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Picture a tiny seed sitting in your hand, smaller than a grain of rice. Now picture a big leafy plant. If you had never seen a plant grow before, would you believe that the tiny thing could become the big one?
Jesus told a whole set of stories about seeds. He used them to explain something that's hard to see: how God's kingdom grows. As we keep reading Mark's Gospel and asking "Who is this?", today we meet Jesus the storyteller, and his stories turn around and ask a question about us.
What you'll learn
- What a parable is, and why Jesus used them
- What the four soils in the parable of the sower stand for
- How God's kingdom is like a mustard seed
What is a parable?
A parable is a short story from everyday life with a deeper meaning about God and his kingdom. Jesus' listeners were farmers, fishermen and families, so he used things they saw every day: seeds, soil, lamps and harvests.
In Mark 4 the crowd is so big that Jesus teaches from a boat. Later, the disciples come close and ask him what his story means, and he explains it to them (Mark 4:10, 34). Parables work a bit like a locked door. People who come to Jesus and ask get the key. People who don't care just walk away with a nice story about farming. Anyone can come and ask.
Four kinds of soil
In the story, a farmer scatters seed, and it lands on four kinds of ground. Jesus explains that the seed is the word, God's message. The soils are different kinds of listeners.
| Soil | What happens to the seed | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Path | Birds eat it straight away. | Satan snatches the message away before it sinks in. |
| Rocky ground | It springs up fast, then dries out. | People get excited, then give up when trouble comes. |
| Thorns | It grows, but gets choked. | Worries, money and wanting other things crowd God out. |
| Good soil | It grows and gives a huge crop. | People hear, accept and live out God's word. |
"Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold." (Mark 4:20)
What might these look like today?
- Jordan hears a talk about Jesus at assembly. By recess he has forgotten all about it. (Path)
- Mia gets really excited about Jesus at camp. A month later her friends tease her and she quietly drops it. (Rocky ground)
- Sam believes in Jesus, but sport, gaming and wanting the newest phone take up all his time and thoughts. (Thorns)
- Lily keeps reading, asking questions and praying. Over a year she becomes kinder and more patient. (Good soil)
This story isn't for labelling other people. Jesus wants each of us to ask, "What happens when God's word lands on me?" And here's the good news: soil can change. Hard ground can be dug up. Jesus tells this story to invite people to listen, not to shut anyone out.
Small seeds, big kingdom
Jesus tells a few more short parables in Mark 4.
The growing seed (4:26–29). A farmer plants seed, goes to sleep, gets up, and the seed keeps growing. He doesn't even know how. So who makes the seed grow? God does. People share the message, but God is the one who changes hearts.
The mustard seed (4:30–32).
"Then He asked, ‘To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.’" (Mark 4:30–32)
How is God's kingdom like that? It started with one man in a small country, with twelve ordinary followers who kept getting things wrong. Today there are Christians in nearly every country on earth. It started tiny, and it has never stopped growing.
"Who is this?" clue
| Verse | Clue about who Jesus is |
|---|---|
| Mark 4:11, 34 | He speaks God's word and explains the secrets of God's kingdom. |
Key words
- Parable: a short everyday story with a deeper meaning about God.
- Kingdom of God: God's rule as King, and the people who live under it.
- The word: God's message.
- Soil: in the parable, the different ways people respond to God's message.
How this points to Jesus
Jesus is the farmer scattering God's word. But he is also more than that. The kingdom grows because the King has arrived. Mark wants us to see that this storyteller isn't just talking about God's kingdom; he is the one bringing it.
Think about it
Why do you think Jesus taught with stories instead of just giving a list of facts?Show answer
Stories stick in your memory, and they make you think. A parable invites you to come closer and ask what it means, the way the disciples did.
In the parable of the growing seed, the farmer can't make the seed grow. What does that teach us?Show answer
God is the one who grows his kingdom and changes people's hearts. Our job is to share the message and trust God with the results.
Which of the "bad" soils do you think is the hardest to notice in yourself? Why?Show answer
Many people say the thorns, because being busy with good things like sport and friends doesn't feel bad, but it can slowly crowd God out.
Take it further
This week, think honestly about what helps God's word grow in someone's life, and what gets in the way. You can answer about people in general, or about yourself. Your worksheet helps you work through the four soils and the mustard seed.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that your kingdom keeps growing, even when it looks small. Make my heart like good soil, so that your word grows in me. Amen.