Session 4 · Wind and waves

Mark 4:1-20

¹Again He began to teach by the lake. Such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore by the lake.

²He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching said to them:

³“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

⁶When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered.

⁷Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.

⁸But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.”

⁹And He said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”

¹⁰When He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parables.

¹¹He said to them, “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

¹²“so that although they look they may look but not see, and although they hear they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven.”

¹³He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?

¹⁴The sower sows the word.

¹⁵These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them.

¹⁶These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy.

¹⁷But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.

¹⁸Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word,

¹⁹but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing.

²⁰But these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”

Mark 4:26-29

²⁶He also said, “The Kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.

²⁷He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

²⁸By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

²⁹And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.”

³⁶So after leaving the crowd, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat, and other boats were with Him.

³⁷Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.

³⁸But He was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?”

³⁹So He got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.

⁴⁰And He said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?”

⁴¹They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and sea obey Him!”

Mark 4:1-20

¹Again He began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.

²He taught them many things in parables, and told them in His teaching,

³“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,

⁴and as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.

⁵Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.

⁶When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

⁷Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

⁸Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”

⁹He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰When He was alone, those who were around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parables.

¹¹He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,

¹²that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

¹³He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

¹⁴The farmer sows the word.

¹⁵The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.

¹⁶These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

¹⁷They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.

¹⁸Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,

¹⁹and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²⁰Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”

Mark 4:26-29

²⁶He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

²⁷and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.

²⁸For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

²⁹But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:35-41

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”

³⁶Leaving the multitude, they took Him with them, even as He was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with Him.

³⁷A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

³⁸He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke Him up, and told Him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”

³⁹He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”

⁴¹They were greatly afraid, and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:26-29

Mark 4:35-41