The Four Soils of Willy Wonka and Mark 4

Spoiler Alert

My family recently watched the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” film, which reminded me so much of the parable of the soils in Mark 4. As just about everyone knows, the film presents Willy Wonka as the greatest chocolate candy maker on earth. His factory was world-famous yet top secret. He made a contest where people who were lucky enough to find the Wonka Bars with a golden ticket could come for a tour of his factory. These Wonka Bars were sold across the world, and Mr. Wonka made five of them with an attached golden ticket. When the five kids (along with their selected guest) came to the factory, Mr. Wonka welcomed them in for the tour. As the group journeys to each new room in the factory (each full of exciting and unique methods and machines to make chocolate), one of the kids always ignored or disobeyed Mr. Wonka’s instructions and reached his hand for his own satisfaction. The kid’s consequence every time was expulsion from the factory. His desire for instant gratification and satisfaction had consequences. After the child is consequently expelled from the building, we do not see him/her again. By the end of the film, four out of the five children had pursued their own satisfaction, which led to their expulsion. Charlie was the last one left. 

Toward the end of the film, we see Mr. Wonka give a serious test to Charlie. This would be the final test to see if he could truly endure to the end. As Mr. Wonka rudely retreated to his office and left Charley and his grandfather alone, Charlie correctly responded to not give up on his call to be there and continue to pursue the final prize. He was faithful to the instructions until the end. This was the perseverance that Mr. Wonka was looking for. As the film wraps up, we get this sense that Mr. Wonka knew that Charlie would be the one to make it to the end all along, and that only he would endure to the end. 

Watch Charlie Pass the Test and Endure to the End

We come to understand that the rooms and situations were set up as mere trials. Each person’s unique personality was especially drawn into the temptations of the particular room (i.e. the girl who held the world record for chewing gum gave into the temptation with the gum that serves a three-course meal- it was designed to test her specifically). Even Slugworth, Wonka’s chief competitor, is set up as a sort of tempter throughout the film. However, at the end, we learn that he works for Mr. Wonka, which means that Wonka sent him out to tempt/test/make trials for Charlie just as God ordains tests and trials to sanctify his sheep. Charlie endured through each of the temptations. He listened to the voice of the instructor. The other children were expelled from the factory, and only Charlie remained inside and with the teacher. 

In the parable of the soils now in Mark 4, Jesus teaches that there are four types of soil. Three types are distorted, and their seed eventually dies. The final seed lands on the good soil, which is able to persevere through the trials and follow the shepherd until the end. The first three seeds are destroyed/ expelled from the earth (into judgment) while the last one remains. This story in Mark 4 is about the perseverance and endurance of the Christian. Many will think they are genuinely Christian for a time, but that excitement of Christianity eventually wears out in face of temptation and trial. Only those of the fourth soil will have the power of the sustaining Spirit to endure and persevere faithfully until the end. The Willy Wonka film can be viewed as a two hour analogical re-presententation of Jesus’ parables of the soils. There was really only one winner from the beginning as Mr. Wonka revealed to Charlie: “You did it! You won! I knew you would do it! I just knew you would! I have to test you Charlie, and you passed the test.” In the same way, from the beginning, the good shepherd knows his sheep, and they are given the power of the Spirit to follow him (John 10). The others might begin the exciting journey (like the other four kids in the movie), but the implanted gospel will be revealed as too shallow to endure the temptations of this life. They will fade away into judgment while the faithful will remain with the shepherd.

One other parallel between Wonka and the four soils is the emphasis on listening/ obeying the teacher. It is absolutely essential in the Willy Wonka film for the participants to listen to Mr. Wonka. As they enter each room in the factory, Mr. Wonka first gives them specific instructions about what the room can do and what the participants are not allowed to do. If they would listen to his voice and follow his instructions, they could avoid the disasters that come upon them. The story in Mark 4 begins with the command to “Listen!” (4:3). Mark records Jesus’ teaching to have an emphasis on listening to his voice. The word ‘hear’ is used eight times in the parable and its explanation, and Mark repeats the phrase, “he said to them,” three times. The emphasis is clearly on the voice of the teacher, and the insight from these repetitions is that listening to the voice of the shepherd, Jesus, is the way into the new creation. Those who listen will be the ones who endure to the end. In the Willy Wonka film, the one who listens will be invited to the prize of the end, which is the inheritance of the factory. In world history, the ones who listen to the voice of God will be invited to the goal of all of history, which is our inheritance in the new creation with the reigning Christ.