The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:13-20New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

13 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 

14 The farmer sows the word. 

15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 

16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 

17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 

18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 

20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

http://www.2x2ministry.org/bible_study/parable_sower_seed_soil.php

Mark 4:13

I have heard The parable of the Sower from Sunday School days and numerous sermons preached on it for evangelism and mission purposes. Jesus said that this parable is the first of all the other parables and in fact Jesus indicated that the disciples must understand this parable in order to under the other eight parables. So, it can be stated that The parable of the Sower is the  mother of all the other parables taught by Jesus. It holds the key to unlock the secrets of the other parables. 

As we are know and have been taught :-

Sower : Jesus or anyone who shares good news to others

Seed : The Word of God - clearly stated by Jesus (no need to guess)

Soil : The conditions of the hearers' heart 

Environment : The world and its temptations

Fruits : The bearing of fruits from the seed sowed into our lives

Often, we heard that this is the story of four types of people and their heart conditions. But, we could read that these are the four stages that each of one could go through. Ground #1 to Ground # 4. 

Ground # 1 Along the Path / Side walks V15
As soon as the Word is sown, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 

Why did Satan come to take away the Word / Seed ? The Word must be very precious and has great impact. Notice that Satan does not come to take away health and peace, he comes after the Word and steal it. Therefore, we must guard the Word. 

Ground # 2 On Rocky Place V16-17

When the seed / Word sown on rocky places, it is like a person hear the Word, receive it with joy. Then trouble and persecution come because of the Word. When the Word comes into effect, that is why trouble trouble and persecution come. If the there is no root for the seed, they will fall away quickly. 

Ground # 3 Among Thorns V18-19

The Word falls among thorns, the believers have faith and chew on the Word but the desire and cares of the world comes in. Deceitfulness of wealth, worries and desires of the worldly things, choke the Word. When the Lord gives success, He always gives Good Success, so that we have time for everything we love to do for the Lord, our loved ones and ourselves. However, with Bad Success, a promotion that takes away too much of our time to serve the Lord or be with our loved ones or simply for ourselves, then it will make us unfruitful.

Ground # 4 On Good Soil V 20
When the Word sown on good soil, the believers hear the Word, accept, admit, guard and agree on it. It produces much fruits, thirty folds, sixty folds and even a hundred folds. Sometimes, we want double portion of fruitfulness but it is actually many folds that we can have.

Ultimately, all Christians must be like Ground # 4, the good soil where we hear the word, guard the word, nurture it to growth and be fruitful and where the fruits produce more seeds to bear more fruits. Probably, at different seasons of our lives, we have gone through these four types of grounds. Hopefully, as we grow, we will be ever ready to hear, receive and guard the Word. 

Here are some of the commentary I have found in internet which are interesting to know.

http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/481/Parable-of-Sower-and-Seed.htm

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 1): The Mustard Seed

In Matthew. a total of eight parables are recorded. These eight parables can be divided into three sections. 

1) The first sections is "Satan's Plan to Destroy the Church" consists of the first four parables: 

• the Parable of the Sower, 
• the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, 
• the Parable of the Mustard Seed, and 
• the Parable of the Leaven. 

2) The second section "God's Work on Behalf of the Church" (What God does to make sure that Satan does not destroy the church) consists of the next three parables: 

• the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, 
• the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price, and 
• the Parable of the Dragnet. 

3) The third section "The Ministry's Duty to the Church" is the last parable, the Parable of the Householder, who takes out of his treasury both old and new.

Notice the comment Matthew makes following the first section. In Matthew 13:34 is an explanation why the first four parables can be titled "Satan's Plan to Destroy the Church":

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

What was kept secret from the foundation of the world? Satan's plan to destroy God's plan ofsalvation, which He is fulfilling through the church.

Matthew 13:34 applies specifically to what Jesus had just said, but it also applies generally to all the parables. Through them, Jesus opens up matters that have been concealed from the foundation of the world. In Psalm 78:2, it does not say, "I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." Instead, it says: "I will utter dark sayings of old," providing another clue that what Matthew 13:34 refers to in respect to the first four parables is dark. Jesus is speaking of dark mysteries, dark things happening. These can only be Satanic things, bad, negative things inspired by the Devil.

