Mark 4 | The Wolfe Notes

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Our notes on Mark 4 include:

1. An Overview: Topic, Themes, and Summary.
2. An Outline Of our thoughts and questions.
3. An Exploration Of Seeds.
4. A Reflection On Planting Methods.
5. An Invitation to Respond Our Gardener.

Mark 4

Overview

General Topic

Jesus explains then demonstrates what the Kingdom of God is like.

Key Themes

Faith. Growth. Selection.

Summary

Through parables, Jesus describes what the Kingdom of God is like. The first lesson is that not everyone who hears about it will believe. Second, though growth happens mysteriously, in darkness, not of our own efforts but because by God's, the end result of our growth will be made known when it is brought to the light. And third, that even a little bit of faith yields large results. The chapter ends in astonishment of what complete understanding of the Kingdom of God results in when a completely at peace Jesus demonstrates that even the winds and waves obey Him.

Thoughts, Questions, and Connections

? Denotes a question, * a personal thought, x a cross reference, and ! a connection. Researched answers are in italics. Behold requires our attention; it marks our partnership with God.

On the Outcome of Seeds (Mark 4:1-20)

Read Matthew 13:1-15 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 13 notes.)

1. Teaching to a large crowd from a boat, Jesus told a parable of a farmer who sowed seeds.
1. ? Is it significant that Jesus is preaching from a boat? Are there other times that He does? Other than the size of the crowd and proximity to a lake, are there other commonalities when He preaches from a ship?
2. Teaching from a ship provided natural amplification for His voice because of the distance away from the crowd, the shape of the cove, and *being on open water. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
3. x She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. Proverbs 31:14 KJV (See our Proverbs 31:14 notes.)
2. Depending on where the seed was sown, different outcomes resulted.
3. For those that landed on the hard path, they were quickly eaten by birds.
4. The seeds that landed on thin soil, wilted from lack of nourishment when they first felt the sun's heat.
5. The thorns eventually crowded out the seeds that fell among them.
1. x No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines. - Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God. Isaiah 55:13 MSG (See our Isaiah 55 notes.)
6. But, the seeds that fell on good soil produced even more than was expected.
7. The disciples asked Jesus for an explanation, which He agreed to give because they are of the Kingdom of God. But He expressed concern over their continued understanding.
1. x And [the Lord] said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; And see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, And make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Isaiah 6:8-10 KJV (See our Isaiah 6 notes.)
2. x So it was that when they gave God up and would not even acknowledge him, God gave them up to doing everything their evil minds could think of. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness and sin...They were fully aware of God's death penalty for these crimes, yet they went right ahead and did them anyway and encouraged others to do them, too. Romans 1:28-32 TLB
3. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. Only the Father knows the Son, and the Father is known only by the Son and by those to whom the Son reveals him. Matthew 11:27 TLB (See our Matthew 11 notes.)
4. "If you have ears, listen!", in Mark 4:9, was common riddle language of the time. However, we do know that the people of Israel were not always willing to listen. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
1. x But who will listen when I warn them? Their ears are closed, and they refuse to hear. The word of God has angered them; they don't want it at all. Jeremiah 6:10 TLB
2. "Son of dust," he said, "you live among rebels who could know the truth if they wanted to, but they don't want to; they could hear me if thy would listen, but they won't. Ezekiel 12:2 TLB
8. The farmer is anyone who shares God's message to others.
1. x And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15 KJV
9. The sidewalk seeds represent hard hearts that are susceptible to Satan's deceptions.
10. The rocky soil seeds are quick to sprout, but don't commit. They quickly wither when they first meet affliction.
1. *The KJV specifies affliction "for the word's sake." 
11. The thorny ground seeds are those who believe God's message at first, but eventually are choked out by the desires of this world.
12. The good soil offers a bed for those seeds that truly accept God's word, and they produce an abundant harvest.
1. *Lord, rid my heart of the cement of stubbornness, the rocks of doubt, and the thorns of false desires. Keep only the fertile soil of truth within.
2. ! Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, And planted it with the choicest vine, And built a tower in the midst of it, And also made a winepress therein: And he looked that it should bring forth grapes... Isaiah 5:1-2 KJV (See our Isaiah 5 notes.)

