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Mark 4:1. And again he began to teach by the sea; and a great crowd gathered to Him, so that He entered into a boat and sat on the sea, and all the people were on the land by the sea. Mark 4:2. And he taught them in many parables, Although, it seemed, he had sent His Mother away, however, he again obeys Her, for for Her sake he goes out to the sea. He sits in a boat so that, having everyone before his eyes, he can speak in the hearing of everyone and have no one behind Him. And in His teaching He said to them: Mark 4:3. Listen: behold, a sower went out to sow; Mark 4:4. and while he was sowing, it happened that some things fell along the road, and birds flew in and devoured them. Mark 4:5. Some fell on a rocky place where there was little earth, and soon sprang up, because the earth was shallow; Mark 4:6. when the sun rose, it withered and, as if it had no root, withered away. Mark 4:7. Some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew, and choked the seed, and it did not bear fruit. Mark 4:8. And some fell on the good ground and produced fruit, which sprang up and grew, and brought forth some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred. Mark 4:9. And he said to them: He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Mark 4:10. When he was left without people, those around Him, along with the twelve, asked Him about the parable. Mark 4:11. And he said to them: It has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God, but to those outside everything happens in parables, Mark 4:12. so they look with their own eyes and do not see; they hear with their own ears and do not understand; let them not turn, and their sins be forgiven. He offers the first parable about a seed in order to make listeners more attentive. Since He intends to say that the seed is the word and that, having fallen among those who are not attentive, it disappears, He speaks about this first of all, so that the listeners would try to be attentive and different from the earth that destroys the seed. But who is the Sower? Christ Himself, Who, out of love for mankind and condescension, inseparably came from the bosom of the Father, came not to burn the cursed earth and evil hearts, not to cut out thorns, but to sow seed. What seed? Isn't it Moses'? Is this not the seed of the prophets? No, His own, that is, to preach His Gospel. He sowed; but one of the seeds fell on the soul, like a road trampled by many, and the birds of the air, that is, the demons who control the air, devoured this seed. Such people include people-pleasers; they are like a road trampled by many. He who does everything only to please one or the other is trampled upon by many. But notice that the Lord did not say that the seed was thrown along the way, but that it fell along the way, because the Sower throws the seed on the ground as if it were good, and she herself, having turned out to be bad, destroys the seed, that is, the word. However, some well accepted what fell along the way in the sense that it fell on the wrong heart. For the Way is Christ, and those who are on the way are unbelievers, who are outside the way, that is, Christ. Another seed fell on the stony soul, I mean those who easily accept the word, but then reject it. They are stony, as if they were somewhat like a stone, that is, Christ, because they accepted the word; but as they accept the word for a while and then reject it, then through this they lose their likeness. Another seed fell on a soul that cares about many things, for “thorns” are the cares of life. But the fourth seed fell on good soil. So look how rare is good and how few are saved! Only a quarter of the seed survived! To the disciples who asked Him in private, He said: “It has been given to you to know mysteries” (Matthew 13:11). But is it really true that by distribution and purpose this is given to some by nature, and not to others? It cannot be; but to those it was given, as to those who seek: “Seek,” it is said, “and it will be given to you” (cf. Matt. 7:7), and God left others in blindness, so that knowledge of what is due would not serve to further condemn them when they do not fulfill this obligation. However, do you want to know that God has given it to everyone to see what is due? Listen! “They look with their own eyes” - this is from God, “and they do not see” - this is from their malice; for God created them to see, that is, to understand what is good, but they do not see, closing their eyes voluntarily, so as not to turn and correct themselves, as if envying their own salvation and correction. You can understand it this way: to the rest I speak in parables, “so that they look with their own eyes and do not see; they hear with their own ears, but do not understand,” so that at least for this reason they would turn and correct themselves. Mark 4:13. And he says to them: Do you not understand this parable? How can you understand all the parables? Mark 4:14. The sower sows the word. Mark 4:15. Those sown by the way mean those in whom the word is sown, but to whom, when they hear, Satan immediately comes and snatches away the word sown in their hearts. Mark 4:16. In like manner, those sown on rocky ground signify those who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, Mark 4:17. but they have no root in themselves and are impermanent; then, when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they are immediately offended. Mark 4:18. Those sown among thorns are those who hear the word, Mark 4:19. but in which the cares of this age, the deception of wealth and other desires, entering into them, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:20. And what was sown on good soil means those who hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. Here are three categories of people in whom the word disappears: some are inattentive, these are indicated by the word “on the road”; others are cowardly, these are meant by the word “on a rocky place”: others are voluptuous, meaning by the word “in thorns”. There are three categories of those who accepted and preserved the seed: some bear fruit of a hundred - these are people of perfect and high life; others - at sixty, these are average; others - thirty, which, although not much, still bring according to their strength. Thus, some are virgins and hermits, others live together in community, others in peace and in marriage. But the Lord accepts all of them as bearing fruit. And thanks be to His love for mankind! Mark 4:21. And he said to them: Is a candle brought for this purpose, to put it under a bushel or under a bed? Is it not for putting it on a candlestick? Mark 4:22. There is nothing secret that would not become obvious, and nothing hidden that would not come out. Mark 4:23. