Mark 4:28

It is said in Mark: "Of itself the earth bears the crop, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear." This is the time before the Law, the time under the Law, and the time after the Law. Scripture follows …

The Lord describes these steps under the name of harvest, saying: "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, while he knows not how. For the earth brings forth fruit of itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the fruit has come forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest time has come." A man casts seed into the ground when he plants a good intention in his heart. And after he has cast the seed, he sleeps, because he rests in the hope of good work. But he rises night and day, because he advances through adversity and prosperity. And the seed sprouts and grows while he knows not, because even when he is not yet able to measure his growth, the virtue once conceived is led toward advancement. And the earth brings forth fruit of itself, because, with grace going before it, the mind of man rises spontaneously to the fruit of good work. But this same earth first produces the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. For to produce the blade is to still have the tenderness of a good beginning. But the blade reaches the ear when the virtue conceived in the soul draws itself forward to the advancement of good work. And it bears full grain in the ear when virtue now advances so greatly that it can become robust and perfect work. But when the fruit has come forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest time has come. For Almighty God, when the fruit has been produced, puts in the sickle and cuts down his harvest, because when he has led each one to perfect works, he cuts short his temporal life by the sentence sent forth, so that he may bring his grain to the heavenly barns. Therefore, when we conceive good desires, we cast seed into the ground. […]

We bear fruit not by compulsion, but voluntarily, that is, we bear fruit of ourselves. At first, when we are infants who have not yet attained to the measure of the stature of Christ, we put forth "the blade," showing the beginning of good; then …

That is, fear. For the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Then the full corn in the ear; (Ps. 111:10. Rom. 13:8) that is, charity, for charity is the fulfilling of the Law.

For we put forth the blade, when we show a principle of good; then the ear, when we can resist temptations; then comes the fruit, when a man works something perfect.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself,....

When it is sprung up, it will go forward; nature will have its course, and so will grace. Christ's interest, both in the world and in the heart, is, and will be, a growing interest; and though the beginning be small, the latter end will greatly increase.

Bringeth forth - of herself - Αυτοματη. By its own energy, without either the influence or industry of man. Similar to this is the expression of the poet: - Namque aliae, Nullis Homlnum Cogentibus, ipsae Sponte Sua veniunt. Virg. Geor. l. ii. v. 10 “Some (trees) grow of their own accord, without the labor of man.” All the endlessly varied herbage of the field is produced in this way. The full corn - Πληρη σιτον, Full wheat; the perfect, full-grown, or ripe corn. Lucian uses κενος καρπος, Empty fruit, for imperfect, or unripe fruit. See Kypke.

The parable contained in these verses is short, and only recorded in Mark's Gospel. But it is one that ought to be deeply interesting to all who have reason to hope that they are true Christians. It sets before us the history of the work of grace in an individual soul. It summons us to an examination of our own experience in divine things. There are some expressions in the parable which we must not press too far. Such are the "sleeping and rising" of the farmer, and the "night and day."

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear--beautiful allusion to the succession of similar stages, though not definitely marked periods, in the Christian life, and generally in the kingdom of God.

The parable contained in these verses is short, and only recorded in Mark's Gospel. But it is one that ought to be deeply interesting to all who have reason to hope that they are true Christians. It sets before us the history of the work of grace in an individual soul. It summons us to an examination of our own experience in divine things. There are some expressions in the parable which we must not press too far. Such are the "sleeping and rising" of the farmer, and the "night and day." In this, as in many of our Lord's parables, WE MUST CAREFULLY KEEP IN VIEW THE MAIN SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE WHOLE STORY, AND NOT LAY TOO MUCH STRESS ON LESSER POINTS. In the case before us the main thing taught is the close resemblance between some familiar operations in the culture of grain, and the work of grace in the heart. To this let us rigidly confine our attention. We are taught, firstly, that, as in the growth of grain, so in the work of grace, there must be a sower . The earth, as we all know, never brings forth grain of itself. It is a mother of weeds, but not of wheat. The hand of man must plough it, and scatter the seed, or else there would never be a harvest. The heart of man, in like manner, will never of itself turn to God, repent, believe, and obey. It is utterly barren of grace. It is entirely dead towards God, and unable to give itself spiritual life. The Son of man must break it up by His Spirit, and give it a new nature. He must scatter over it by the hand of his laboring ministers the good seed of the word. Let us mark this truth well. Grace in the heart of man is an exotic. It is a new principle from outside, sent down from heaven and implanted in his soul. Left to himself, no man living would ever seek God. And yet in communicating grace, God ordinarily works by means.

LAST Lord's-Day morning our subject was the laborers upon God's farm and their great Master. And then we tried to show how far human agency was necessary in the work of the Gospel. We also saw how thoroughly all holy results depend upon God, for neither he that sows nor he that waters is anything, but God who gives the increase. We have much the same subject this morning, only it goes a little deeper and yet more fully shows how far the laborer can go and how far he cannot go—where man may enter with holy industry—and where no human work can possibly intrude. Our subject on this occasion will mainly be the measure and limit of human instrumentality in the Kingdom of Grace. If we shall be taught of the Spirit of God, we shall find this Scripture to be full of instruction upon the matter. It is remarkable that the parable before us is peculiar to Mark. No other Evangelist has recorded it, but we do not think any the less of it on that account. If it had been told to us four times, we should have been glad to hear the repetition and would have given it fourfold attention. As it is told us but once, we will give the more earnest heed to a voice which speaks once and for all. We are glad that the Holy Spirit led Mark to reserve this pearl out of the many excellent things which our Lord said which have been lost. John tells us that if a record of all the works which Jesus did could have been preserved, they would have made a library so large that scarcely the world, itself, could have contained all the books. Many of the things that Jesus said floated about, no doubt, for a time and were gradually forgotten. We have to be thankful to the Spirit of God for perpetuating this choice similitude by the hand of His servant Mark. Preserved in the amber of Inspiration, this choice instruction is of priceless value. Here is a lesson for sowers—for the laborers upon the farm of God.

LAST Lord's-Day morning our subject was the laborers upon God's farm and their great Master. And then we tried to show how far human agency was necessary in the work of the Gospel. We also saw how thoroughly all holy results depend upon God, for neither he that sows nor he that waters is anything, but God who gives the increase.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself - That is, it is done without the power of man. It is done while man is engaged in other things. The scope of this passage does not require us to suppose that our Saviour meant to say that the earth had any productive power of itself, but only that it produced its fruits not by the “power of man.” God gives it its power. It has no power of its own. So religion in the heart is not by the power of man. It grows he cannot tell how, and of course he cannot without divine aid, control it. It is by the power of God. At the same time, as without industry man would have no harvest, so without active effort he would have no religion. Both are connected with his effort; both are to be measured commonly by his effort Php 2:12; both grow he cannot tell how; both increase when the proper means are used, and both depend on God for increase. First the blade - The green, tender shoot, that first starts out of the earth before the stalk is formed. Then the ear - The original means the stalk or spire of wheat or barley, as well as the ear. The full corn - The ripe wheat. The grain swollen to its proper size. By this is denoted, undoubtedly, that grace or religion in the heart is of gradual growth. It is at first tender, feeble, perhaps almost imperceptible, like the first shootings of the grain in the earth. Perhaps also, like grain, it often lies long in the earth before there are signs of life. Like the tender grain, also, it needs care, kindness, and culture. A frost, a cold storm, or a burning sun alike injure it. So tender piety in the heart needs care, kindness, culture. It needs shelter from the frosts and storms of a cold, unfeeling world. […]