Mark 4: 1-20
Who has ears to hear?

Scripture Reading:  Mark 4:1-20 

Prayer 

Intro:  Sales for Bank of America – personal bankers trained according to the same protocol (didn’t matter your previous experience) – hours of computer-based training, person-to-person training in groups – parameters about data entry – critical contact with customers (know about new credit card).  Federally required legal disclosures and disclaimers.  Taught to supply our customers with as many of our financial products and services as possible within the law – enthusiastic professional attitude.  Every associate - Re-certify our code of ethics training every year – sign off that we had re-read the booklet and understood – take an electronic exam to prove our comprehension of the code - corresponding penalties (termination, jail, sinking the reputation of the company, etc.).

But despite this extensive repetition of the Code of Ethics training – many in our company of looked past the rules.  Lot of rules – but everybody knew important ones.  Still, every month, (sometimes every week) management had to terminate associates who had broken with the code.  Blatant disregard – credit card without informing customer, tellers borrowing cash from their drawers, people claiming sales that were not their own.

The Word of the Code had gone out to everyone, everyone heard, but not everyone received the Word in the same way.  Some forgot - some ignored it for personal advantage, some hated the code and deliberately made excuses to disregard its word, some caved to pressure from superiors who wanted more sales no matter what – they were just words after all.  All these paid the consequences – mostly termination.  But the majority at least tried to follow the code and obey the word they had received. 

FCF: ever given instructions to a group - not everyone hears the same.  Any parent or teacher, any coach or manager or preacher knows – people do not always listen well.  Any spouse knows – same person does not always listen as well at different times. 

Bond:  The parable of the sower indicates that the Word of God is spread among all sorts of men, but not everyone who hears the word receives it and keeps it. Everyone has ears, but not everyone has ears to hear.  Some hate the Word and never really hear.  Some hear, but do not persevere – crushed by pressure from others – deceived by desire for gain.  Finally, others hear well and produce fruit that lasts and grows. 

This is the way of the Kingdom, says Jesus, it all depends on how you hear my Word.  And the good news is that the word is cast out broadly to all who might have ears to hear.  It doesn’t matter how you have performed up to now – Jesus came to call sinners – but it does matter how you hear him today and how you respond to his Word.  He’s looking for faithful hearers – but – divergence between those hearers for whom the word is revealed and hearers for whom the word is concealed.  Jesus reveals his word to some, but conceals his word from others.  So, we must examine our response to his word. 

As we examine these two classes of hearers in the Parable of the Sower – two guiding questions – 

What does this parable mean? 

Why does Jesus teach in parables? 

We must examine our response to his word. 

SP1 The meaning of the parable

- Pharisees, Scribes, Family: hear poorly // the disciples (new Israel) : hear well.  Interprets the preceding – intensifies our anticipation of things to come.  Most importantly, it gives us hope that the advancing proclamation of the Kingdom will prevail after all, despite heated opposition God’s word will prevail.  Whatever appearance to the contrary – parable reveals that some will hear well and produce abundant fruit. 

If revelatory hearing is so important, then Why (does Jesus) teach in parables?

SP2 The method of the parable

The very nature of the parable require engagement and explanation.  The meaning of the parable should be fairly clear w/o explanation for the careful reader of Mark – even first time reader prepared by previous narrative – some have failed to see the signs up to now and some have responded in faith – so the parable is not greatly enigmatic but it does require engagement – parables place a veil over meaning – look beneath the surface – for the true meaning look behind these words.  Still there is mystery and the disciples want to get things clear – they ask and Jesus reveals.  The parable provides an opportunity for Jesus to assure his disciples that the Kingdom belongs to them – who hear well. So the method of the parable forms a pedagogic paradox which reveals more deeply precisely because it is concealed. 

Illus:  Toes, Ears, & Nose

Could teach without this book – could just point out directly – we’ve done that – Jesus has done that in his signs – but the book is a great tool – requires engagement – concealment and revelation sustains interest. 

App: Parables are good pedagogy because they require engagement.  Must have desire to hear.  - interesting, return again and again.  – more fun, more memorable.  Do you know the parables? 

MP2 Because Jesus Christ conceals his word from those without ears to hear,

We must examine our response to his word. 

