In the Gospel of Mark, there are some people who seem eager to listen to Jesus but when they realize that following him is costly, they are unwilling to do so. Examples are the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17–22) and Judas (Mark 14:10–11). A similar reaction to God’s Word is shown by King Herod, who likes to listen to John the Baptist but is unwilling to repent of his sins (Mark 6:14–29).
18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,