The Parable of the Sower (Part One)

In Jesus’ parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20), He taught His disciples an important lesson that still applies to Christians in the 21st century: There will be a variety of responses when the message of Christ is shared. From packed stadiums across the world to the tiny mountain chapel, not everyone will say, “yes” when Christ is presented.

Early in His ministry, Jesus taught this parable to prepare us for a diverse response to the gospel. The parts of the parable are simple: The Sower is Jesus (and today His servants), the seed is the Word (Mark 4:14), and the soils symbolize four heart conditions (4:15-20). Jesus began the story with the wayside hearers, representing hardened hearts.
The Wayside and the Hardened Heart.

“Listen! Behold a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. . . . And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:3,15).

Fields in Palestine were crisscrossed with paths where sowers walked. Trampled by so many feet for so many years, the seed was unable to penetrate the soil. The seed was on the path and easy pickings for the birds. Jesus identified the birds as symbolic of Satan who is eager to snatch away Christ’s message before it can take root! Probably the best way to grasp the hardened heart is with a biblical example.
King Herod is an example of the hardened heart. His progressive hardening stands as a warning for us. It began in Mark 6:14-29. Herodias, Herod’s new wife, planned a birthday celebration for her husband and invited all the “political brass” from Galilee to the Dead Sea palace at Machaerus. She was not only in charge of food and drinks, but also the entertainment for the evening. She had a goal in mind for the birthday party: to silence the voice of John the Baptist! Herod had been spending much time with the powerful prophet, and it was starting to show. She had coached her daughter Salome about the sensual dance she was to perform. After hours of drinking by Herod and his guests, Salome paraded onto the palace dance floor on cue. Herodias knew her husband would be pleased, and thus she received her gruesome prize—the head of John the Baptist on a platter!
Herod had begun to show interest in Jesus through his prison visits with John the Baptist. “For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly” (6:20). This was a starting place spiritually for Herod. But after the party, his faith never progressed.
Sometime later, some Pharisees came to Jesus, saying, “ ‘Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And He said to them, ‘Go, tell that fox, “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected” ’ ” (Luke 13:31-33). In this second step in the hardening process, Herod went from gladly hearing John preach to wanting to kill Jesus. But the heart eventually hardens completely: “When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him” (23:6-8). Why did Jesus not respond to this interest? Because He knew the heart attitude of Herod. He had crossed a line and looked at Jesus as an entertainer. What follows shows his heart (vv.9-11). The hardening process was complete: Herod mocked Jesus!

Next time we will consider examples of the shallow heart and the divided heart.