What Jesus spoke before verse 34 is primarily negative, not positive, and these negative things have been hidden from man since the foundation of the world. What happened at the foundation of the world? Adam and Eve sinned. That was the first step in Satan's plan—"Get them while they're young"—and he has been doing the same thing ever since. Jesus touches on this in the first parable.

So, in the first half of this chapter, Jesus is saying, "Look, My disciples, this is the plan that you must fight against. If you understand what is in these parables, you will have a pretty good idea of what is happening spiritually."

John W. Ritenbaugh

Unity (Part 5): Ephesians 4 (B)

Matthew 13:3-9

The seed is the Word of God, and its hitting the ground is not the end of the story. A variety of things can happen that will affect the growth of that seed. Some might fall on stone, others might be buried too deep. Rain may come and wash away some of it. Birds may devour others. But because life is in the seed, something will happen.

In the last century, archeologists found wheat and cotton seeds in some of the burial chambers that they excavated. Those seeds—which were probably anywhere from 2,000-4,000 years old—grew when put into the right soil. The spirit of life was still in them, even though they had lain dormant for thousands of years.

This is dramatic confirmation that, if a seed is sown, it will do something when it lands in the right kind of soil. Jesus shows in this parable that the environment affects the seed's growth. When we make the proper application—people are the ground, and our environment and what we do after receiving the seed—the word of truth, containing the doctrines—is what affects its growth. In this analogy, growth represents sanctification, which is is the formation of God's image in us by living His way of life empowered by His Spirit. What we do with the seed is "work[ing] out [our] salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). It is the equivalent of rain, sunshine, weeding, fertilizing, so that the potential for fruit is the greatest. Sanctification is worked out through application, by living the doctrines and the truths of God.

A Rap on The Parable of Sower by Stephen Amato

One day a farmer went out to sow

Scattering seed to and frow

Some fell along the path

Which could not deliver from God's wrath

For the devil took what they hadn't craved

So they didn't believe and were not saved.

Some fell on rocks but withered and died

For their faith was not deep enough to be qualified

To receive the life God promised to those

Who really believed Jesus died and arose.

Yes at first they were overjoyed

But when trials came their faith was destroyed

For they received it without their faith being rooted

And so fell away after they were persecuted

But then some among thorns fell

But in the end didn't mature too well.

For they were too concerned for their security

To bring any fruit to maturity

But those on good soil retained what they heard

It wasn't taken away by any bird

Nor did they fall away like those on the rock 

But continued to believe when others did mock

The problems in life would not make them stop

And by persevering they produced a crop

http://www.bcbsr.com/survey/pbl5.html

How did John outrun Peter on the way to the tomb ?

John 20:3-4

NIVUK

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

The Message

Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter.

Such an easy question to answer, of course, as we know, Peter was the oldest disciple of Jesus among the twelve. We knew it because :-

1) Peter had a mother in law. There was no mention of the other disciples having wives, so mostly still single. 

2) Matthew 17 says that Jesus asked Peter to catch a fish and pulled out a coin to pay the annual taxes and that coin was only enough for Jesus and Peter which implied that they were the only ones above 20 years old. So John, for sure was younger than Peter.

Is it strange that a younger man will outrun an older man ? At the prime of youth, perhaps, a few years difference do not matter. But really, how did John outrun Peter on that resurrection Sunday ?

The Message says that : They ran, neck and neck. Both were running together.

I am not an athletic and running is not my favourite sport. I disliked the annual sport run where we needed to bring one point to the Sport House by completing 5 Km run under 45 minutes. 

Here is Rev Stella Lim's sharing on How did John outran Peter to the tomb.

Peter and John ran enthusiatically as they really needed to confirm what Mary said was true that the tomb was empty. So, they were really excited as they raced together, neck and neck. Then, Peter slowed down. Why ?  

