Daily Devotions
Mark
1 Peter 3:10 "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit."
Day 84 – Mark 4
“He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.” 1 Peter 3:10
DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS
The multitude began to build in numbers. Some came because they sought healing. Others were drawn to His preaching skills. Still others came as curious onlookers.
What were some of their expectations as they came to Jesus?
1. Did they think that He would expound on the history of Israel?
2. Did they expect Jesus to expound on the Prophetic Books?
3. Did they think that Jesus would deal with current topics, such as Roman occupation of the land?
One can imagine the many different types of expectations the multitudes must have had when they came to Jesus.
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Jesus must have surprised many when He chose to speak in parables. The storyline was clear and simple, but there was no mistaking the fact that Jesus urged his audience to “listen” (Cf. Mark 4:3).
“Then He taught them many things by parables,
and said to them in His teaching:
‘Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow’…And He said to them, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'”
MARK 4:2-9
1. Did any of the people ask what Jesus meant when He taught this parable?
Mark did not record that anyone in the multitude actually stayed behind to ask Jesus to explain this parable (Matthew and Luke also recorded this parable Jesus told. However, in their records, they too did not note any significant response from the multitude; Cf. Matthew 13; Luke 8).
2. Only the disciples
Mark noted that the disciples were the only ones who asked Jesus what He sought to communicate in the parable of The Sower.
“But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve
asked him about the parable.”
MARK 4:10