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear! Here the Lord teaches the apostles to be bright in life and behavior. Just as a lamp is supplied to shine, so your life, he says, will be visible to everyone, and everyone will look at it. Therefore, try to lead a good life; for you are not placed in a corner, but serve as a lamp, and the lamp is not hidden under the bed, but is placed in plain sight, on a candlestick. And each of us is a lamp that should be placed on a candlestick, that is, at the height of life according to God, so that it can shine on others, and not under the cover of gluttony and care for food and not under the bed of inaction. For no one who is busy caring for food and devoted to laziness can be a lamp shining with his life for everyone. “And there is nothing hidden that would not come out.” Whatever anyone does in secret: good or evil, everything will be revealed here, and especially in the next century. What was more hidden than God? However, He also appeared in the flesh. Mark 4:24. And he said to them, Take note of what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you, and more will be added to you who hear. Mark 4:25. For whoever has, to him will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. The Lord encourages the disciples to stay awake. Notice,” he says, “what you hear; do not omit anything I have said. “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you,” that is, to the extent you are careful, to the extent you will benefit. God will give a great reward to the listener who is always attentive and, moreover, to the highest degree, and to the slow person the profit of the reward will be commensurate. Whoever has zeal and zeal will be given a reward, and whoever does not have zeal and zeal will have what he thinks he has taken away. For because of laziness, that small spark that he previously had is extinguished in him, just as it is kindled through zeal. Mark 4:26. And he said: The kingdom of God is like if a man sows seed in the ground, Mark 4:27. and sleeps and rises night and day; and how the seed sprouts and grows, he does not know, Mark 4:28. for the earth itself produces first greenery, then an ear, then a full grain in the ear. Mark 4:29. When the fruit is ripe, he immediately sends in the sickle, because the harvest has come. By the Kingdom of God we mean God's care for us. “Man” is God Himself, who became man for our sake. He threw “seed into the ground,” that is, the gospel sermon. Having abandoned him, He “sleeps,” that is, ascended to heaven; however, He “rises night and day.” For although God, apparently, sleeps, that is, long-suffering, He rises: He rises at night, when through temptation He awakens us to the knowledge of Him; rises during the day when it fills our lives with joys and consolations. The seed grows as if without His knowledge, because we are free, and it depends on our will whether this seed grows or not. We do not bear fruit unwillingly, but voluntarily, that is, we bear fruit from ourselves. At first, when we are babies, not yet reaching the age of Christ, we grow “greens”, show the firstfruits of good; then - “ear”, when we are already able to resist temptations, for the ear is already tied at the knees, stands straight and has already achieved greater development; then the “full grain” is formed in the ear - this is when someone bears the fruit of perfection. When the “harvest” comes, then the “sickle” collects the fruits. This “sickle” is the Word of God, and the “harvest” is the time of death. Mark 4:30. And he said: What shall we compare the Kingdom of God to? or by what parable shall we depict it? Mark 4:31. It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; Mark 4:32. and when it is sown, it sprouts and becomes larger than all the grains, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can take refuge under its shadow. Mark 4:33. And he preached the word to them in many parables, as far as they could hear. Mark 4:34. He did not speak to them without a parable, but explained everything to his disciples in private. The word of faith is not enough: because you just have to believe in Christ, and you will be saved. You see that this word is as small as a mustard seed. But the preaching of the word, sown on the earth, expanded and grew, so that the birds of the air rest on it, that is, all people with lofty and heavenly minds and knowledge. Indeed, how many wise men calmed down at this sermon, abandoning Hellenic wisdom! Thus the sermon became greater than anything else and sent forth great branches. For the apostles dispersed like branches: one to Rome, another to India, a third to Achaia, and the rest to other countries of the earth. The Lord speaks to the people in many parables, offering parables according to the condition of the listeners. Since the people were simple and uneducated, he therefore reminds them of mustard seeds, grass and seeds, in order to teach them something useful using ordinary objects known to them, or to force them to come up and ask, and understand something incomprehensible from the question. Thus, He explained everything to the disciples in private, since they directly approached Him and asked questions. He explained everything only about what they asked and what they didn’t know, and not everything in general, even if it was clear. For when they understood what they were asking about, then other things became clear to them, and thus everything was resolved for them. Mark 4:35. In the evening of that day he told them: let's cross to the other side. Mark 4:36. And they sent the people away, and took Him with them, just as He was in the boat; There were other boats with Him. Mark 4:37. And a great storm arose; the waves beat on the boat, so that it was already filled with water. Mark 4:38. And He slept at the stern at the head. They wake him up and say to him: Teacher! Do You really not need that we perish? Mark 4:39. And, getting up, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea: be silent, stop. Mark 4:40. And the wind died down, and there was great silence. And he said to them: Why are you so fearful? How do you have no faith? Mark 4:41. And they were afraid with great fear and said among themselves: Who is this, that both the wind and the sea obey Him? Matthew narrated this differently (Matthew 8:23-27) than Mark: what he spoke about in more detail, this one shortened, and vice versa, what the first stated briefly, the latter spoke about in more detail. The Lord takes only his disciples with Him, leaving them to be spectators of the future miracle. But so that they do not become proud of the fact that he sent others away, but took them, and together, in order to teach them to endure danger, allows them to be in danger from the storm. And He sleeps for this purpose, so that the miracle would seem all the more important to them after they were frightened. Otherwise, if the storm had happened while Christ was awake, they would not have been afraid or would not have turned to Him with a request for salvation. And so He allows them to be in fear of danger, so that they come to the consciousness of His power. Since they only saw the good deeds of Christ on others, but themselves did not experience anything similar, there was a danger that they would become careless; That's why the Lord allows the storm to happen. He sleeps at the stern of the ship (it was, of course, wooden). Having awakened, Christ first forbids the wind, since it causes sea disturbances, and then tames the sea. He also denounces the disciples for not having faith. For if they had faith, they would believe that even He who sleeps can keep them unharmed. The disciples said to each other: “Who is this,” because they still had a vague concept of Him. Since Christ tamed the sea with one command, and not with a rod, like Moses, not with a prayer appeal, like Elisha Jordan, not with an ark, like Joshua, then for this reason He seemed to them higher than man; and by sleeping, He appeared to them again as a man.