Sowing the Seed

Mark 4

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Mark 4 starts out with some parables that most of us have heard many, many times. The parable of the sower, the parable of the growing seed, and the parable of the mustard seed. 

Now I think that these were all meant to be taught together. So today, we are going to look at these 3 parables and how they relate to each other.

Starting with the first one, Jesus explains the parable of the sower to us in this chapter, and it is clear that we are supposed to be the seed in the good soil. And if we are that seed we are called to “bear fruit thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”​​ But what does it mean to bear fruit? 

I think Jesus answers this for us in his next parable. The parable of the growing seed. The man goes out and spreads seed. And little by little the seed starts to grow, until it is ready to be harvested. 

This begs the question: what is the seed that we scatter? Now I think this seed can be a few different things. I think it could be the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom, and/or the love of Jesus shown to people through us. Personally, I think it’s the “and.” I think it is both of those things. Now in conversations I’ve had with some people, they say that their coming to Jesus was not overnight, it was years and years of people pouring into them with love and the Word until they eventually came to the full truth and understanding of Christ, and calling Him their Lord and Savior. This is what Jesus is getting at. That slowly the seed we plant grows until it’s ready to be “harvested” or until they are ready to accept Jesus, repent, be baptized and live for him until his return.

This brings me to the last parable Jesus shares in this chapter – the parable of the mustard seed. Our small seed grew and grew until it could be harvested, now they will plant their seed and it will grow, and so on. So our small “mustard seed” action can grow into that large plant in the garden. Our small impact that we can have in the lives of others can drastically increase the Kingdom and multiply to the “thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

-Camden Bormes

(Editor’s Note – Today and the rest of this week we get to hear from some youth and young adults who spent last week at FUEL Youth Camp. Camden is a recent graduate. He spoke at his school’s Baccalaureate on the good news of the Coming Kingdom. Keep sowing seeds, Camden, and challenging us to as well!)

Application Questions

1. Who helped sow the seed in your life? How did they do so?
2. How are you continuing to grow? Are you multiplying? What is needed for a healthy “Christian” plant to thrive and reproduce?
3. How are you – or can you – plant the seed? When have you seen the seed fall on the path, on rocky places and among the thorns? Pray for your planting, that the seed may fall on good soil and produce reproducing Christians seeking His Kingdom.