The Parable of the Sower

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:3-23

            3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth .6  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop some one hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 "He who has ears let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 "For whoever has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but he who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 "Therefore I speak to you them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor to they understand. 14 "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes

have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should

lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them

1 6 " But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 "for

assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you seen and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it

. 18 " Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 " When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received by the wayside20 "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 " Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises be word, immediately he

stumbles.  22 " Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word

and the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 " But he who received seed on good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

EXPLANATION

            As you have already read several parables you are learning that parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism. A parable as you probably have already gleaned is an analogy cast in a story.  For the remainder of His Galilean ministry Jesus did not speak to the multitudes except in parables.  Jesus veiled the truth to those who were already rebellious unbelievers. This act of judgment kept in the worldly darkness they love.

            In verses 4 through 8 Jesus speaks of a sower who drops his seeds in four different pieces of ground.  In verse 4 he dropped his seed by the where birds came and ate them. In verse 5 the sower drops his seed on stony places that have no good depth of earth. The sun would come up and they were scorched.  In verse 7 the sower drops his seeds thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  The sower then dropped the seed on good ground and it yielded a crop sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, and sometimes thirty.

            After Jesus finished his parable His disciples asked why He spoke to them in parables in verse 10 .In verse11 Jesus told them it was "Because it has been given you to know the mysteries of heaven."  This affirms that the ability to understand the truth of the Word of God in a spiritual way is a gracious gift of God. But for the ones already of reprobate status are passed over.  They will reap the consequences of their own rebellion and unbelief.  The "mysteries of heaven" are those truths hidden for ages but now are revealed in the New Testament such as salvation can only come through Jesus Christ.

            In verse 12 Jesus tells them "for whoever has, more will be given, and will have abundance, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."  Salvation upon first hearing the gospel much faith and understanding will be added to you.  But failure to respond to the word brings on further spiritual blindness.

            In verse 13 Jesus speaks of another reason he speaks in parables. He states "because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand

which fulfills a prophecy from Isaiah 6:9, 10 which is written in verse 14 and 15?  It

seems their are some with unbelief already in their hearts and Jesus obscures the truth

from them as they are already reprobate.

           

            In verse 16 Jesus tells His disciples they are blessed because "their eyes can see and your ears can hear.  In verse 17 Jesus tells how greatly blessed they are for the.

prophets and righteous of the past desired to see what they see and hear what they hear

            Jesus proceeds in verses 18 to 23 to tell the meaning of the parable of the sower. The seed of course is the Word of God. In verse 19 the seeds by the wayside represent those who hear the word of the kingdom but they did not understand it and "the wicked one came and snatched away what was sown in his heart.  The word of the kingdom is salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 20 Jesus speaks of the seed that was dropped in stony places.  This represents people who make an emotional superficial commitment to Christ but it's not real.  When tribulation comes their way they fall away from the faith.  In verse 22 where the seed is dropped among thorns and are choked represent those who make a commitment to Christ but fall away because of love of money and worldly lusts.

            In verse 23 where the sower drops his seed on good ground represents those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and have genuine faith.  They will bear fruit by sharing their faith with others. Not all believers are equally fruitful but all are fruitful. 

APPLICATION

            So which group of seeds are you in?  I hope it is you’re a seed who fell on good ground.  If not go to knees and truly repent and take Jesus into heart as your Savior and Lord of your life.  And remain living for him with genuine faith in him.

            The true sower of the salvation seed in this parable is Jesus.  He alone can transform and change a person's heart.  He is the One who saves sinner, we witness for him by sharing our faith in Him.  But it is He who saves. The people you share with may end up as any of the four seeds.  But the important thing is you must keep sharing the word when any opportunity arises and the Scripture guarantees that you will be fruitful.