Jesus taught the crowds by parables about the various ways that people who hear his message react.

Mark 4:1-25

4 Another time Jesus began to teach people alongside Lake Galilee. As he was doing that, a very large crowd gathered around him. Because people were jostling him, he got into a boat in the lake so that he could speak to the crowd better. Then he sat in it and began to teach the crowd from the boat. At the same time, the crowd was on the shore close to the lake. 2 Then he taught them many parables. While he was teaching them, he told them this: 3 “Consider well the meaning of this illustration: A man/farmer went out to his field to sow some seeds. 4 As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. Then some birds came and ate those seeds. 5 Other seeds fell on ground where there was not much soil on top of rock. Very soon the seeds sprouted because the sun warmed the moist soil quickly where it was not deep. 6 But after the sun shone on those young plants, they became scorched. Then they withered because they did not have deep roots. 7 As the farmer sowed, other seeds fell on ground that contained roots of thorny plants. The seeds grew, but the thorny plants also grew up and crowded out the good plants. So the plants produced no grain. 8 But as the farmer sowed, other seeds fell on good soil. As a result, they sprouted, they grew well, and then they produced plenty of grain. Some plants bore 30 grains. Some bore 60 grains. Some bore 100 grains.” 9 Then Jesus said, “If you want to understand this [MTY], you should consider carefully what I have just said.”

10 Later, when only the twelve disciples and a few other people were with him, they asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “People have not understood before the new message about how God wants to rule people’s lives. It is to you that this is being made known {that I am making this known}. But I tell about this only ◄in parables/figuratively► to those who have not yet invited God to rule their lives. 12 As a result it is true what a prophet has written,

Although they see what I do, they do not perceive what it means [DOU]. Although they hear what I say, they do not understand what it means [DOU]. So they do not ◄repent/turn away from their sinful behavior► in order that they would be forgiven {God would forgive them}.”

13 He also said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you do not understand this illustration!/Can you not understand this illustration?► [RHQ] If you do not understand this, ◄you will certainly not understand any of the other illustrations!/how will you understand any of the other illustrations?► [RHQ] Nevertheless, I will explain it to you. 14 In the illustration that I told you, the man who sows seeds represents someone who declares God’s message [DOU]. 15 Some people are like the path on which some of the seeds fell. When they hear the message, Satan comes at once and causes them to forget what they have heard. 16 Some people are like the ground where the soil was not very deep over rock. When they hear God’s message, they immediately accept it with joy. 17 But, because the message does not penetrate deeply [MET] into their hearts/inner beings, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When others treat such people badly or cause them to suffer because they believe, those people who are suffering soon stop believing God’s message. 18 Some people are like the soil that had roots of thorny weeds in it. Although those people hear God’s message, 19 they desire to be rich, and they desire to own many other things. So they worry only about material things. The result is that they forget God’s message and they do not do the things that God wants them to do. 20 But some people are like the good soil. They hear God’s message and they accept it and they believe it. Then they do the things that God wants them to do. They are like the good plants that produced 30, 60 or 100 grains.”

21 He also told them another parable, saying, “◄People certainly do not light an oil lamp and then bring it in the house in order that it may be put {someone may put it} under a container or under a bed./Would anyone light an oil lamp and then bring it in the house in order that it may be put {someone may put it} under a container or under a bed?► [RHQ] ◄No, they light it in order that it may be put {someone may put it} in a place where it lights the house./Wouldn’t they light it in order that it may be put {someone may put it} in a place where it lights the house?► [RHQ] 22 Similarly, there are some parts of God’s message that people do not know. But he intends that people will understand all the things that they do not know now. 23 If you want to understand this, you should consider carefully what you have just heard.”

24 Then he said to them, “Consider carefully what you hear me say to you, for God will let you understand to the same degree that you consider what I say. He will let you understand even more than that. 25 Those who consider what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who do not consider carefully what I say, they will forget even what they already know.”