Church Fathers Commentary Mark 4:1-20

"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. And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow: and it came to pass, as he sowed, some [seed] fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. 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: 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. And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them. And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky [places], who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold." — Mark 4:1-20 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: Although the Lord appears to neglect his mother in the events mentioned above, He still honors her, since it is for her sake that He goes out to the seashore.

Therefore it is said, "And He began to teach again by the sea."

The Venerable Bede: For if we examine the Gospel of Matthew, it appears that this same teaching of the Lord by the sea was delivered on the same day as the previous one. After the conclusion of the first sermon, Matthew immediately adds, saying, "That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea."¹

Pseudo-Jerome: He began to teach by the sea so that the location of His teaching might indicate the bitter feelings and instability of His hearers.

The Venerable Bede: After leaving the house, He also began to teach by the sea because, by leaving the synagogue, He came to gather the multitude of the Gentiles through the Apostles.

Therefore, the text continues: "And a great crowd was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea."

St. John Chrysostom: We must understand that this was not done without a reason, but so that He might not leave anyone behind Him, but have all His hearers before His face.²

The Venerable Bede: Now this boat symbolized the Church, which was to be built among the nations, in which the Lord consecrates for Himself a beloved dwelling place.

It goes on: "And He taught them many things in parables."

Pseudo-Jerome: A parable is a comparison made between things that are different in nature, using some likeness. For "parable" is the Greek word for a "similitude," used when we point out through comparisons what we want to be understood. In this way, we might call a man "iron" when we want him to be understood as hardy and strong; or, to show he is swift, we compare him to winds and birds. But He speaks to the multitudes in parables with His usual foresight, so that those who could not grasp heavenly things might conceive what they heard through an earthly likeness.

St. John Chrysostom: For He stirs the minds of His hearers with a parable, pointing out objects to their sight to make His discourse clearer.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And to rouse the attention of those who heard, the first parable He presents is about the seed, which is the word of God.

This is why it continues, "And He said to them in His teaching." Not in the teaching of Moses or of the Prophets, because He preaches His own Gospel. "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." Now, the Sower is Christ.

St. John Chrysostom: He did not "go out" in a spatial sense—since He is present everywhere and fills all things—but rather in the divine plan of His incarnation, by which He drew nearer to us through the clothing of the flesh. Since we were not able to go to Him, because our sins blocked the path, He came out to us. He went out, preaching, to sow the word of godliness, which He spoke abundantly. He does not unnecessarily repeat the same word when He says, "A sower went out to sow," for sometimes a sower goes out to break up the ground for cultivation, to pull up weeds, or for some other work. But this Sower went out specifically to sow.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, He went out to sow when, after calling the chosen part of the synagogue to faith, He poured out the gifts of His grace to call the Gentiles as well.³

St. John Chrysostom: Furthermore, just as a sower does not distinguish between the different types of ground before him, but simply and indiscriminately casts the seed, so Christ also addresses everyone. To signify this, He says, "And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path."

Theophylact of Ohrid: Take notice that He does not say He threw it on the path, but that it "fell" there. A sower, as much as he is able, throws seed into good ground; but if the ground is bad, it corrupts the seed. Now, the way is Christ, but unbelievers are "by the wayside"—that is, outside of Christ.

The Venerable Bede: The path can also be a mind that is a pathway for evil thoughts, preventing the seed of the word from growing in it. Therefore, whatever good seed touches such a path perishes and is carried off by devils.

This is why it follows, "And the birds of the air came and devoured it." The devils are rightly called "birds of the air," either because they are of a heavenly and spiritual origin or because they dwell in the air. Alternatively, those "along the path" are negligent and lazy people.

It goes on: "And some fell on rocky ground." He calls the "rock" the hardness of a reckless mind; He calls the "ground" the soul's inconsistency in obedience; and the "sun," the heat of a raging persecution.

Therefore, the "depth of earth," which ought to have received the seed of God, is the integrity of a mind trained in heavenly discipline and consistently raised in obedience to the divine words. But the "rocky places," which have no strength for a root to take firm hold, are those hearts that are delighted only by the sweetness of the word they hear and, for a time, by the heavenly promises. In a season of temptation, however, they fall away, for there is too little healthy desire in them to receive the seed of life.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, the rocky places represent those who cling for a short time to the rock—that is, to Christ—and receive the word, but afterward fall back and cast it away.

It goes on: "And some fell among thorns;" by which are signified souls that are full of worldly cares. For thorns are cares.

St. John Chrysostom: He then mentions good ground, saying, "And other seeds fell on good ground." For the difference in the fruits follows the quality of the ground. But great is the Sower's love for humanity, for He commends the first, does not reject the second, and gives a place to the third.

Theophylact of Ohrid: See also how the bad are the majority, and the saved are few, for only the fourth part of the ground is found to be saved.

St. John Chrysostom: The greater part of the seed is lost not through the fault of the sower, but of the soil that received it—that is, of the soul that hears. A human farmer, if he sowed this way, would be rightly blamed, for he knows that rock, the path, or thorny ground cannot become fertile. In spiritual matters, however, it is not so. For it is possible for rocky ground to become fertile, for the path to no longer be trampled, and for the thorns to be destroyed. If this were not possible, He would not have sown there. Therefore, by this He gives us hope for repentance.

It goes on, "And He said to them, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'"

The Venerable Bede: Whenever this phrase is inserted in the Gospel or in the Apocalypse of John, what is spoken is mystical and is indicated as beneficial to hear and learn. The ears for hearing belong to the heart, and the ears for obeying and doing what is commanded belong to an inner sense.

