The Only Way to See Results. Reflection on Mark 4:1–20.

Breakfast with the Word Wednesday Week 3 in Ordinary Time of the Year

 

Mark 4:1-20

 

In Mark 4:1–20, the crowd gathers as usual around Him. This made Jesus enter into a boat and begin to teach them in parables and one of His main teaching today is the parable of the sower.

 

 

Jesus tells the parable of the sower, who sows some seeds as He scatters the seeds in the farmland. Some of the seeds fell along the paths, and birds came and ate them.

 

Some of the other seeds fell on rocky ground, but because it had little soil and lack of depth when it sprang up, it could not withstand the scorch of the sun, and hence it withered away because of lack of in-depth root.

 

 

Other seeds fell among the thorns, but the thorns choked them up, and it yielded nothing while some seeds fell into the good soil.

 

This brings forth grains and yields thirty, sixty and hundredfold.

 

In this parable, Jesus is telling us that if we truly want to see results and experience the power of God’s word, we have to to take note of these:

 

 

Know what the Word represents.

 

His interpretation of the parable indicates that the seed that was sown is the word of God. Therefore, Jesus is telling us that when we truly know what the word represents, we would always love to keep to it.

 

The word “of”, denotes possession or something that belongs to someone.

 

When we say the word of God, then we mean that the word we hear is of God, it belongs to God. It is not the word of anyone, but what God speaks through some human instruments to make us change and be close to Him.

 

 

Sometimes we treat this word without respect and attention. Maybe because it is coming from someone we feel we know.

 

One way to bear fruits is to accept the word as God speaking directly to you. The word for the day may be for you. It may be His decision to talk to your situation that day. It may be God talking to your family.

 

 

Personally, this has helped me a lot. You may be praying for something, and God decides to talk to you through the preaching of His word. Do not always underrate what you hear.

 

 

Secondly, as we see in the gospel of Mark 4:1–20, the word in its nature has the power to bear more fruits. It has the power to save and heal but requires action on our own part.

 

The word of God is continually alive and active (Hebrew 4:16). It has the power to change the hearer. (Matthew 7:24).

 

 

Read more

 

 

The Family of Jesus : What We have to understand. Mark 3:31–35.

 

Conversion of St. Paul: Lessons from the Encounter.

 

The Way to Change: Sunday Breakfast with the Word

 

The Power of “ I am Sorry”: Why we need to Apologise.

 

 

 

Receive the word with An Open Heart.

 

After Jesus tells the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1–20, Jesus warns His hearers that anyone who has ears to listen must be ready to hear. This statement underscores the need to listen to the word.

 

Through this statement in Mark 4:1–20, Jesus reveals the secret and power of hearing the word and keeping it. He is hereby telling us that we have to receive the word and accept it as what it is without doubting it.

 

 

So, if we truly want to see results, we have to listen to the word and live on it. It is the secret of every spiritual blessing (Luke 11:28).

 

 

Protect the word from the hindrances.

 

 

In this parable of the sower, Jesus gently exposes why we do not keep the word with some allegorical interpretations.

 

From the gospel of Mark 4:1–20, the seed does not bear fruit when it falls on the path.

These are those who listen to the word for the sake of listening, and the devil takes it away immediately. Hence, they are not yet ready to live by the word. They only come to church for the sake of coming.

 

 

The word does not bear fruit on a rocky heart; this is the heart that receives the word with joy and decides to live on it but easily falls when they encounter temptations and persecutions.

 

 

Here we find people, who easily abandon their faith or spiritual life, because of a constant mockery of their belief.

 

 

The word does not bear fruit when it falls among the thorns.

These are those who when they hear the word, they will decide to change but because of the quest for material things, personal glory, personal gains, and worries of what tomorrow may bring, they fall. They become more interested in the world than the power that comes from the word.

 

 

Therefore, Jesus is telling us to protect the word we hear from disinterestedness, temptations, persecutions, the quest for material things, problems, challenges, and our selfish desires.

 

 

Read more

 

If we truly want to work for God: Reflection on Mark 3:13-19.

 

The Way we respond to God

 

Let Nothing Stop You from doing This

 

What we say about Others

 

 

Do the Word.

 

 

The parable of the sower indicates that the word of God has immense power and benefits.

This is especially when we read, hear and act on it. Hence it also reveals that not living the word is already a decision not to see the results.

 

Hence, if we truly want to see what the word of God can do in our lives, communities, families, places of work, etc. Let us abide by the word.

 

Therefore, this is the easiest way to change the way we live.

 

 

It is the way to bring peace and even the way to initiate progress. It is the will of God that His children should always abide by whatever He says (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).

 

You have to Sow First.

 

Finally, to see results in anything in life, you must first of all sow the seed of the result you want to see. The sower has to sow before he thinks of reaping.  And the growth of any seed depends on the soil that you sowed it.

 

Therefore, If you sow your seed on a good ground, it will bear abundant harvest. It means that if  you want to achieve results in anything, you have to begin and give it enough attention.

Those who hear the word of God and do it are those who paid attention to it and apply it in their lives.

 

When you want to achieve peace for instance, you have to begin the plans to achieve it and make the necessary requirements needed. If you need success, do the same. If you want progress, sow the seeds of progress too. When you sow on a good ground, it will reap abundant harvest.

 

 

May God bless you dearest and give us the grace to live the way He wants. May the word we hear bear abundant fruits in us. Amen.