Responding To God's Word (Mark 4:1-20)

People flocked to hear Jesus teach and see him heal, but they seemed more interested in his wonders than his words. But when Jesus used a planting story, he had his audience attention. They were all familiar with the realities of plowing soil and sowing seed. His parables provoked curiosity. They sounded like the parables told by the rabbis in the synagogue, yet Jesus' stories seemed deeper, truer, and harder to understand. Even his disciples found it difficult to grasp his point. When they asked what he meant; Jesus told them.