FOUR KINDS OF THINKERS: The Parable Of The Sower

Intro

Mark 4:1-9New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

1. The Simple-minded

Proverbs 19:2King James Version (KJV)

2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

Proverbs 26:12New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 9:7New International Version (NIV)

7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;

    whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.

Proverbs 19:25New International Version (NIV)

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;

    rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

Proverbs 1:22-24The Message (MSG)

22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?

    Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?

Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?

    About face! I can revise your life.

Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;

    I’m ready to tell you all I know.

As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;

    I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me."

Matthew 13:14-19The Message (MSG)

11-15 He replied, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it. I don’t want Isaiah’s forecast repeated all over again:

Your ears are open but you don’t hear a thing.

    Your eyes are awake but you don’t see a thing.

The people are blockheads!

They stick their fingers in their ears

    so they won’t have to listen;

They screw their eyes shut

    so they won’t have to look,

    so they won’t have to deal with me face-to-face

    and let me heal them.

16-17 “But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! A lot of people, prophets and humble believers among them, would have given anything to see what you are seeing, to hear what you are hearing, but never had the chance.

The Meaning of the Harvest Story

18-19 “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.