Mark 4:8-228And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14The sower soweth the word. 15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. 18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. 21And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? 22For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. (Mark 4:8‑22)
“AND OTHER fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundred.”
How happy to be assured that some of the seed must fall on good ground and bring forth fruit, which it will continue to do until the day of grace is ended. Just as we see a wide difference in the response of saved souls, so the Lord pronounces a variety in the amount of fruit that comes out of the good ground. It is a privilege, dear Christian friend, to have a big return for Him, but it can only be through faithful devotedness to God’s Word and earnest prayerfulness that other influences will not choke out that good seed.
May we not forget that there must be a continual plowing in our hearts to give that seed good lodging to His glory, the blessing of others, and joy to ourselves. Perhaps there may be an opportunity right close to you to prepare the ground in the heart of some friend or acquaintance, so that the living Word will find good lodging in their lives, too.
After explaining the parable of the sower, the Lord (v. 21) probes the consciences of His hearers in respect to their testimony. The illustration of a candle speaks, of course, of light shining in darkness (the candle cannot light itself, but is lit by the Holy Spirit); and He comments on the faire of the candle to perform its proper service if it is put under a basket or placed under a bed.
Is there a lesson for us in this? Indeed there is. If we are children of God through faith in Christ, then He says of us: “Ye are the light of the world” and urges us (Matt. 5:1616Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)) to “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Now there are two outstanding hindrances to Christian testimony — both brought out in this verse: First, occupation with such things as our livelihood, business, properties, or a desire to prosper in this world illustrated by the light hidden under the basket. These things may be said to be necessary occupations of our lives, but the hazard is that we so readily let them get out of bounds and have too much hold on our time, our interests, and then our affections. What Christian will deny the need of exercise of heart that earthly occupations be kept in their proper place, so that our light will not be obscured?
The other outstanding barrier to Christian testimony is indifference lack of energy — or just plain laziness of heart, mind and body. So our beds, figuratively speaking, can cover up the light of testimony, too. Our enemy, the Devil, loves to see an indifferent believer and if he can have his way, would give us so much satisfaction with this world that we will just go pleasantly along, but without interest in spending our energies for the Lord.
What care is needed that we do not “spend money for that which is not bread,” and our “labor for that which satisfieth not,” as we are warned in Isaiah 55:22Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isaiah 55:2), and that we do not let indifference mark the pathway and rob God of what is due Him from our lives. True zeal will look to Him to show in just what way you can best serve Him to His pleasure and your own joy.
ML-06/23/1963