Mark 4![]() Are you bearing fruit? As a follower of Christ, are you spreading the seed of the Gospel and making disciples that make disciples? If not, why not? This is Jesus’ command and calling on your life... that you bear much fruit? It is the underlying call in the parables of the soil, the seed, and the lamp. It is our responsibility or job to grow spiritually by the reading and study of God’s Word, and helping expand God’s Kingdom by sowing the seed of God’s Word with everyone, everywhere, every way possible as Jesus is not willing that any should perish; but all would come to repentance. We are to reap the harvest that awaits. We cannot make the seed germinate and produce a harvest; but, we are commanded to scatter the message of the Gospel with all those in our sphere of influence. When the harvest is ready, we must be alert and reap it, or the harvest may be lost. “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”” Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV) Where are you sharing the Gospel message? For whom are you sharing the truth of His Word so that they may believe? For whom are you investing? “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. John 4:35–38 (ESV) In Mark 4, Jesus explains a parable about four kinds of soil; representing four kinds of hearts that receive God’s word. Only one kind of heart receives it in a way that produces genuine fruit. What kind of heart do you possess? How about those around you? A growing seed, a growing Kingdom. The growth of God’s Kingdom, like the growth of a seed of grain, involves a progressive unfolding of God’s plan. Though it may grow in imperceptible ways, it will someday produce a glorious harvest. This is the only parable unique to Mark. Jesus also compared the Kingdom’s growth to that of a mustard seed, the smallest of seeds that produce a great tree; a great harvest. Is your faith growing? Harold Wilmington writes that “Jesus taught in parables to confirm people in their response to him: To those who believed, more mysteries would be revealed; to those who rejected him, the parables would only bring greater misunderstanding. John Mark quickly changes from the land to the lamp as rhetorically, Jesus asks whether a lamp should be hidden or displayed openly, an obvious answer; then, He declared that everything now hidden will someday be revealed. Here, there are two possible interpretations: We must be bold in proclaiming the gospel. And, the truth will eventually be obvious to everyone. With either interpretation, the personal application is the same: All will be accountable for how they respond to Christ. All will be held accountable for the spreading of seed. Those who accept the message (and share it) will be blessed; those who reject it will lose everything. Today, may you have courage in your conversations with those who need to hear the Gospel and may you intentionally ask them to follow Jesus the reason for your hope. Who is God’s Spirit calling you to share the Gospel, journey with, and help make a disciple?
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Shan SmithJesus follower, Husband, Father, ISU-FCA Area Rep, NationsofCoaches Character Coach, TH Rex Chaplain Archives
January 2024
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