Mark 4
4He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge.G2532G756G3825G1321G3844G2281G2532G4863G4314G846G4183G3793G5620G846G1684G1519G4143G2521G1722G2281G2532G3956G3793G2258G4314G2281G1909G10932He taught by using stories, many stories.G2532G1321G846G4183G1722G3850G2532G3004G846G1722G846G13223"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed.G191G2400G1831G4687G46874As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it.G2532G1096G1722G4687G3739G3303G4098G3844G3598G2532G4071G3772G2064G2532G2719G846G27195Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots,G1161G243G4098G1909G4075G3699G2192G3756G4183G1093G2532G2112G1816G1223G2192G3361G899G10936so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.G1161G393G2246G393G2739G2532G1223G2192G3361G4491G35837Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.G2532G243G4098G1519G173G2532G173G305G2532G4846G846G2532G1325G3756G25908Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.G2532G243G4098G1519G2570G1093G2532G1325G2590G305G2532G837G2532G5342G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G15409"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"G2532G3004G846G2192G3775G191G19110When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories.G1161G3753G1096G2651G4012G846G4862G1427G2065G846G385011He told them, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can't see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.G2532G3004G846G5213G1325G1097G3466G932G2316G1161G1565G1854G3956G1096G1722G385012These are people— Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing, Whose ears are open but don't understand a word, Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven."G2443G991G991G2532G3361G1492G2532G191G191G2532G3361G4920G3379G1994G2532G265G863G84613He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.G2532G3004G846G1492G3756G5026G3850G2532G4459G1097G3956G385014"The farmer plants the Word.G4687G4687G305615Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.G1161G3778G1526G3844G3598G3699G3056G4687G2532G3752G191G4567G2064G2112G2532G142G3056G4687G1722G846G258816"And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm.G2532G3778G1526G3668G4687G1909G4075G3739G3752G191G3056G2112G2983G846G3326G547917But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.G2532G2192G3756G4491G1722G1438G235G1526G4340G1534G2347G2228G1375G1096G1223G3056G2112G462418"The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom newsG2532G3778G1526G1526G4687G1519G173G3778G191G305619but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.G2532G3308G5127G165G2532G539G4149G2532G1939G4012G3062G1531G4846G3056G2532G1096G17520"But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."G2532G3778G1526G4687G1909G2570G1093G3748G191G3056G2532G3858G2532G2592G1520G5144G2532G1520G1835G2532G1520G154021Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantel?G2532G3004G846G3385G3088G2064G2443G5087G5259G3426G2228G5259G2825G3756G2443G2007G1909G308722We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open.G1063G2076G3756G2927G5100G3739G5319G3362G5319G3761G1096G614G235G2443G2064G1519G531823"Are you listening to this? Really listening?G1536G2192G3775G191G19124"Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. Giving, not getting, is the way.G2532G3004G846G991G5101G191G1722G3739G3358G3354G3354G5213G2532G5213G191G436925Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes."G1063G302G3739G2192G846G1325G2532G3739G2192G3756G575G846G142G2532G3739G219226Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a manG2532G3004G3779G2076G932G2316G5613G1437G444G906G4703G1909G109327who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens.G2532G2518G2532G1453G3571G2532G2250G2532G4703G985G2532G3373G846G1492G3756G561328The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain.G1063G1093G2592G844G4412G5528G1534G4719G1534G4134G4621G1722G471929When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!G1161G3752G2590G3860G2112G649G1407G3754G2326G393630"How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use?G2532G3004G5101G3666G932G2316G2228G1722G4169G3850G3846G84631It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go,G5613G2848G4615G3739G3752G4687G1909G1093G3398G3956G4690G2076G1909G109332yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it."G2532G3752G4687G305G2532G1096G3187G3956G3001G2532G4160G3173G2798G5620G4071G3772G1410G2681G5259G4639G84633With many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity.G2532G4183G5108G3850G2980G3056G846G2531G1410G19134He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.G1161G5565G3850G2980G3756G846G1161G2398G2596G1956G3956G846G310135Late that day he said to them, "Let's go across to the other side."G2532G1722G1565G2250G3798G1096G3004G846G1330G1519G400836They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along.G2532G863G3793G3880G846G5613G2258G1722G4143G1161G2258G2532G3326G846G243G414237A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it.G2532G1096G3173G2978G417G1161G2949G1911G1519G4143G5620G846G1072G2235G107238And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?"G2532G846G2258G1909G4403G2518G1909G4344G2532G1326G846G2532G3004G846G1320G3199G4671G3756G3754G62239Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, "Quiet! Settle down!" The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass.G2532G1326G2008G417G2532G2036G2281G4623G5392G2532G417G2869G2532G1096G3173G105540Jesus reprimanded the disciples: "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"G2532G2036G846G5101G2075G3779G1169G4459G2192G3756G410241They were in absolute awe, staggered. "Who is this, anyway?" they asked. "Wind and sea at his beck and call!"G2532G5399G5401G3173G2532G3004G240G4314G240G5101G686G2076G3778G3754G2532G417G2532G2281G5219G846
The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.
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