提要
一些解經家稱本章為「耶穌的比喻」。馬可在第二節和卅三至卅四節暗示，這些只是耶穌許多比喻中的一小部分。其中兩個比喻與天國及天國的樣貌有關，另兩個比喻則談到人對福音的反應。這裡我們只針對撒種的比喻做一點評論。在撒種的比喻裡，種子和撒種的人並不是重點，關鍵在土壤。撒種經常被喻為教導的行動，學生則被視為土壤。有些學生能結出果實，有些則毫無成果。
這個比喻的重點是，任何真理的傳播都難免會有流失的種子。我並不認為因為有四種土壤，且只有一種能結出果實，我們就以為只能期待有百分之廿五的回收。我覺得我們可以假定大部分的田地是好土。只不過，人可以選擇聽或不聽，他們也可以選擇回應或不回應。所以重點是人必須主動願意讓種子生根在他心中。請注意本章結尾耶穌平靜風浪的故事。我想這個故事最突出的部分要數門徒心中的害怕；他們的驚愕表現在他們的疑問中：「這個耶穌到底是誰？甚至連風和海也聽從祂。」很明顯的，門徒還不明白魔鬼已經曉得的事實。我們已經在前幾章中看到，邪靈非常確定耶穌的身分。諷刺的是，耶穌需要花三年的時間向一群頭腦剛硬、固執的門徒表明祂是誰。或許我們不應過於苛責那些誤解和拒絕耶穌的宗教領袖，連耶穌自己的門徒，我們屬靈的祖先，都不只誤解祂，甚至還在祂受難的關鍵時刻棄祂而去。
如果邪靈只是因牠們居住在靈界幽暗的領域而承認耶穌，門徒一直到耶穌在肉身復活才承認祂也就不足為怪了。後來，當門徒的心在五旬節事件被點醒後，他們遂變成耶穌最有力的見證人，證明耶穌是永生上帝的兒子。
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Overview
This has been called by some commentators the chapter of parables. Mark suggests in verses 2, 33 & 34, that the parables here are just some of many Jesus taught. Two of them deal with the kingdom and what the kingdom of heaven is like; the other two talk about a prosper response to the gospel. Just a few comments about that first parable, that of the sower. It is not so much about seed or sowers, as it is about soil. Broadcasting or scattering seed was often used as an illustration of the act of teaching, and the students were seen as the soil. Some students produced a harvest and others produced nothing – only barrenness.
The point of the parable is that any broadcasting or sowing of the truth involves some loss. And I don’t think we can assume from this that because there were four kinds of soil, and only one kind bore fruit, that we should expect a return of only twenty-five percent. I feel we can assume that the good ground is most of the field. Nevertheless, men can choose to hear or not to hear. They can also choose to respond or not to respond. So it’s not a case of passively bearing fruit, or passively deflecting the seed. Rather it’s a matter of one actively allowing the seed to take root in one’s heart. Notice the conclusion of the chapter. It’s the story of Jesus calming the storm. I think the outstanding aspect of this is the terror and consternation in the minds of the disciples as they ask, “Who is this Jesus anyway? Even the winds and the waves obey Him. “Obviously the disciples hadn’t tuned in to know what the demons already knew. We’ve seen in Mark that evil spirits were very much convinced of who Jesus was. It’s ironic that Jesus should have to take three years to demonstrate who He was to an increasingly recalcitrant and hard-headed group of disciples. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too hard on the religious leaders who misunderstood and rejected Jesus. His own disciples, our spiritual forefathers, not only misunderstood Him, they even forsook Him during the critical hours of His passion.
If the evil spirits recognize Jesus only because they dwell in the darker regions of the spirit realm, we shouldn’t be surprised that the disciples didn’t recognize Him until He had been resurrected in the space and time realm. Later, as their hearts were quickened by the Day of Pentecost events, the disciples became powerful witness to who Jesus really was – the eternal Son of God.
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