Charles Ellicott Commentary Mark 4:28

"The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear." — Mark 4:28 (ASV)

The earth bringeth forth fruit of herself.—Stress is laid on the spontaneity of growth, and the lesson drawn from it is obviously one of both patience and faith. It is not advisable in spiritual cultivation, either of the nations of the world or of individual souls, to be digging up the seeds to see if they are growing. It is wiser to sow the seed and to believe that sun and rain will make it grow. Thus, these words find an interesting, similar, yet distinct parallel in the precept of Ecclesiastes 11:6: In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.

First the blade, then the ear.—Following the same lines as before, we find:

1. Three stages in the growth of the Church of Christ in the field of the world.
2. Three similar stages representing the influence of the new truth on thoughts, purposes, and acts, in the individual soul.