UST MARK Chapter 4

◄ MARK 4 ► ║ ═ ©

4 Sometime later, Jesus again started to instruct people while he was next to the Sea of Galilee. A very large group of people assembled to hear him. Because there were so many people, he got into a boat on the sea and sat down to teach. All the people stood on the shore, by the water. 2 Jesus began to use stories to instruct them about many things. As he was instructing them, he said, 3 “Listen to this: a farmer began to plant some grain seeds 4 As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. Then some birds flew down and ate those seeds up. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil on top of a layer of rocks. Because they were growing in shallow soil, the seeds sprouted very quickly. 6 Then, the sun shone on the new plants and dried them up. Then, because they did not have good roots, the plants died. 7 Other seeds fell onto an area full of thorny plants. These thorny plants grew quickly and crowded out the grain plants. So, the grain plants did not produce a crop. 8 Finally, other seeds fell on fertile soil. They grew quickly, and they produced a crop. Some plants produced 30 grains of wheat each, others produced 60 grains each, and others produced 100 grains each.”

9 Then Jesus told them, “You should think carefully about what you just heard me say!”

10 Later, when no one else was with them, Jesus’ 12 representatives and some other apprentices asked Jesus to explain the stories he had told. 11 He replied, “God has revealed to you hidden things about his kingdom. However, I use only stories to instruct people who are not my apprentices. 12 That way, just as you can read in the Scriptures,

‘They will look at things, but they will not really see them.

They will hear things, but they will not learn from them.

Otherwise, they would stop doing what is wrong, and God would forgive them.’ ”

13 Then Jesus told his apprentices, “Unless you realize what that story means, you will not be able to realize what any of the other stories that I tell mean. 14 In the story that I told you, the seeds that the farmer planted represent the good news. 15 Some people are like the seeds that fell on the path. They hear the good news. However, as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and makes them forget the message that they heard. 16 Other people are like the seeds that fell on shallow soil on top of a layer of rocks. When they hear the good news, they rejoice and quickly believe it. 17 However, they are like plants without good roots, which do not live very long. In fact, when bad things happen or when people hurt them because they accepted the good news, they quickly stop believing it. 18 Other people are like the seeds that fell onto an area full of thorny plants. They hear the good news. 19 However, they continue to focus on things in this world. They try to become rich, even though being rich is not as helpful as they think it will be. Also, they desire many other things. When they do those things, it makes the good news ineffective, just as thorny plants crowd out the good plants and keep them from producing a crop. 20 Finally, other people are like the seeds that fell on fertile soil. When they hear the good news, they believe it. They are like the plants that produced a crop. Some plants produced 30 grains of wheat each, others produced 60 grains each, and others produced 100 grains each.”

21 Then he told the people who were there, “People do not bring an oil lamp into a house in order to cover it with a basket or a bench. Instead, they put it on a lampstand so that it shines brightly. 22 Here is what I mean: some things are secret, but that is only because God will eventually let everyone know about them. 23 You should think carefully about what you just heard me say!”

24 Then he told the people who were there, “Make sure that you are listening carefully to what I tell you. How carefully you listen is how much God will enable you to learn and understand. 25 God will reveal even more to people who already know some things about the good news. However, God will cause people who know very little about the good news to know nothing about it at all.”

26 Then Jesus said, “Here is what God’s kingdom is like: a farmer planted some seeds. 27 During a period of many days, those seeds started to grow. The farmer did not really know how they grew. 28 The plants grew out of the ground on their own. First, the stalks grew. Then, the parts where the seeds would appear grew. Finally, the grain seeds grew in that part. 29 As soon as the plants produced grain, it was time to harvest it. So, the farmer told people to cut down the plants and collect the grain.”

30 Then Jesus said, “I would like us to consider together what God’s kingdom is like. I will use a story to make sure that we all understand it. 31 Here is what it is like: someone plants a tiny mustard seed in the ground. This kind of seed is smaller than every other kind of seed in the world. 32 Once someone plants it, the seed sprouts and grows quickly. The plant becomes bigger than every other kind of plant that people grow. It has big branches. In fact, birds can land in the shade it creates and make nests there.”

33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the good news to the people who were there. He taught them as much as they could understand. 34 He taught them by using stories only. Later, when no one else was with them, he told his apprentices what all the stories meant.

35 When it was evening on the same day, Jesus told his apprentices, “Let us go by boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.” 36 Since Jesus was already in the boat, the apprentices sailed away with Jesus from the large group of people. Other people sailed with them in other boats. 37 Then there was a powerful windstorm! High waves were splashing into the boat and quickly filling it up with water.

38 Meanwhile, Jesus was in the back part of the boat. He was asleep, with his head on a pillow. The apprentices woke him up and told him, “Instructor! We are going to die. You should be paying attention!”

39 Then Jesus got up. He scolded the wind. He told the water, “Become still!” The wind stopped blowing, and everything became calm. 40 Then Jesus told his apprentices, “You should not be so afraid. You should be trusting God by now!”

41 The apprentices became very afraid. They kept asking each other, “Who could Jesus be? The wind and the water do what he says!”

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