Book of Mark – The Parable of Growing Seed

And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:26-29

Book of Mark – The Meaning of Parables of The Sower

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Mark 4:14-20 ESV

Which soil are you? :)

Book of Mark – The Secret of the Kingdom

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Mark 4:10-13 ESV

Book of Mark – The Family Concern

Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

Mark 3:20-21 ESV

The crowd gathers around Jesus and this time they can’t even do anything since the crowd’s number is exceedingly great. His popularity makes his family heard about him, but instead of supporting Jesus or approving his action, they actually think that Jesus is out of his mind.

Book of Mark – The Healing on Sabbath

And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
ESV Mark 3:5-6

Frustrated by their hearts and attitude, for they prefer to insist to hold on tradition and being legalistic rather than letting someone getting healed. For the Pharisees, it’s better to not do good on Sabbath day rather than doing something good on Sabbath. Jesus then healed the man with the withered hand regardless.

The Pharisees reaction? They quickly departed and held counsel with Herod’s people to eliminate Jesus. Do you notice the irony? The Pharisees forbid Jesus to do good on the Sabbath, but they’re actually doing evil thing on Sabbath day instead by planning how to kill Jesus. Truly what Jesus asked was true “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”