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According to some interpreters, the parable of the sower affirms that the kingdom of God has arrived in Jesus' ministry. According to others, it speaks of the coming of the kingdom in the future. In the opinion of yet others, it assures the disciples that their preaching will bear fruit in spite of setbacks. Charles Wesley (12:260) relates it to preaching:
Lord, if at Thy command
The word of life we sow,
Water'd by Thy almighty hand,
The seed shall surely grow.
The interpretation of the parable recorded in the gospel (vv.11-15) concentrates on the different reactions to preaching. Some people hear the message but do not receive it. Others receive the message at first but fall away in times of testing, such as persecution. Others fail in their allegiance because of their obsession with worldly wealth and pleasures. But others react positively to the preaching. They retain the word, show perseverance, and bear fruit.
Jesus' statement (vv.9-10) that parables are told so that people may not see or understand is influenced by Isa 6:9. This saying of Jesus has caused much perplexity. It could be interpreted to mean that he told the parables to conceal his message. But it could also mean that the people’s lack of understanding was the result rather than the purpose of his teaching. According to John Wesley, they failed to understand because God had confirmed their previous decision to reject the message. “They would not see before; now they could not, God having given them up to the blindness which they had chosen” (Notes, 151, on Mk 4:12).