Passage: Mark 4:1-20

The Big Idea

In the parable of the sower, the seed is God’s Word and the soil is the human heart. Some hearts are hard, some shallow, some distracted, and some good. Jesus holds up a mirror so we can see which one we have, not to shame us, but because He loves us. The good soil isn’t the person who tries hardest; it’s the broken, humble heart that trusts God’s mercy for a lifetime. And no matter what kind of heart you have, you can cry out to God for a new one.

Heart Talk

What’s the heart of the issue? Speak from the heart. With my whole heart. Home is where the heart is. Heart on my sleeve. Heartfelt. Follow your heart. A heart of gold. I know it by heart. Pour out my heart. Take it to heart.

Our culture is pretty obsessed with the heart. Just think of all the song titles: “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” “Achy Breaky Heart,” “My Heart Will Go On,” “Heartbreak Hotel”…

The dictionary defines the heart as a person’s innermost character, feelings or inclinations.

Today Jesus is going to do something uncomfortable. He’s going to cut us open, hold up a mirror, and show us our hearts.

Why would He do that? I go to a lot of trouble to keep people away from my heart. I hide it. I protect it. Heart pain is a thousand times worse than physical pain, and I’ve had about as much as I can handle. More than I can handle. So I’m skittish about letting anyone in.

But a farmer doesn’t hate his crops; he loves them and does what’s best for them. A father doesn’t hate his child; he loves them and does what’s best for them. And your heavenly Bridegroom will never be careless with your heart. He loves you with all His heart and always does what’s best for you.

And today, it’s best for us to know what kind of heart we have.

What did God form man from on the sixth day? Dirt (Genesis 2:7). That’s our core, the stuff we’re made of. So that’s the picture Jesus uses for our hearts: soil.

The Parable (Mark 4:1-9)

Jesus began teaching by the sea again. The crowd was so large that He got into a boat and sat in it on the water, with the whole crowd on the shore. He taught them many things in parables: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. Some fell on rocky ground without much soil; it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow, but when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no grain. And some fell on good soil and produced a crop, growing and increasing, thirty, sixty, even a hundred times as much.” And He said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

What does that mean? Don’t worry; Jesus explains it in a minute.

Why Parables? (Mark 4:10-12)

First, why did Jesus teach in parables instead of just saying it plainly? Why hide the meaning in a story?

Hollywood figured this out long ago: stories reach people’s hearts. It’s all about the heart.

When He was alone with the Twelve and others around Him, they asked about the parables. He said, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything comes in parables, so that ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and indeed hear but not understand, lest they turn and be forgiven'” (quoting Isaiah 6:9-10).

Parables divide people into two groups: those who have been given something (and give is the language of grace), and those on the outside.
Those given grace will see and perceive, hear and understand.
Those outside may see and hear, but it won’t matter, because it won’t reach their hearts.
It’s always about the heart. That’s where Jesus is aiming. Some people claim to understand the Bible, but it’s never penetrated their hearts.
If you want to know God and His truth, He’ll reveal it to you. If you don’t, it will stay a mystery. It’s like a door you can only enter by faith, and God can see your heart.

The Seed Is the Word (Mark 4:13-14)

Jesus said, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?”

In other words: “I’m going to teach you how to understand parables. It isn’t a formula. It’s the heart. Your heart determines whether you’ll truly hear what God wants you to hear and see what He longs for you to see.”

“The sower sows the word.”

God wants to speak to you, and His chosen vehicle is always His Word: His Son, Jesus, and the words He speaks.
That message is like seed, scattered in many ways: through preachers, the Bible, radio, casual conversations, anywhere Jesus’ words go out.
But seeds don’t grow unless they’re planted in soil. God’s Word is the same. He wants to plant it in our hearts.

And here’s something beautiful. Jesus said that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24). Jesus is the Word. Through His death, His life is like a seed that can be planted in our hearts.

But not in every heart. Only the right kind of soil. And the right conditions are humility and faith, which together make soft soil for God’s life to grow in.

Have we received His death-and-life seed so His life can grow in us?

Your heart is the soil. Jesus’ death and life are the seed. Jesus describes four conditions of the heart. Which describes you?

1. The Hard Heart (Mark 4:15)

“The ones along the path are those who hear the word, and immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.”

I’ve seen it again and again: someone who won’t (can’t) listen to God’s perfect Word. It’s all a mystery to them. I’ve had this heart.
If this is you, you don’t really worship God. Nothing you hear affects you. However skillful the preacher, the seed can’t break through the asphalt of your heart. If it did, it would be a miracle, like a cornstalk sprouting in the middle of the interstate!
You may like church, religion, music or intelligent conversation. But you’re comfortable letting all of that exist right alongside your sins.
You have no interest in forsaking sin. In your pride you think you’re right, and anyone who points out your sin is an enemy, a “judger.”
Compare the soft heart that wants holiness so much that a friend’s loving rebuke sounds sweet.

