...in the storms of life...

Again Jesus began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. 2 He began to teach 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 on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, 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 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ 9 And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

The Purpose of the Parables

10 When he was alone, those who were around him along 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 comes in parables; 12 in order that

“they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand;

so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.”’

13 And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on 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: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

A Lamp under a Bushel Basket

21 He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lamp stand? 22 For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23 Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ 24 And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25 For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

The Use of Parables

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples” Mark 4:1-34.

A lot of people think this chapter is just a bunch of stories thrown together by Mark without any point. But I see in Mark an instructor who is instructing those who are reading his Gospel. Two main lessons are being taught in this chapter: 1. God’s kingdom is destined ultimately to be victorious, no matter what obstacles may presently lie in its way, and 2. Jesus challenges His followers to have hearing ears and seeing eyes.

But here is what strikes me the most: Water, especially the waters in the lake of Tiberias or Galilee which always represented danger. Remember the flood with Noah — the waters were dangerous. Remember Israel getting free from Pharaoh and slavery — the Red Sea was dangerous. And remember all the stories of Jonah and Paul’s missionary journeys and other storms, especially in the Sea of Galilee. The waters in the bible represented danger! Notice today’s stories — Jesus is teaching beside water, and His teachings begin with Jesus stepping into a boat to teach. The boat represents the church, the only place of safety in dangerous waters and storms.

And Jesus is teaching stories about not worrying in times of danger. In the safe place, the church, you can continue to grow. So let your light shine in difficult times. Don’t walk away from the church, for it is within the church, living a faithful life, depending on the Lord, that you will prosper and succeed. 

Plan weekly worship and daily prayer. Remain in your Bible, reading from it as often as possible. Then think deeply about what you are reading.

Lord, keep me in Your Word this day. 

As dangers and changes in my life surface, 

keep me grow in Your Word, 

faithful in the troubled waters in my life.

Let me not be overwhelmed by the storms of my life. 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.