Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Mark 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Mark 4
"And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land." — Mark 4:1 (ASV)
You can easily picture that scene: the Master sitting down in the vessel, with a little breathing space of water between himself and the crowd, and then the multitude on the rising bank, standing one above another, and all gazing upon the Teacher who sat down and taught them. It ought to reconcile any of you who have to stand in the crowd here when you remember that the hearers all stood in those days, and only the preacher sat down.
"And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:" — Mark 4:2-3 (ASV)
He did not go out to show himself, to let people see how dexterous he was at the art of sowing seed; but he went out to sow. And every true preacher should go out with this one design, — to scatter broadcast the good seed of the kingdom, and to try to obtain for it an entrance into the hearts of their hearers.
"and it came to pass, as he sowed, some [seed] fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it." — Mark 4:4 (ASV)
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
He could not help that; it was not his fault, but the fault of the way side and of the fowls. So, when the Word of God is denied entrance into human hearts, if it is faithfully preached, the preacher will not be blamed by his Master; the fault will lie between the hard heart that will not let the seed enter in and the devil who came and took it away.
"And other fell on the rocky [ground], where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:" — Mark 4:5 (ASV)
People of shallow character are often very quick to receive religious impressions, but they also lose them just as quickly. Those who are hasty and impulsive are as easily turned the wrong way as the right way.
"and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold." — Mark 4:6-8 (ASV)
Thank God for that! There were three failures, but there was one success; or, perhaps we might more correctly say, three successes.
There were three sorts of ground that yielded nothing, but at last the sower came to a piece of soil that had been well prepared, and therefore was good ground, which yielded fruit, though the quantity varied even there: some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
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