Mark 4
The Message (MSG)
The Story of the
Scattered Seed
4 1-2
He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a
great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit
as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many
stories.
3-8 “Listen. What do you make of
this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the
road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t
put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell
in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came
of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest
exceeding his wildest dreams.
9 “Are you listening to this? Really
listening?”
10-12 When they were off by themselves, those who were
close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them,
“You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to
those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness,
nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people--
Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word, Who
avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”
13 He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my
stories work this way.
14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like
the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the
Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the
gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But
there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some
difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who
hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they
have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they
heard, and nothing comes of it.
20 “But the seed planted in the good earth represents
those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest
dreams.”
Giving, Not
Getting
21-22 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and
put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on
the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding
things, we’re bringing them out into the open.
23 “Are you listening to this? Really
listening?
24-25 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of
the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own.
Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess
impoverishes.”
Never Without a
Story
26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown
on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts
and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help:
first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain
is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
30-32 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of
story can we use? It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite
small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with
thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”
33-34 With many stories like these, he presented his
message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was
never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he
went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
The Wind Ran Out of
Breath
35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to
the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A
huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And
Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying,
“Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”
39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to
the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth
as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you
have any faith at all?”
41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this,
anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”
The Message (MSG)
The Story of the
Scattered Seed
4 1-2
He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a
great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit
as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many
stories.
3-8 “Listen. What do you make of
this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the
road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t
put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell
in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came
of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest
exceeding his wildest dreams.
9 “Are you listening to this? Really
listening?”
10-12 When they were off by themselves, those who were
close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them,
“You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to
those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness,
nudging them toward receptive insight. These are people--
Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word, Who
avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”
13 He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my
stories work this way.
14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like
the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the
Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.
16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the
gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But
there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some
difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who
hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they
have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they
heard, and nothing comes of it.
20 “But the seed planted in the good earth represents
those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest
dreams.”
Giving, Not
Getting
21-22 Jesus went on: “Does anyone bring a lamp home and
put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don’t you put it up on a table or on
the mantel? We’re not keeping secrets, we’re telling them; we’re not hiding
things, we’re bringing them out into the open.
23 “Are you listening to this? Really
listening?
24-25 “Listen carefully to what I am saying—and be wary of
the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own.
Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess
impoverishes.”
Never Without a
Story
26-29 Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown
on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts
and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help:
first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain
is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
30-32 “How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of
story can we use? It’s like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite
small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with
thick branches. Eagles nest in it.”
33-34 With many stories like these, he presented his
message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was
never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he
went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.
The Wind Ran Out of
Breath
35-38 Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to
the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A
huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And
Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying,
“Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”
39-40 Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to
the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth
as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you
have any faith at all?”
41 They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this,
anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”