When we run especially to check out some news that have shocked us, our mind run with us, that is the mind will be processing information, facts and recalling conversations and joining the dots and tell-signs. Peter and John would likely recall back the last days of Jesus. As if it was not bad enough that Jesus was publicly humiliated, naked, brutally punished and nailed to a cross, why not his body is gone ? They must have thought how could this be so bad, the worst supposed to be over. Their master is dead and at least, let him rest in place. Could it be a conspiracy by the Roman Soldiers and High Priest yet again ? 

This probably did enter their mind during the initial part of the race. 

Then, Peter suddenly recalled his last few moments with Jesus, how he denied the Lord, three times and even cursed and swore that he did not know Jesus and had no part with him. Peter must have felt the heart pain and regrets. Wait, what if the Lord has not forgiven him until his last breath ? It was full of remorse and tears of sorry likely to flow down. In such a moment of grief, Peter's footsteps would slow down. He felt totally undeserving even to go and check out the Tomb. Even though Mary assumed both Peter and John as the leaders of the group, for she came straight to them first, Peter knew better. He was an undeserving leader, an ignorant guy, a betrayal of his Lord. 

In another words, Peter ran with shame and guilt in his heart. He felt condemned. He ran out of guilty feet and condemnation. 

As for John, he has always called himself as the "Beloved disciple of the Lord", he knew his position with Christ. He has been faithfully following the Lord till the end. Yes, he was scared and he followed from behind in disguise. He ran without reservation and knew that Jesus still loves him the same, dead or alive. 

So, this is the most probable answer as to how John outran Peter on the way to the tomb. Likely, in our lives, we should run this race without condemnation and not run with guilty feet. We run knowing that the Lord has died for our sins and forgiven us and His love is sure. 

The morale of the lesson, don't be like Peter. Be like John, he does not run with guilty feet.

I see, I saw, I have seen.

Language is the making up of words that plays with the mind. This is about the most philosophical statement that I could make or that I could handle. There are different words for the same thing / object / action and each having different meaning. In my limited knowledge about language, the ancient languages like Greek, Hebrew, Chinese have marvelous and luxurious WORDS to describe and elaborate things better. While the newer languages have a lot of limitation and mostly translated (simplified) into one word.

Recently, I learnt in Rhema Course about the word "See" which is rather ordinary. If we ever attended Easter Services, we would have read the following verses many times :-

John 20 King James Version (KJV)

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

John 20 Resurrection! (The Message)

1-2 Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”

3-10 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

In this ten verses, we could read that John and Peter went and saw something at the empty tomb. It was translated in KJV as "Saw, Seeth, Saw" and in Message as "Saw, Observed, Look". They all mean they have seen whatever was remain in the tomb. But if we read these passage with the original Greek word inserted back in, we get something.

John 20:3-8 (NIV UK Version)

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.5 He bent over and looked (blepei, he is looking, he is observing) in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw (theOrei, he is beholding) the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped round Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw (eiden, he perceived) and believed.

So what are the difference between Blepei, Theorei and Eiden ?

Blepei - Just seeing with two eyes, take a look.

Theorei - Logically seeing and reasoning, looking at facts more than truths.

Eiden - Spiritually enlightened kind of seeing with understanding.

In my own words, this is how the incident happened :-

So, John took a quick look from outside the tomb, he saw its empty. Peter went in and had a hard look at the physical evidence, thinking hard and reasoning with his mind "how can this logically be? If stolen, why they did not take the linen? Where is the body?" Then John went in and looked with spiritual eyes and he got enlightened and understood it and believed.

The speaker, Rev Stella Lim, explained that a lot of people come into the church to "Blepei" (take a look see) at the church, what is happening. Few would come in and Theorei (looking for facts and evidence, examined to see if we are real) the church activities and events. But we really need to come into church and "eiden" (look and seek for the truths, look with spiritual insights) at what God is doing and what are the truths.

Likewise, as Christians who grow in the Lord, when we serve in ministry :-

1) Do we just simply "blepei" see the work as just work like chores (routinely go in week after week doing the same old thing). By seeing with two eyes, humanly speaking most ministry works are dull and boring. There is no joy in serving, probably boredom.