There follows, "And when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parables. And He said to them, 'To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables.'"

Pseudo-Chrysostom: It is as if He said to them, "You who are worthy to be taught all things that are suitable for teaching will learn the meaning of the parables; but I use parables with those who are unworthy to learn because of their wickedness." It was right that those who did not hold fast in their obedience to the law they had received should not share in a new teaching, but should be alienated from both. For He showed by the obedience of His disciples that the others, by contrast, had become unworthy of mystical doctrine. Then, by introducing a voice from prophecy, He exposes their wickedness, which had been condemned long before.⁴

This is why it goes on, "so that 'seeing they may see, but not perceive...'" (see Isaiah 6:9), as if He said that the prophecy which foretells these things might be fulfilled.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For it was God who enabled them to see—that is, to understand what is good. But they themselves do not see, willfully making themselves blind, so that they might not be converted and correct themselves, as if they were displeased with their own salvation.

It goes on, "lest they should turn and be forgiven."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Thus, they see and do not see; they hear and do not understand. Their ability to see and hear comes from God's grace, but their failure to understand comes from their own unwillingness to receive that grace. They close their eyes, pretending they cannot see, and do not accept what was said. As a result, they are not changed from their sins by hearing and seeing, but are instead made worse.⁵

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, we can understand His speaking to the others in parables—so that "seeing they might not perceive, and hearing they might not understand"—in a different way. God gives sight and understanding to those who seek them, but He blinds the rest, so that it does not become a greater accusation against them that, even though they understood, they did not choose to do what they ought.

This is why it goes on, "Lest at any time they should be converted..."

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, they deserved their lack of understanding, and yet this itself was an act of mercy toward them, so that they might recognize their sins and, by converting, merit a pardon.⁶

The Venerable Bede: To those who are "outside," then, all things are done in parables—that is, both the actions and the words of the Savior—because they were unable to acknowledge Him as God, neither in the miracles He was performing nor in the mysteries He preached. Therefore, they are not able to attain the remission of their sins.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: His speaking to them only in parables, without ceasing to speak to them entirely, shows that for those who are near to what is good—even if they have no good in themselves—good is still shown to them in a disguised form.⁷ When a person approaches it with reverence and a right heart, he wins for himself an abundant revelation of mysteries. When, on the contrary, his thoughts are not sound, he will be made worthy neither of those things that are easy for many people, nor even of hearing them.

There follows, "And He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?'"

Pseudo-Jerome: For it was necessary that those to whom He spoke in parables should ask about what they did not understand. They needed to learn from the Apostle, whom they despised, the mystery of the kingdom which they themselves did not possess.

Glossa Ordinaria: For this reason, the Lord, in saying these things, shows that they ought to understand this first parable and all the miracles that follow.

Therefore, explaining it, He goes on, "The sower sows the word."

St. John Chrysostom: Indeed, the prophet compared teaching the people to planting a vine (Isaiah 5), but here it is compared to sowing. This is to show that obedience is now a shorter and easier path, and will yield fruit sooner.⁸

The Venerable Bede: In this explanation from the Lord, the whole range of those who might hear the words of truth but are unable to attain salvation is included. There are some for whom no faith, no intellect, and indeed no opportunity to test its usefulness can provide an understanding of the word they hear; of these He says, "And these are the ones along the path." For unclean spirits immediately take away the word entrusted to their hearts, just as birds carry away the seed from the trampled path.

There are others who both experience its usefulness and feel a desire for it, but some are frightened by the calamities of this world, while others are allured by its prosperity, so that they do not attain what they approve of. Of the first, He says, "And these are the ones sown on rocky ground;" of the latter, "And these are the ones who are sown among thorns." Riches are called thorns because they tear the soul with piercing thoughts; after leading it to sin, they, so to speak, make it bleed by inflicting a wound.

Again He says, "and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches;" for the person who is deceived by an empty desire for riches will soon be afflicted by the toil of constant cares. He adds, "and the desires for other things;" because whoever despises the commandments of God and wanders away, lustfully seeking other things, is unable to attain the joy of blessedness. And sinful desires of this kind choke the word because they do not allow a good desire to enter the heart and, as it were, suffocate the entrance of life-giving breath.

However, the Gentiles, who do not even have the grace to hear the words of life, are an exception to these different classes of people.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Furthermore, among those who receive the seed as they should, there are three degrees.

This is why it goes on, "And these are the ones who are sown on good ground." Those who bear fruit a hundredfold are those who lead a perfect and obedient life, such as virgins and hermits. Those who bear fruit sixtyfold are those in the middle, such as self-controlled personsⁱ and those living in convents. Those who bear fruit thirtyfold are those who, though weak, still bear fruit according to their own virtue, such as laypeople and married persons.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, one bears fruit thirtyfold who instills faith in the Holy Trinity into the minds of the elect; sixtyfold, who teaches the perfection of good works; and a hundredfold, who shows the rewards of the heavenly kingdom.

In ancient counting, the number one hundred is made with the right handⁱ; therefore, that number is a fitting symbol for everlasting happiness. The good ground is the conscience of the elect, which does the opposite of the other three types. It willingly receives the seed of the word entrusted to it and keeps it until the time of fruit.

Pseudo-Jerome: Alternatively, the fruits of the earth are contained in the thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold yields—that is, in the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel.

1. in Marc., 1, 18
2. Hom. in Matt., 44
3. in Marc., 1, 19
4. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
5. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
6. Quaest, 14, in Matt.
7. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
8. in Matt., Hom. 44