SP1 The meaning of the parable

Implication is Devil present at the preaching of word - snatches away/ deceives, World persecutes/ trys – not idly, but vehemently opposed, seeking to kill and destroy the gospel (Pharisees or your family), the flesh lingers and longs after other pursuits till they choke the growth of the gospel– perhaps most important warning for our culture. 

Illus:  New home – more than satisfies our needs – extra rooms and our yard is maybe ten times the size of our tiny yard in St. Louis. 

Jogging – nicer houses – much nicer, bigger yards, manicured gardens, etc. 

In my heart of hearts I began to imagine what it might be like to own one of those places and to have the things that my wealthier neighbors have. 

App:  It’s not wrong to desire good things for your family, it’s not wrong to own a big and beautiful house – abundance can be a blessing from God.

But it can also be a curse.  And covetousness is a subtle disease, a deceitful master.

Jesus warns us in this parable to – watch out – lest our desire for gain conflict with his purposes for fruit in our lives – litmus test for how you’re responding in our culture.  How do you think about wealth – primary or secondary –  Generous or miserly – fearful or trusting.  Is your desire for a dream home preventing your from living in the Kingdom today – bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. 

Why does Jesus teach in parables?

SP2 The method of the parable.

The awesome and terrifying vision of God – followed by a call that is likewise sober and terrible – 

Isaiah 6: 8 - 7: 1 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."  9 And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "' Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.'  10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed."  11 Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,  12 and the LORD removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.  13 And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump. 

Jesus claims to be playing Isaiah’s sad role in his own time.  All of Israel will not hear properly – many blinded rather than healed.  His word entails judgment for those uninterested and unwilling to respond.  By parable he keeps his distance from his accusers and plotters.  It’s a simple tool – bides some time.  He intends to veil – to obscure and conceal his teaching – in order to hide himself from those who are hostile toward him in hardness of heart.  They don’t get to lift the flap and see, because they have the wrong motive in doing so.  It matters how we respond to God’s Word. 

Illus:  familiar pop artist – Alanis Morissett - first album Jagged Little Pill (1995) - platinum sixteen times in the US -  sold more than 30 million copies world-wide – its said to be the second best-selling album of the 1990s, tenth best-selling album of all-time distinct voice and dynamic  lyrics – she writes her own songs – talented, not just a show-piece

(#1 hit) "Hand In My Pocket" – explores the contradictions of everyday life

I'm high but I'm grounded 
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed 
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby 
What it all comes down to 
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine 

I’m tired but I’m working, yeah

I care but I'm restless 
I'm here but I'm really gone 
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby 

What it all comes down to 
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright 

I'm hard but I'm friendly baby 
I'm sad but I'm laughing… 
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to 
Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet 

Not the message of the Parable of the Sower – yes, climax points to the ultimate success of God’s word – but not before much of the seed fails – seed not all on good soil –  (Jesus Teaches) it matters what you believe in the end –(the Parable of the Sower)  it matters how you respond to the word of God.  You don’t want to be among those who are

…ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding;

So examine your motive in hearing the word – are you hostile or do you engage with interest – do you ask for understanding or do you simply go your way content that it will all be fine in the end – both are inadequate responses. 

Good news is that the promise remains, despite all appearances to the contrary, and beyond all failure, the sowing of the word will not ultimately fail.  The time for harvest will come. 

Conc:  v. 4: 13 Jesus asks the disciples…  - up to now a favorable reading (good soil) – but Jesus’ question casts doubt on whether the disciples persevere – sets tone for remainder of Marks – disciples incomprehension / lack of faith becomes a dominating them (Greg Fray) – implicit doubts become more explicit

v. 7: 18 Are you also without understanding

vv. 8: 33 he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan!  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

In the end the disciples also counted among those outside

As the new Israel, they also have fallen away. 

Good news – (Joel Marcus) – Jesus also in the end moves beyond the pale – crucified outside the city – the Father forsakes him – he counts himself among those outside in order to assure that the seed ultimately does prevail and bear fruit – he himself embodies the true Israel – 

(N. T. Wright) In the end Pof Sower – not simply about Jesus sowing seed (Word) – but God sowing seed (which is Jesus). 

And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled."  The holy seed is its stump. 

Isaiah 55: 6 - 56: 1 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;  7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.  8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.  12 "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the LORD, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."