Mark 4:10-20: a reflection

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.”

As Jesus explains the parable of the sower, he warns of one soil in particular where the word is received but does not bear fruit: the soil among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, he says, and 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. The word was received; but it was choked by the thorns, the cares of the world, the deceitful lure of riches, the desire for other things, which grew up and strangled it, making it unfruitful. The word was not rejected, but crowded out, choked by competing cares and desires.

Notice what choked the word: the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. The word had been received; it was not the hardness of the path nor the shallowness of the rocky soil that was the problem here, but the thorns, the cares of the age, the lure of riches, the desire for other things, which grew up alongside the word and choked it. These competing concerns crowded out the word, strangling its growth, so that it bore no fruit. The danger of the thorns is subtle: not open rejection, but a crowding out, a choking of the word by the cares and desires that compete with it. The word can be received and still made unfruitful, choked by the thorns of worldly care and the lure of riches.

That is worth taking to heart, for the cares of the world and the lure of riches can choke the word in us and make it unfruitful. We can receive God's word, welcome it, and yet find it choked by the thorns, the cares of life, the pursuit of riches, the desire for other things, which crowd it out and strangle its fruit. The danger is subtle: not rejecting the word, but letting competing cares choke it. Do not let the cares of the world and the lure of riches grow up and choke the word in you, making it unfruitful; guard the word from the thorns that would crowd it out. Guard the word in you from the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, which can choke it and make it unfruitful, as Jesus warned that the thorns choke the word; for the word can be received and still crowded out by competing cares and desires, and we must guard it from the thorns that would strangle its fruit.

Lord Jesus, as you explain the parable of the sower, you warn of one soil in particular where the word is received but does not bear fruit: the soil among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, you say, and 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. The word was received; but it was choked by the thorns, the cares of the world, the deceitful lure of riches, which grew up and strangled it. Show me what choked the word: the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. The word had been received; but the thorns, the cares of the age, the lure of riches, the desire for other things, grew up alongside the word and choked it. These competing concerns crowded out the word, strangling its growth, so that it bore no fruit. The danger of the thorns is subtle: not open rejection, but a crowding out. The word can be received and still made unfruitful. Take that to my heart, for the cares of the world and the lure of riches can choke the word in me and make it unfruitful. I can receive your word, welcome it, and yet find it choked by the thorns, the cares of life, the pursuit of riches, the desire for other things, which crowd it out. The danger is subtle: not rejecting the word, but letting competing cares choke it. Keep me from letting the cares of the world and the lure of riches grow up and choke the word in me; help me guard the word from the thorns that would crowd it out, Lord, that it may bear fruit in me.