Mark 4:29 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Mark 4:29

Comments

The sower is first of all Christ, then the apostles, now us. Now there's no doubt that this parable can also be applied in a very general way to the entire course of the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ uses this imagery in different ways. He uses the harvest in one place to speak about the final harvest at the end of the world. Here we are in the gospel age; the gospel is being proclaimed; God is causing the seed to germinate and produce Christians, those who profess the Lord and love him, and at the end of time the great harvest is reaped. So the parable can actually apply in a much wider way to the entire scene of the gospel age. But in another place, in connection with the woman of Samaria, he speaks of the harvest as being what the sower of the seed does: he reaps the harvest too. Th first and primary application here is to soul-winning. The one who sowed the seed becomes a reaper and is able to reap the fruit. It works like this: you preach the word, then there is this great work of God in a life, saving the person and once that person professes Christ, you reap the person even here on earth. You say, ‘Well, praise God. He found the Lord. We receive you into the church. We accept your profession of faith.’ You sow, and then you reap; that is the picture which the Lord puts before us here. In between there is this great invisible work of God going on.

Application

It may be that when people come to Christ – and this term must be used very carefully – a little midwifery is needed. God has saved the soul. God has produced life, but sometimes the person who has found the Lord is a little unsure, and stumbling. They are still troubled by many doubts and they wonder, ‘Am I saved? Am I saved? I’ve prayed for salvation. I've repented of my sin. I believe I've trusted solely in Christ. Has he given me life?’ Sometimes a little gentle midwifery is needed to help bring that soul forward. We must be careful not to interfere with the process, not to tell people they are Christians before they are, but sometimes it's obvious, and you can say to a person, ‘Two months ago, wild horses wouldn't bring you to church. You were against the gospel. You scoffed at everything; you objected to everything; you protested against everything. Now here you are, and the most important thing in the world to you is whether you are saved or not? What a change! Don't you think you ought to be thanking the Lord, and praising him, and worshipping him? Look what he's done already. If he hasn't entirely saved you, you must be three quarters of the way there. You must take encouragement, and trust him with all your heart.’ Sometimes we help a person to see the reality of what God has already done for them. But great care is needed, because you don't want to assure someone that they are saved, when maybe they are not. You see that in this amazing parable. It's much more profound than you may think at first glance. So, you sow the seed; you leave it in the hands of the Lord, but when the fruit is brought forth, he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come. And we see, by the blessing of God, souls saved on a regular basis, coming through to light and understanding. It is his doing, and it is wonderful.

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Mark 4:29 Commentary and Bible Study