1
At one time Jesus began again to teach by the lakeside. And a very large crowd gathered around Him, so that He got into a boat that was lying at anchor and sat in it, while all the crowd was on the shore by the lake.

2
And He taught them many things in parables. In His teaching He said to them:

3
“Listen! A sower went out to sow.

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

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Some fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and at once it sprang up, because the soil was shallow.

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But when the sun rose, it was scorched, and it withered because it had no root.

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Some other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

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And some fell on good soil, and it grew and yielded fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.”

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And He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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When He was alone, those who followed Him and the twelve asked Him about the parable.

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He answered them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those outside everything is spoken in parables,

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so that:
Though they see, they may not perceive; though they hear, they may not understand; lest they turn back and be forgiven.”

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Then He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

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The sower sows the word.

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These are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that has been sown in them.

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And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy,

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but they have no root in themselves, and endure only for a time. Then, when trouble or persecution arises because of the word, they quickly fall away.

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And others are the ones sown among thorns: these are the ones who hear the word,

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but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

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And those sown on good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.”

21
Then Jesus said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed, and not to be set on a lampstand?

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For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not come to light.

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If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

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Then He said to them, “Take heed to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you.

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For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

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And He said, “The kingdom of God is like this: as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,

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and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he does not know how.

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The earth produces fruit by itself: first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

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

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Again He said, “To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or with what parable shall we describe it?

31
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth.

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Yet when it is sown, it grows and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can nest in its shade.”

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With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it,

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and without a parable He did not speak to them. But privately to His disciples He explained everything.

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On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”

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Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him.

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Then a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling with water.

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But He was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

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Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

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

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They were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the lake obey Him?”

📖 Mark 4 – Parables about the Kingdom of God

🧾 Summary of Mark 4

In this chapter, Jesus begins teaching the crowds in parables, especially about how the Kingdom of God works in the human heart. He explains their meaning only to the disciples who are close to Him.

Main Points:

The Parable of the Sower (verses 1–20):
- A sower scatters seed on four kinds of ground: along the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil.
- Only the seed on good soil grows and produces much fruit.
- Meaning: Seed = the Word of God; soil = the condition of the human heart.
  Only an open and obedient heart bears fruit.
The Lamp Placed in a Bright Place (verses 21–25):
- Jesus said that a lamp is not placed under a bed, but in a bright place.
- Meaning: The Word of God must be made known, not hidden.
- Spiritual principle:
  “Whoever has, to him will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Parable of the Seed Growing by Itself (verses 26–29):
- A farmer scatters seed, and then the seed grows without his knowing how.
- Meaning: Spiritual growth is God’s work in stages, not instant.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (verses 30–32):
- A mustard seed is very small, yet it grows into a large tree.
- Meaning: The kingdom of God may seem small at the beginning, but it will grow great.
Jesus Calms the Storm (verses 35–41):
- While traveling on the lake, a great storm struck their boat.
- Jesus was asleep, and the disciples panicked.
- Jesus arose and rebuked the storm: “Be still! Be quiet!”
- The wind ceased, and the lake became calm.
- The disciples were amazed:
  “Who then is this, that even the wind and the lake obey Him?”

📘 Main Teachings of Mark 4

The word of God works according to the condition of the hearer’s heart.
The importance of humility and openness to receive the truth.
The kingdom of God grows quietly but surely, according to God’s time.
True faith believes that God is working even when we do not yet see the result.
Jesus has authority over nature and the storms of life.

✨ Spiritual Meaning of Mark 4

A good heart open to the Word will bear lasting fruit.
Do not despise small beginnings—God can use them for great things.
The kingdom of God is not merely teaching, but real power.
When the storm comes, Jesus is not far away—He is present and able to calm everything.
Closeness to Jesus gives true understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of God.