2) Do we "theorei" reason the work as factual (Does this make economical sense? What is the value of this ministry?). In the long run, ministry is tiring and we will start to compare and complain. What about the 80% of the members who do no contribute ? Why am I serving the other 80% ? We may fall out of ministry because of the human reasoning and human values we give to our work.

3) Do we "eiden" spiritually enlightened with eyes of Jesus (we see the eternal value of the work and who Jesus came to die for). When we see what Jesus truly sees and operates as His Spirit moves us, not only our ministry is blessed, we will have joy in serving in the most mundane tasks of all. Even when setbacks or negativism happens, it will not change our perspective of "eiden" for we know whom we serve and why we serve, purely out of our love to our Master and Lord.

So, in English, we can say, we come and see, saw and have seen the glory of God but really do we "blepei, theorei or eiden" the full glory of God and what God is really doing ?

A time for Mindless Tasks

I do not like to be idle. If I were to be confined in a room for a long time, I would need activities and I need different category of activities subject to my mood and concentration capacity which is very much determined by environment and emotional moods. So, if I know that I am going to be away for a long time or stuck in a certain place, I need to bring my own activities to calm my nerve and help me pass the time.

Even in a very uneventful medical appointment, I will bring a book (optimistic), broadband to surf on my Ipad (moderate optimistic) and hand phone (pessimistic), at least I can delete duplicated contacts and delete photos.

Recently, I have learnt how useful "Mindless Tasks" or mundane chores are for a prolonged boredom when you are stuck in a place that you are unwilling to be in. These are the tasks you will never do at home when there are one hundred other active tasks you can do. These are the tasks you keep deferring them as they are noble ideas but not urgent or very important. Sure, life is better with them completed but they also can have no bearing in living.

Here are some of the "Mindless Task" which I find such a joy to see the results and feel much better after doing them.

1. Cleaning up Phone's Data - from contacts list, Whatsapp messages, Videos, Images. Take a good look at each one and delete all redundant, useless, offensives information. Reorganise the contacts information to be more search able for yourself, such as put Family Surnames before all your family member, Abbreviation for Colleagues, Church, Volunteers groups. Once, I spent the whole day doing this and my phone battery was flat before sunset. 
2. Sorting and re-writing your favourite recipes into new Notebooks with Categories to separate them. Although I love to get recipes from Internet, Mr Google but once I find my favourite recipes, I used to write them down and for future reference. I spent one whole day copying from my old torn notebook all the recipes that I torn from the old Notebook. It was so satisfying experience. I used different colour codes for Ingredients and Methods. 
3. Read an Easy Joke Book or Simple Story with messages. I find reading heavy stuff required a lot of thinking and challenging the thoughts process. If you are emotionally not very happy and the environment likely make you upset too, then you most likely cannot read heavy stuff books. Light reading is the best. 
4. Check your Social Media Settings and test them out. Sometimes, settings have been changed and you have forgotten you have linked Facebook to Twitter or once you pin something in Pinterest, it will show up in Facebook. Or you post in Blog through Ipad, it directly post in your Google + account. Things that you have no time to check, this is the best time to check, provided you have internet access. 
5. Catch up with all "Likes", "Saved" and "Share" linkages in your Facebook or videos and messages given in Whatsapp. Those that you like, you could download them or reshare them somewhere. Those that you do not like, it is time to delete them. Time to catch up with the reading too. For recipes on Facebook or Internet, its time to copy them down so that when you wish to cook or bake, you can find them in hardcopy.  
6. Clear out the Draft posts in your blogs (if you are a blogger). Sometimes you started to write something, then the idea just left and the blog post would be left hanging as draft for years. Its time to tidy them up and delete where necessary. 
7. This one requires some deep thinking but not really mindless tasks but it can be rather mundane tasks for busy people. To go through life and plan for the next 5 to 15 years to come. It can be just simple, list them for each child or spouse, what you like them to be doing in the next 5-10 years time, what activities to do together with you and what are realistic to achieve. After a while, you get an entire life mapped out with time frame and objectives. It is certainly very eye-opening to realise as your child is growing up, you are aging along the path. Doing an exercise like this, help us to realise how vulnerable life is and how fast our kids grow. They will soon out-grow us. 

