Understanding Jesus’ Words
Read Mark 4:1-20
“But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” –Mark 4:12
The Parable of the Sower is contained in three of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The story is about a story about a farmer who sows his seed on different types of soil. The first seed falls on hard ground, and the birds come and eat it. The second seed falls on shallow soil. It springs up quickly but develops no roots, so that it wilts and dies in the sun. The third seed falls among thorny ground, and it is choked out by the weeds around it. Only the last seed falls on soil that is soft, deep, and uncluttered, where it can flourish fully and bring forth an abundant yield.
In all three Gospels, after Jesus finishes telling the parable, he explains to his disciples why he teaches in parables. He does so by quoting a verse from Isaiah’s call story (Isaiah 6:9-10). The verse is a little strange, because it almost seems like Jesus is speaking in riddles, as if he wants obscure the real meaning of his words.
I love doing puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, all the New York Times puzzles (Strands, Connections, Spelling Bee, and so on). But there is one kind of puzzle that I hate—the “Magic Eye” puzzles. On the surface, all you can see is a crazy, busy pattern. But if you look at them the right way, a “hidden image” will reveal itself within the pattern. I hate these puzzles because I’m terrible at them. People around me will declare with satisfaction: “I see it!” And they’ll go on to describe some image that my eyes just can’t perceive. Can’t you see the hat? And the little monkey? Eventually, I pretend to see it just so we can move on to some other puzzle that I’m good at. So is there some kind of “secret meaning” in Jesus’ parables that only some people can see?
The key to the Isaiah passage is the pairing of similar words. People see but do not perceive; people hear but do not understand. (Sounds like the lyrics of Paul Simon’s “Sounds of Silence”!) In the first pairing, the second word in Greek is horaó. It is one of the most common words in the New Testament, occurring over seven hundred times! However, it implies more than physical sight—it implies seeing something “with your mind.” It’s the difference between “seeing” and “discerning.”
The second pair of verbs ends with the word suniémi (understand). It literally means “to set together.” It’s about being able to make connections—not just hearing what someone is saying, but being able to connect those words to your life or to the world around you. And when we do those two things—discern and connect—they lead to a third action: we turn (in repentance) towards God.
You see, the problem is not that Jesus’ parables are complex, but that their true meaning is hidden. No, the meaning is plain as day. The true challenge is discerning their connection to our own lives. As the apostle James would later write, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:23-24) It is easy to hear a parable, grasp its meaning, but then fail to let that word penetrate our hearts. We become like the soil that failed to receive the seed.
So read the Parable of the Sower again. Ask God to help you discern the reality of your own heart. Invite the Spirit to connect Jesus’ words to your soul. Be willing to turn over to Him whatever He might reveal. Seek to become the kind of soil where God’s word can flourish.
O Great Sower, open my heart to receive Your word. Penetrate my pride, turn over my complacency, clear out the competing clutter. Help me to turn my full attention to You, that You might speak a new and life-saving Word to me. Amen.