On Light (Mark 4:21-25)

1. Jesus asked if you're trying to light a room, do you hide the lamp under a box or in a place where it can effectively shine?
1. *We cannot hide. To produce fruit, we must be well-positioned.
2. ? Why is this parable placed here? The rest are about seeds, why does Jesus transition to light? 
2. He ensures that even the light that is now hidden will eventually be revealed.
1. * It takes time. Just as no seed begins producing fruit immediately, it takes time for light to be positioned effectively.
3. Listen! He pleads.
4. Practice what you are learning.
5. As you do, you will understand the Kingdom of God more and more.
6. Because the more you understand, the more understanding you will receive.
7. But, if you don't try to understand at all, you'll lose even the little bit of understanding that you thought you had.
1. *What strong encouragement to keep studying God's word. Like math skills that are lost without practice, so too is the understanding of the Kingdom of God if we do not keep working to understand and put into practice its truths.

On Growth (Mark 4:26-29)

1. Jesus next compares the Kingdom of God to seeds that are sown and then left alone.
2. Without knowing the process, they grow from the soil, slowly but surely. 
1. x Israel is my vineyard; I, the Lord, will tend the fruitful vines; every day I'll water them, and day and night I'll watch to keep all enemies away. Isaiah 27:3 TLB (See our Isaiah 27 notes.)
3. Then, at harvest, the farmer reaps the rewards.
1. *To summarize, plant seeds, trust the hidden process (Mark 4:22), then reap the rewards.

On Faith (Mark 4:30-41)

Read Matthew 13:31-32 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 13 notes.)

1. Lastly, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a tiny seed that yields a large plant.
1. The "tiniest seed" to "largest plant" is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is making an illustration. A "great" kingdom of old will be supplanted by God's kingdom. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
2. Other creatures benefit from the plant's growth.
1. x Its leaves were fresh and green, and its branches were weighted down with fruit, enough for everyone to eat. Wild animals rested beneath its shade and birds sheltered in its branches, and all the world was fed from it. Daniel 4:12 TLB
3. Jesus continued using stories to teach publicly. 
4. In private instruction, He revealed the meaning to His disciples.
1. *As He continues to do through the Holy Spirit. 

Read Matthew 8:18, 23-27 for another perspective. (See our Matthew 8 notes.)

1. To pass the night, Jesus instructed the disciples to cross the lake.
2. A storm came that flooded the boat.
1. ? Why mention that there were other boats nearby? To show that there were witnesses?
3. The disciples woke a very comfortable and completely unconcerned Jesus, berating Him for His ease in the midst of their crisis.
1. *Oh, my soul, what a picture this paints. How often do I fret about things that Jesus is completely unconcerned about? Perhaps if I picture waking a frustrated Jesus over an issue that requires a little faith, it will permit me to rest in Him through the storm. I will still pray, my prayers will just sound different. Full of faith instead of fear.
2. *This certainly puts things in perspective. It reminds me that Jesus' concerns are not at all what we tend to worry about. This story reminds me of the story of the paralytic lowered through the roof. Jesus first forgave His sins. The paralytic's spiritual health was more important to Jesus than his physical health. Can we honestly say the same is true for us?
3. 🎵Let the thunder be my comfort / Let the lightning be my guide / Let the waves that rise around me / Hold me gently through the night / For the winds that seem against me / Push me right into Your arms / Teach me how to sleep in the storm 🎶"Sleep in the Storm" performed by Unspoken.
4. "Jesus was showing the disciples something that, if we trust Him, will allow us to live in a wonderfully free way: Even if the ship goes down, we'll be safe. If we are with Him, we're safe. Death itself is not the last word. The last word is joy." - Brant Hansen in Life is Hard, God is Good, Let's Dance., p. 32
4. Jesus ordered the sea to be still, and it obeyed.
1. 🎶I'm not gonna be afraid / Cause these waves are only waves /...And I'm not gonna fear the storm / You are greater than its roar 🎵 "Peace Be Still" performed by Hope Darst
5. Then Jesus asked the disciples why were they so afraid. Where is their faith?
6. With awe, they marveled at how even the wind and waves obey Him.
1. *Jesus has already shown authority over physical, spiritual, and mental healing (See our Mark 1 notes.). Now, He shows authority over nature.

