Wednesday in the Third Week of Ordinary Time, January 29, 2025

Mark 4, 1-20

1 And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship and sat in the sea: and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine  3 Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow.  4 And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up. 5 And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth. 6 And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred. 9 And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable. 11 And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all things are done in parables: 12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13 And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables? 14 He that soweth, soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized. 18 And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word, 19 And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless. 20 And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.

This is an excerpt from a commentary I am currently writing on the Gospel of Mark.  I am using the Douay-Rheims translation.

4, 3-9: The Parable of the Sower is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  It is the only one of Christ’s parables to appear in all three, which speaks to its importance especially for the early Church.  It explains the different reactions people have to the Faith when it is preached to them.  It explains that not everyone who hears the word of God will embrace it and hold fast to it, and why this is so.

4, 3: He that soweth, soweth the word. This is Christ, whether he himself or acting through his ministers.

4, 4: Some fell by the way side.  The Sower casts his seed as far as he is able.  Most of it falls on the field but some of it outside the field.  Those who reject at once the offer of the gift of faith — immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word (Mark 4, 15) — are said to be outside the field.

4, 5: Some fell on stony ground.  Even in a well-tilled field there is stony ground here and there.  The Lord says this seed signifies those who have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.  and they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time.  They receive it with joy because it promises eternal life.  But they do not change their lives in response to the word, do not pray, and do not ask for the graces necessary to persevere, and so when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.  That is, when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized (Mark 4, 17).  The Greek word translated here as “scandalized” means “to trip up”: they are tripped up and lose what faith they had.

4, 7: And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.  As Christ explains: These are they that hear the word.  And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless. This is made clear in the case of the rich young man whom Jesus urged to give up his worldly goods so as to follow him: And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions (Matthew 19, 22).  The Greek word translated here as “sad” has the meaning of “grieved” and even “heart-broken”.  The rich young man was choked by his possessions and his desire for more of them, and he became “fruitless”.  He is as the fig tree on which the Lord sought fruit (cf. Mark 11, 13) and which he subsequently cursed: The fig tree [was] dried up from the roots (Mark 11, 20).

4, 8: And some fell upon good ground.  The Sower is good.  The seed is good. The problem is with the ground, that is, the reception of the seed.  The welcome reception of the gift of faith results in fruitfulness — the growing beauty of the plant, the pleasing taste of the fruit, and the seeds that each piece of fruit bears which can also fall into good ground, spreading the knowledge of the truth and the gift of faith.

4, 9: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.  A Hebrew expression emphasizing the need of the hearer to contemplate and act on what he has heard.

4, 10-11: The Apostles ask the meaning of the Parable but the crowd does not and so the Apostles receive a detailed explanation.  The crowd receives enough so that they should ask questions but they fail to do so.

4, 12: That seeing they may see, and not perceive.  The Lord quotes Isaiah 6, 9, where Almighty God commands the Prophet: Blind the heart of this people, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes: lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.  That is, Prophesy the truth, and those open to it will receive it, and those who are not will reject it.