Mark 4:13-20

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 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 has proclaimed the word of the gospel to many people, so he was one of those persons described as being like good soil. It is important for all disciples to understand this parable.

Mark 4:10-12

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.”

Yeshu indeed had a secret to reveal. But his purpose was not to lead a victorious army; so his great secret was not about a political revolution but about a heavenly kingdom.

He used parables so that those having faith might understand, but those without faith might be left without understanding.

Mark 4:3-9

(… in his teaching he said to them: ) “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

As in Tibet, people in Israel were familiar with the methods of sowing grain. In that case about what matter was Jesus  speaking? Was he really talking about barley?

What he said from the boat could be heard clearly, so what kind of ears did they need for hearing his parable?