*Concluding Thoughts: We are to:

• Be unhidden producers of a plentiful harvest of good fruit (Mark 4:20-22). 
• Trust God for timing, efficient positioning, and growth (Mark 4:21-22; 26-29). 
• Continuously wrestle to understand the Kingdom of God (Mark 4:23-25).
• Put into practice what we learn (Mark 4:24).
• Believe even a tiny amount of faith produces BIG results that yield life-giving benefits for others Mark 4:30-32; 35-41).

Exploration

Of Seeds

Referenced Verse

The farmer I talked about is anyone who brings God's message to others, trying to plant good seed within their lives. Mark 4:14 TLB

Definition

• a part of a plant that allows for propagation 
• a propagative source of anything: e.g. "seeds of discord"
• offspring; progeny (*If the seed is the word of God, then we become His children when we let it take root and grow.)

The Science of Seeds

• A seed is the embryonic stage of a plant's life cycle.
• It consists of three parts: embryo, endosperm, and seed coat (*trinity model, three-in-one).
• The embryo resembles a tiny version of a plant - complete with root, steam, and leaf/leaves. (*Could represent the image of God we bear that is waiting to grow. It also offers another three-in-one trinity model.)
• The endosperm provides nutritive tissue including starch, oil, and protein. (*Which, as a sidenote, coincides with Carbohydrates, Fat, and Protein. A combination to aim for every time you eat, according to our family doctor. And, spiritually, another trinity model of three-in-one. What's more we are told to find our soul nutrition in the Word of God in Matthew 4:4.)
• The seed coat offers a protective covering. (*God is our defender. See Psalm 91.)
• Plants that grow from seeds are the most diverse and abundant group on earth, offering more than 400,000 species. (*Much like the diversity seen in humanity.)
• Coco de mer, one of the largest seeds, is about one foot long and weighs approximately forty pounds.
• Epiphytic orchids have seeds that resemble dust. They measure about 1/300th of an inch and cannot be seen with the naked eye.
• The process of how a seed becomes a plant continues to baffle scientists. 
• (! Much like the process described Biblically:
• "All that is now hidden will someday come to light." Mark 4:22 TLB
•  "...as the days went by, the seeds grew without his help..." Mark 4:27 TLB
• The person who does the planting or watering isn't very important, but God is important because he is the one who makes things grow. I Corinthians 3:7 TLB)
• The seed most scientists study to understand the process belongs to the mustard family. (! [The Kingdom of God] is like a tiny mustard seed! Mark 4:31 TLB)

Verses about Seeds

• [Behold,] I have given you the seed-bearing plants throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. Genesis 1:29 TLB [KJV]
• And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15 KJV
• Cain and Abel's line shows us that we can choose which line we claim: the line of death, or of life. The seed of the serpent, or the seed of Christ.
• Don't be misled; remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it: a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows! If he sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him. Galatians 6:7-8 TLB
• But someone may ask, "How will the dead be brought back to life again? What kind of bodies will they have?" What a foolish question! You will find the answer in your own garden! When you put a seed into the ground it doesn't grow into a plant unless it "dies" first. And when the green shoot comes up out of the seed, it is very different from the seed you first planted. For all you put into the ground is a dry little seed of wheat or whatever it is you are planting, then God gives it a beautiful new body - just the kind he wants it to have; a different kind of plant grows from each kind of seed. Corinthians 15:36-38 TLB
• 
  
• "Obey my laws: Do not mate your cattle with a different kind; don't sow your field with two kinds of seed; don't wear clothes made of half wool and half linen. Leviticus 19:19 TLB

Songs We're Singing:

• "Can't Even Love Myself" by Unspoken 🎶I try to hide that I don't feel worthy / But the truth it will always tell / What you carry always shows / What you bury it still grows🎵
• "Back to Life" performed by Bethel Music🎶Where there was dead religion / Now there is living faith / All of my hope and freedom / Are found in Jesus' name / Just like Lazarus / Oh, You brought me back to life 🎵 
• "Keep Making Me" by Sidewalk Prophets🎵Lord, please keep making me🎶
• "Seeds" by Kathy Mattea 🎵We're all just seeds in God's hands / We start the same but where we land / Is sometimes fertile soil and sometimes sand🎶

