Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 4:14

"The sower soweth the word." — Mark 4:14 (ASV)

The “farmer” is Christ himself; and the “word” is the word of the kingdom (cf. Matthew 13:19), i.e., the coming of the reign of God in the person and work of Jesus. Whereas in the parable itself the emphasis is on the sowing of the word, in the interpretation it is on the kind of reception Jesus’ word receives. Note that Jesus had already received negative responses to his proclamation (chs. 2–3).