The answer is: In a boat

Mark 4:1

In the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus taught the parable of the sower from a boat, he was really making a savvy choice. You see, synoptic gospels often depict him speaking in boats or on hillsides—a way to gather a crowd while also making it easier for his voice to carry over the water or the slopes. It’s a bit like an early version of a TED Talk, carefully staged to draw in the curious and the committed alike.

The symbolism in this scenario is rich, as water often represents both life and knowledge in biblical contexts. Riding the waves, Jesus mirrored the action of the message swimming out into the world; penetrating thoughts and sowing the seeds of enlightenment.

Interestingly, the parable that follows emphasizes different types of soil—the hearts of listeners who react to his teachings in different ways. This theme is one of the corners of biblical wisdom: not everyone absorbs the same message equally!

It's worth noting that the boat scenes echo significant moments in the Hebrew Bible when vessels were vessels of transformation and teaching too—think of Noah’s Ark or even Moses in the bulrushes! When Jesus used the boat as a pulpit, he was participating in an age-old tapestry of stories where barriers could be broken, and life experiences could provide profound lessons for all.