“Our Own Worst Enemy” – MARK 4:10-13

Did Jesus really say He was trying to hide the “mystery of the kingdom of God” from people? Is God trying to keep some from understanding and repenting, while giving special insight to others so they can be redeemed? If you are not careful you might join with many who read these verses and jump to that tragic conclusion.

This good news is not a mystery to be hidden but a wonderful truth to be revealed in Christ Jesus.

There were some (such as the Pharisees and scribes) that Isaiah 6:9-10 foretold would harden their own hearts which would prevent them from accepting truth from God. If Jesus came out and plainly stated these truths openly these hardened men might try to have Him killed before the fullness of time. The parables spoke to people who WANTED to hear the mystery revealed. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy.

Jesus wants each person to look into his own heart to find out.

What a blessing it is to have Jesus Himself gave us the “key” to understanding this parable. Not only that, but Jesus says that this “key” will unlock all of the parables (Mark 4:13). We see how Jesus intended this one to be interpreted and carry the process over into the others. He reveals the seed to be the word and the sower as God. The wayside soil is the hardened hearer; the shallow soil is the unstable hearer; the thorny soil is the uncommitted hearer; and, the good soil is the faithful hearer Jesus is looking for. The birds are the devil; the sun’s heat is suffering; the thorns are distractions; and, the differing fruit yields reveal variations in Christian effectiveness. All of these “keys” simply point to the only two who matter in your salvation – you and your God.

He is your redeemer unless you thwart Him by being your own worst enemy.

The bottom line is that we must be willing to accept truth from Jesus. I promise you, I REALLY like to believe that I am right. Unfortunately, I become my own worst enemy when my outlook ASSUMES that I am always right. Jesus wants me to understand that HE is always right, and to fashion my life and transform my thinking accordingly. At different times and concerning different issues I might be ANY of the four types of soil.

Am I willing to listen to Jesus on every matter in my life, or do I reserve the right to pick and choose?

Look carefully at Mark 4:12. When Jesus said “…lest they repent and be forgiven”, He was not desiring to withhold forgiveness by veiling the mystery. Instead, He was unveiling the human tendency to believe only what we want to believe even if the word of God says otherwise.

Peter, too, was his own worst enemy. Time after time and issue after issue, his preconceptions and biases kept him from seeing the truth. What was different about Peter in comparison to the Pharisees? He keeps seeking and pressed in on the truth, no matter where it led him. In the end, he found truth, because he did not allow Peter to stand in the way of Peter.

Just like everyone else, we become our own worst enemy when our bias gets in the way of our faith…. and, when our preconceptions and traditions get in the way of truth. Such a heart would rather believe he is right than be forgiven by God.

The seed will not find a welcoming, sustainable home in that kind of soil.

But, that’s not the fault of the seed … the problem is with the soil!