Remote Control Fight

This is a very Malaysian household scenario at night. Both husband and wife would like to rewind before the TV, each having his or her preferred channels and hence the fight over the TV Remote Controller. In this case, the husband wanted to watch Malaysia Football match and the wife wanted to watch the Cooking Channel.

Refuge by City Harvest Church

This is my go-to song when my spirit is down, it is my pick-me-up song. There was a period that I felt so down-cast, I would listen to it before I sleep and when I did my morning walk. I did not have a earphone then, I used to put the handphone next to my ear and walked around the lake. In the quietness of the morning at 5:45 am, this song captivated my emotions and remind my soul to be at rest and know that I have a refuge in Christ. Tears of clensing would flow as I count on God's faithfulness to be a refuge for me.

City Harvest Church - Refuge

I sing a love song to You Lord
Every day every night, tell of Your goodness and mercy
Tell the world how You rescued me
Picked me up from sin and shame, Your breathe gives me new life

Where can I go from Your presence, Under Your wings I take refuge
Your spirit lives within my heart, I know we'll never be apart

Every day I draw closer to You Lord
I long to see Your face, And hide in Your embrace
All my life dwelling in Your holy place
My heart O Lord You've changed
I'll never be the same
I'll never be the same

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs0EC0tRgOs

This has Chinese lyrics produced by Priscilla.

演唱：City Harvest Church

歌名：避難所 Refuge

我向祢唱首愛的歌

Wo Xiang Ni Chang Shou Ai De Ge

I sing a love song to You Lord

每一天 每一夜

Mei Yi Tian Mei Yi Ye

Every day, every night

宣揚祢恩典與憐憫

Xuan Yang Ni En Dian Yu Lian Min

Tell of Your goodness and mercy

讓世界知道祢拯救我

Rang Shi Jie Zhi Dao Ni Zheng Jiu Wo

Tell the world how You rescued me

擦去我羞愧過去

Ca Qu Wo Xiu Hui Guo Qu

Picked me up from sin and shame

賜給我新生命

Ci Gei Wo Xin Sheng Ming

Your breath gives me new life

主我永遠不離開祢

Zhu Wo Yong Yuan Bu Li Kai Ni

Where can I go from Your presence

唯有祢是我避難所

Wei You Ni Shi Wo Bi Nan Suo

Under Your wings I take refuge

祢的聖靈居住在我心

Ni De Sheng Ling Ji Zhu Zai Wo Xin

Your Spirit lives within my heart

一生要緊緊跟隨祢

Yi Sheng Yao Jin Jin Gen Sui Ni

I know, we'll never be apart

※每一天我要更多親近祢

Mei Yi Tian Wo Yao Geng Duo Qin Jin Ni

Every day I draw closer to You Lord

渴望能見祢面 依偎在祢懷裡

Ke Wang Neng Jian Ni Mian Yi Wei Zai Ni Huai Li

I long to see Your face

And hide in Your embrace

我一生永不離開祢同在

Wo Yi Sheng Yong Bu Li Kai Ni Tong Zai

All my life

dwelling in Your holy place

我心因祢改變

Wo Xin Yin Ni Gai Bian

My heart O Lord you've changed

我不再像從前(X2)

Wo Bu Zai Xiang Cong Qian

I'll never be the same (X2)

.....................................

但我要歌頌你的力量，早晨要高唱你的慈愛；

因為你作過我的高臺，在我急難的日子作過我的避難所。

詩篇59:16

But I will make songs of your power; 

yes, I will give cries of joy for your mercy 

in the morning;

because you have been my strengthand

my high tower in the day of my trouble.

Psalms59:16

若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，

舊事已過，都變成新的了。

林後5:17

So if any man is in Christ, 

he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end;

they have truly become new.

2 Corinthians 5:17

影片製作：Priscilla