*Thoughts: The seed is the Word of God conceived in the beginning and growing in each of us, if we let it. We let it grow by our choices. We must choose to stay in God's word or we will never become a tree. We begin stamped in God's image, an embryo created in darkness (Mark 4:27-28, Psalm 139:15, I Corinthians 13:12). To grow more and more in the image of God, we must nourish ourselves in the nutritive tissue He gives us: the endosperm of His Word (Matthew 4:4, Psalm 23:5, Mark 4:11-12). As we do, we are kept and protected by the seed coat of our loving Gardener: our Creator (Isaiah 27:3, John 15:1-4, Psalm 91). Endure, and we transform into a glorious tree planted by a stream of living water (Mark 4:32, Psalm 1:3, Isaiah 55:13). Then, it becomes our honor to provide rest for the weary, worn, and afflicted (Isaiah 32:17, Luke 22:32, Matthew 7:3-5)

Sources: 

1. "Adam to Noah: A Tale of Two Seeds" at BibleProject.org
2. "Seed" at Dictionary.com
3. "What is a Seed?" by Lawrence Kelly and Cecilia Zumajo at NYBG.org

Reflection

What process do you use to spread seeds?

When I spread seeds, I learn about the plant first. I carefully document its soil, light, nutrient, water, and space requirements. I research how to defend it from unwanted pests. Then, I design an environment especially suited for it. Finally, I plant it. After I plant the seed, my work is not done. Daily, I check on it. I remove any weeds that spring up. I watch for signs of pests and diseases. If I see any, I delve into targeted research to find a remedy.

I am not the type of farmer described in these parables. This farmer tosses seeds haphazardly, unconcerned about where they land. Then, the farmer just walks away. He comes back when it is time to harvest what he has sown.

While this kind of farmer sets off all kinds of alarm bells in my head, The Mr. is the type of seed planter Jesus describes. The Mr. opens a seed packet and scatters them in the soil. With great joy, he celebrates every stage of their growth. With wonder, he delights in seeing what springs up. His process is full of gladness and rejoicing, while mine is fraught with caution and worry. 

Consistently, Jesus describes our part in the Kingdom of God this way. Do your part: throw in the net and gather the fish; scatter the seed and bring in the harvest; accept the invitation, dress appropriately, and attend. Then, let God do the rest.

Notice, we do have a part to play - all of us do. Being a Kingdom citizen, a child of God, requires our "Yes". It requires our action. We must be lights on a stand. We must show up. We must continuously seek understanding by staying in the Word and doing what it tells us to do.

And it requires our surrender. We do our part, then we trust God to do His. We rest soundly on a pillow in every storm because we know we did our part, and we trust that God is faithful to complete His.

Respond

Connect

God is our Gardener.

Reflect

• What seeds in my life have I seen take root, sprout, and grow that bring me and/or the others in my flock closer to the image of God? Take time to praise Him for it. What seeds am I still waiting to see grow? Take time to ask Him to help them grow.
• What seeds have I allowed to grow that I need to ask God to remove from my life? When you identify it, give it to God and refuse to take it back. Every time that thought, desire, or behavior creeps back in, just like a weed, ask your Gardener to remove it again and to protect you from it.
• What stage of growth do you consider your faith to be at today? Can you imagine a situation that would slow or halt your growth rate? How can you guard yourself to weather storms and droughts? Where are you getting your nourishment? In whose shade are you finding your rest?

Act

• Arise! Praise God for the growth you have witnessed.
• Arise! Remove weeds that inhibit your growth, and guard yourself from their return.
• Arise! Accept your current stage of growth, commit to keep growing in the nourishment of God's word, and identify strong Christian family members who will shelter you.

In Closing

Father God, thank You for being a caring gardener who attends to my every need. You do the impossible work for me: You guard and nurture me as I grow ever more into Your likeness. Please help me to be patient and faithful in the process. Keep my feet planted in the fertile soil of Your truth by keeping me hungry for the nourishment found only in the knowledge of You. Remind me that I am clothed in your strength so I can go out with confidence to shine Your light to others. Teach me to lean on the sturdy oaks You bless me with as I grow in becoming a sturdy oak for others. I rejoice in knowing that what You want for me is a faith so steady that I find myself at rest in the middle of life's storms because I know and trust the One who loves and watches over me.

Ready for Mark 5?

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