Mark 4:3-8

“Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:7-8 RSV).

Comment:

We have the greatest possible authority for interpreting this parable: Jesus Christ himself. He carefully interprets it for his confused disciples at Mark 4:13-20. There is little that can be added, except perhaps to phrase his explanation in words that have greater resonance to our life today. 

We are the sower, here in human form to grow the new consciousness that Jesus calls ‘the kingdom of heaven.’ The seeds are our well-intentioned thoughts, actions, and beliefs—the expressions of our faith in our Oneness with the creative energy of the Divine. The birds use the seed for immediate gratification, rather than seeing its ultimate creative purpose; we, too, sometimes focus on gratifying human appetites rather than staying focused on our ultimate spiritual purpose. The seed on hard ground represents thoughts in our consciousness that are immediately expressive, but that require a depth of commitment and nurturing that we don’t choose to offer. We may get an immediate benefit to our faith—perhaps a healing or guidance out of a sticky situation. But once the immediate need is met, we allow ourselves to be distracted by other demands on our time and energy, and our spiritual practice dies away before its deeper purpose can be realized. Other seeds are quickly choked by the ‘weeds’ of the world—thoughts of lack and limitation, judgment, and punishment that overwhelm our spiritual perspective. And the good soil represents a consciousness that nurtures our faith, allowing it to grow and mature, bringing us blessings beyond measure as we continue our progress into kingdom consciousness.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed