These are the ones hearing the word. And again, I have to give a little bit of props to the King James Version, which actually says, these are they, and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things. You know, choke the word. So the point is this. Actually, all three of those bad soils are a these, and our good soil is a those. Now, I know that that gets pretty technical. But this is what we can know from that is what I already said, which is this parable is not about us. If you're a believer in Christ, the parable is actually not about us. It's about Jesus Christ and it's about his kingdom. And how is that helpful? Well, keep in mind that when Jesus is standing out there on his floating pulpit and he's saying, listen, behold, what he is doing is he is largely speaking to Jewish believers. These are people who are thinking, you know, from their own teaching that they are in fact the chosen race. But we've already seen that Jesus is demonstrating that there is a transition from the old Exodus to the new Exodus, that there is a new Israel, and that his calling of the 12 demonstrated that it's all starting to change. Instead of it being a national identity, it all hinges on their response to Jesus Christ. So they would have been brought up on the Jewish law. And what Jesus is trying to tell them in this interpretation is he's saying, look, you have to change the way you're looking at this. It isn't about the ethnicity of being Jewish. They will respond differently to the truth as it's being preached, as it's being distributed. the entering in of the Messiah is not going to look like what you thought it looked like, where the nation of Israel is going to be in power again. He's saying, no, it's not like that at all. In fact, and then he goes on to describe the varying responses that people will have, namely Jewish Israelite people will have to this very truth. And here are the three descriptions. One of them won't hear it at all. They won't even start. It'll be snatched away. They're not thinking twice about it. The second group, they'll hear it and then it'll just die out automatically. And he's trying to say, by the way, there's a whole nother group that will hear it. It will seem like it's taking root, but it won't survive either and produce anything at all. Think about this in light of that whole concept of the sower. If you are the farmer, if you are the sower that is casting these seeds, of these three kinds of seed, which one is helpful to the farmer? Which one is going to be of any use for him? None. Right? Absolutely none of them. You sow a seed to produce a crop and not one of these actually ends up producing a crop. And so to make that point clear, Jesus ends in, or Mark, you know, ends this particular portion in verse 20 by saying, but those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit. 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold. So see, and we even, just to show once again grammatically that it's really not about the good soils, those in the good soil, is we have this contrastive conjunction. We have our but, so it's talking about all the theses, and then it's but, and then our far demonstrative pronoun, you know, those, those are the ones as a group that will bear fruit, some 30-fold, some 60-fold, some 100-fold. And what's interesting also is that this whole idea of 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold, there's speculation that that actually was even a saying at that particular time of some kind, some 30-fold, some 60, some 100. So we shouldn't, again, look at that and go, hey, you know. I think I'm a 30, or I think I'm a 60, or boy, you know, I know that pastor. He's really good. He's a really powerful speaker. I bet he's producing a hundredfold. That is not the point, because the point is about those other soils. It's not about believers, but for believers. And here's the other interesting thing, is that this whole idea of bearing the 30-fold, 60-fold, and 100-fold, it's the language behind The accept it, it's actually while accepting it or while receiving it. So the reason I bring that up as well is it's not like a person is put into a certain category and then that's a, you're a 30-fold guy and you're a 60-fold gal and that kind of a thing. The whole idea is that as you're living out your life, as you progress throughout your Christian walk, You may produce 30, Lord willing it grows, you know, to greater and greater. And God uses that in some exponential way, but still it's not about us, but for us. So I'll just close with this. You know, you have to, first of all, you have to ask yourself the baseline question, are you an insider or are you an outsider? Because Jesus says those outside won't hear. The deafness will increase. The blindness will increase. Do you have ears to hear? When you hear the word being preached, are you accepting it? Do you receive it? And do you bear fruit? Is there a crop in your life? That's the evaluation you have to look at. Can you point to a crop? Just saying, I believe in God is absolutely not good enough. Puts you on the same category as demons. Good job. You believe in God, but do you produce a crop for the kingdom, for Jesus Christ? It all hinges on your attitude towards Jesus Christ. So to those that are unsure, I have two things to think about, a do and a do not. First of all, do ask yourself, is it possible? Is it possible that I'm an outsider? Have I refused to administer justice? Have I refused to repent of my sin? Have I refused to obey the commands of God as we see them in his word? Because if we love him, we will keep his commandments. Is it possible, do ask yourself, is it possible I'm currently God's enemy? Am I under his judicial ruling? Is it possible that I'm both blind and deaf? And your response to that, your response to that seed of truth, on that hangs all of eternity. That's the do for the one that's unsure and for the do not for the one that's unsure is do not delay. If you hear this and you're convicted, go before the throne of God and repent of your sin. Cast your care on Jesus Christ. Place your faith on the sacrifice that Christ made for sins and he is faithful and just. He will hear your plea. He will forgive your sins. Now, to the believer, I also have two recommendations, and it's a do not and a do. So believer, brother, sister in Christ, you who have ears to hear, first of all, do not be surprised by the soils. Just as Jesus was trying to write there thinking about, hey, not all Jews are going to be saved, because it all hinges on belief in me, in Jesus Christ. In the same way, as we go about our lives, spreading, sowing the seed of the word, the seed of truth. Don't be surprised when you see that some people outright are absolutely hostile to you and reject you outright, to your face. Don't be surprised when they take it, but then pretty much ignore it. They're not mean, but they pretty much ignore it. Don't be surprised when they say, sure, I'll go to church with you. You know, that sounds like a really good idea. I haven't been to church since I was a kid. I ought to do this. And then a little bit of time goes by and they produce no fruit whatsoever. Don't be discouraged by that. Jesus told us that that's exactly what's going to happen. There are disparate reactions to the sowing of truth. That reaction, that response is not our responsibility. That's on the Holy Spirit. We're just responsible for being a sower of the truth. And then as for the do, do be a sower. Sow that truth. Live your life so that others can see that truth in your life, so they can know. that you exude the Word of God, that you are in fact being conformed to the image of Christ right before their eyes, that that's the way that you speak to your wife, that's the way you speak to your husband, that's the way you parent your children, that's the way you conduct yourself as an employer or an employee, that's the way that you treat your friends, is because you have the truth, you live the truth, you love Believers. You love brothers and sisters in Christ, and you want your light to so shine so that others see that. Be a sower. Do be a sower. And then the other do is do produce a crop. It goes hand in hand with being a sower. Be the one that has great assurance in your salvation. I'm not talking about good works or good works in and of themselves that somehow save you. That's not the case. I'm not saying that. Do produce a crop in the sense that that love that you have for Christ, let it just come out so that you are, in fact, others sense the love, they feel the love, they are experiencing the love because you love Christ above all else, above your marriage, above your children, above your work, above all those things. Produce a crop for the kingdom. And as you're going about that, as you're going about living for Christ, You will produce 30-fold. You will produce 60-fold. You will produce 100-fold. And to God be the glory. It isn't about us. It isn't about us producing. It is about the crop that He will take in and that reflects back to Him, that exalts Him. All praise be to His name. All right, let's pray. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for this parable. Thank you that you remind us that you are a God that judges, that if someone persists in hardening their heart and closing their eyes to the truth, that you will in fact turn them over to such, that you will make a judicial ruling, that they will be hardened, that they will be blinded, they will be deafened. But Lord, to the degree that we have any ability to sow the word of truth, to produce a crop, help us, Lord, to do that very thing. Not that we might receive attention and glory, but that you might, that your Son, that people might look to your Son and might go to Him in repentance and faith, and that we might be sanctified and live greater, more effective spiritual lives for you. We commit all of this to you in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.