In Mark 4, Jesus begins teaching in parables because he cares more about seeing the gospel take root in our hearts than drawing crowds. Within this first parable that Mark records, Jesus warns us of multiple reasons we might reject him. First, because of hardness of heart, likely because of self-righteousness. This is exactly like the Pharisees who outright rejected Jesus. Another reason is because being a Christian begins to cost something, worldly speaking. Those who, in the end, are pretending to be Christians will not stick with Jesus when suffering or persecution comes because of being a Christian. Lastly, Jesus teaches that some reject him because they care more about the world and the deceitful things the world offers.

What we really need is life because spiritually speaking we’re all dead as dirt because of our sin. This life is Jesus himself—he’s the sower and the seed. And the only way we can receive his life is because he died for us. We can receive Jesus’ abundant life that begins now and stretches into eternity because he endured our abundant death on the cross.