Sowing Everywhere: Mark 4:13-14

There is a fine line between success and failure.  Often, that fine line begins with how we respond when given an opportunity.  A proper response opens the door of opportunity and helps turn it into something greater.  An improper response closes the door and the opportunity is missed.

As Jesus begins to explain this parable, He says that the sower sows the seed, which is the word.  Notice that Jesus doesn’t say the sower is picky about where he sows the seed.  Jesus doesn’t claim that the sower holds back from sowing in one place and sows extra in another place.  The sower simply sows wherever he goes.

This is a great opportunity to revisit the context from the last few days.  When Jesus speaks in parables, He is not being a gatekeeper.  He isn’t trying to be picky about who gets to hear the message.  Like the sower in the parable, Jesus is willing to have a conversation with anyone.  Even when massive crowds gather and threaten to crush Him, Jesus continues to sow the Word.

This should make sense.  Which one of us can know where God’s Word is going to take root until it does?  I can think some person is ready to hear God’s truth and be completely wrong when I try to talk to them about it.  I can also I think a person will have no interest in God’s Word but when they get the opportunity their curiosity about the Word is exceptional!  Because we cannot know the hearts and minds of other people, how can we possibly know where to sow ahead of time?

This is why the sower sows everywhere.  The job of the sower is not to be selective about where the seed goes.  The job of the sower is to deliver the seeds.  That’s all the sower is responsible for doing.

This plays nicely into Jesus’ point about why He uses parables.  If the sower is going to sow everywhere, then there is a serious risk regarding time commitment.  It takes a good amount of time and a healthy amount of energy to sow everywhere.  By sowing in parables, Jesus can manage His time quite effectively.  The sowing is done in a manner that lets people self-identify regarding whether they want to hear more.  The people who decide they aren’t interested won’t demand any more time from Jesus and a huge part of the time management aspect resolves itself.  Once the people who lack curiosity self-select to be out, Jesus can now spend what time remains on the people who are curious and who want to know more.  Sowing everywhere – but sowing in the form of parables - helps Jesus’ ministry stay effective. 

There is a fine line between success and failure.