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Mark 4

Jesus reveals the mystery of God’s Kingdom through parables about hearing and growth, then displays his authority over the sea.

Jesus teaches a large crowd from a boat while the people remain on shore. His parables describe seed falling on different soils, a lamp brought into view, and the growth of God’s Kingdom. Away from the crowd, he explains his teaching to those around him with the twelve. That evening, they cross the sea. A storm fills the boat with water while Jesus sleeps, and his command brings calm, leaving the disciples afraid and questioning who he is.

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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.
4As 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, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
21He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?
22For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.
23If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear.
25For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”
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 by itself: 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.”
30He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?
31It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,
32yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
34Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
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 asked 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?”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Mark 4:12This hard saying connects parables with judgment, showing that hearing Jesus’ words does not guarantee understanding.
Mark 4:24Jesus makes attentive hearing a central concern, linking the measure given with the measure received.
Mark 4:26The seed image begins a picture of God’s Kingdom growing beyond the farmer’s knowledge, toward a coming harvest.
Where this chapter reaches

Matthew and Luke share the sower parable and the account of Jesus calming the storm, while Isaiah supplies the quotation about hearing without understanding. Psalm shares the picture of God stilling a storm and quieting the sea’s waves, an act Jesus performs here.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

Which detail in Jesus’ explanation of the soils best describes your response to his word, and why?

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What stands out to you about the disciples’ fear before and after Jesus calms the storm?

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Questions people ask about Mark 4

Why does Jesus teach in parables in Mark 4?

Jesus says the mystery of God’s Kingdom is given to those around him, while outsiders receive parables. His quotation about hearing without understanding gives this distinction the weight of judgment. Yet the chapter also says he teaches as people can hear and explains the parables to his disciples.

What does the growing seed parable in Mark 4 mean?

Jesus compares God’s Kingdom to seed that grows while the farmer sleeps and rises, without knowing how the growth happens. The crop develops through stages until harvest. The picture emphasizes growth beyond the farmer’s understanding and a harvest that comes when the grain is ready; Jesus gives no further explanation here.

Why were the disciples afraid after Jesus calmed the storm?

The disciples have seen the wind and sea obey Jesus’ command. Their closing question shows that his authority leaves them facing a new uncertainty: who he is. Jesus has challenged their fear and lack of faith, but the account ends with their astonishment rather than a settled confession of his identity.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).