Mark 4:20 20And those that were sown on the good soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Good soil causes a plant to grow strong and healthy and produce its fruit. This verse answers the question about what constitutes good soil. The connection between the soil and those listening to Jesus is clear and recalls his statement recorded in verse 9: listen and respond and be like the good soil. There are three qualities to good soil, with implied actions behind each. The seed that is sown is the word of the gospel. How a person responds to the gospel is what determines fruitfulness.
All four soils representing people receive the planted word. The difference is how they respond to it. The last three soils all hear the word, but there is more involved here than simply hearing noise or listening to a sermon. Hearing that brings fruit requires the type of hearing Jesus mentioned in verse 9. It is hearing that leads to faith and action.
The second stage towards fruitfulness requires accepting the word. The third and fourth soils show people who have accepted the gospel and started to grow. Some action and acknowledgement are required in accepting the truth of a claim. Accepting the word is what differentiates the third and fourth soils. Those represented by the third soil become distracted by the things of the world because they have not fully accepted the word. They like what they see and are excited by the promise of eternal life, but they have not been fully sanctified to Jesus as Lord. They allow riches and things of the world to be on the throne of their hearts. They like their comforts. These will not lead to fruitfulness. Behind the idea of accepting the word as the four soil lies consecration–giving our entire selves to the truth claims of the gospel. What are these claims? Jesus will lay out what this acceptance as his ministry unfolds. Basically, being good soil requires becoming disciples who take up their crosses and follow Jesus in faith and obedience.
The third stage gives the goal of bearing fruit. Jesus does not say what the fruit is here but hints at it in other places in his teachings. In 16:15, he gives to his disciples the goal of fruit bearing: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” The fruit will be growth of God’s kingdom by more people coming to believe in the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. People will come to believe through the faith and total commitment of Jesus’ disciples. If we are not bearing fruit, we need to ask ourselves, what is missing in this equation? Am I totally committed or am I being distracted by things of this world? The readers are confronted with the choice of discipleship: total commitment or rejection. We are forced to make a decision about what to do with Jesus and the claims about him.
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