Spurgeon asked, “Why do men come to hear if the word never enters their hearts?” Some never miss a Sunday, he said, and are delighted to worship, “but yet the tear never trickles down their cheek, their soul never mounts up to heaven on the wings of praise, nor do they truly join in our confessions of sin… Their heart is as iron.”

What can we do for you? We can’t preach hard enough to soften your heart, or cry enough tears to break it open. That’s a job only God can do, by His grace. And I believe He will, if you ask Him. Are you tired of this deadness? Cry out to God for a new heart, a soft heart that can receive His Word.

2. The Shallow Heart (Mark 4:16-17)

“The ones on rocky ground are those who hear the word and immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root in themselves; they endure for a while, and when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.”

I’ve seen it again and again: someone responds to the message of grace with great joy and emotion, so happy to be loved and forgiven. And that’s it. They never grow, never bear fruit. They fade away. There’s always something else to do on Sunday. Mornings are too busy for time with God. I’ve had this heart.
If this is you, you say you believe. You call yourself a Christian. Then life gets hard, and the truth comes out. It’s easy to follow Jesus when things are easy. It’s hard when hard times come and you need a real supply of Christ’s life, and you’ve spent no time developing that lifeline, that root. You’ll shrivel spiritually.
Can I give you depth? No. Can I protect the seed in your shallow heart? No.
But you can cry out to God for a new heart: a heart that’s more than surface, more than a moment, a heart that doesn’t retreat when the sun beats down. Good soil could be yours if you call on the Lord today.

3. The Distracted Heart (Mark 4:18-19)

“Others are sown among thorns. They hear the word, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

I’ve seen it again and again: a true believer who knows and follows the Lord, on the way to a fruitful life, and then gets distracted. I’ve had this heart.
If this is you, you’re double-minded, one foot in God’s kingdom and one in the world’s. Godly growth is coming up, but so are weeds right beside it.
I think many of us are here. You go to church. You hear the Word. You sing the songs. But when you go home, even if you think about the Lord, you’ve got so much else on your mind.
“I have to live my life. I have so much to do. I can’t neglect this. I have to make a living, provide for my family. I need a certain lifestyle.”
They come to church but don’t take Christ home with them. No love or other fruit shows up during the week. It’s been choked out.

4. The Fruitful Heart (Mark 4:20)

“Those sown on good soil are the ones who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.”

I’ve seen it again and again. This is the person who tries super hard to keep all of God’s commands! Wrong!
This is the person who beats his chest and cries, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). The chief of sinners!
The seed that falls on that heart has landed in the right spot!
Could that be your heart? Could you cry out to God?
God never puts a desire for mercy and grace in someone’s heart without planning to give it! If anyone whispers, “Oh, how I wish I could be saved,” it shall be done for you, through the grace and power of Jesus. Just ask Him!
The good soil is a broken, humble heart, willing to throw itself into God’s hands and trust His mercy and grace.
And not just for a moment, but for a lifetime: enduring, persevering faith.
What will it produce? Fruit, in different amounts. God measures it, enjoys it, and produces it. We get to be part of His work.
What’s the fruit? Love, joy, peace… In the end, Jesus is the fruit. He reproduces Himself in you. He was the most fruitful person who ever lived, producing everything God ever wanted to see in a human being.

I’ve Had Every One

I’ve had each of these hearts.

I’ve been hard-hearted and dead. The Word meant nothing to me. I didn’t care about God or His Lamb.
I’ve been shallow, unwilling to grow deep with the Son of God or dive into His life daily.
I’ve been distracted, knowing God clearly, even intimately, yet choosing to fix my eyes on other things: “I need to take care of this so I can enjoy that. It’s my responsibility to do this and my right to enjoy that.” That has never led to fruit in my life.

Psalm 32

David wrote: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, to whom the LORD doesn’t count iniquity. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long; Your hand was heavy on me, and my strength dried up like summer heat. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. God says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way to go; I will guide you with My eye. Don’t be like the stubborn horse or mule.” Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD (Psalm 32:1-10).

Will you confess your hardness of heart to God? Your shallowness? Your distractedness? Will you humble yourself and trust God to make your heart right?

His mercy and grace answer everyone who pours out their sinful heart to Him.

Grace Takeaway

Jesus holds up a mirror not to condemn you but because He loves you and wants His Word to take root. Hard, shallow or distracted, every one of us has had a dirty heart. The good soil isn’t the heart that tries hardest; it’s the broken, humble heart that keeps trusting God’s mercy. Confess what kind of soil you are, ask Him for a new heart, and let the seed of His life grow fruit in you.

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You Have a Dirt-y Heart