The Parable of the Sower
TRANSLATION
(1) Again (Jesus) began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat and sat in it while the crowd remained on the shore. (2) And he was teaching them many things in parables. And in his teaching, he said to them, (3) “Listen, a farmer went out to sow. (4) And it happened that, as he sowed, some seed fell by the path, and the birds came and ate it up. (5) And some seed fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil, and immediately it sprouted up since the ground was shallow. (6) When the sun rose, the plants were scorched, and, since they had no root, they withered away. (7) And other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked the plants, and they produced no grain. (8) And other seed fell on good soil, and it sprouted, grew, and produced a harvest some yielding thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times (what had been sown).” (9) And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
(10) When he was by himself, those who were near him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. (11) And he told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside, everything is spoken in parables (12) so that they may indeed see but never perceive and indeed hear but never understand lest they should turn and be forgiven.” (13) And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? (14) The farmer sows the word. (15) And the ones along the path are those who, when the word is sown and they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches away the word which has been sown in them. (16) Likewise the ones sown on the rocky ground are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. (17) But since they have no root in themselves, they endure for only a little while. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they fall away. (18) And others are those who are sown among the thorns. They are the ones who hear the word, (19) but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. (20) And the seed that fell on good soil are the ones who, when they hear the word, accept it and produce a harvest some yielding thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred times (what had been sown).”
OBSERVATIONS
The story of the farmer who sowed seeds in four different types of soil has, over the centuries, remained one of Jesus’ most famous parables. Four repetitions apart from the retelling of the story stand out in this segment: “parables” (vss. 2, 10, 11, & twice in vs. 13), ten variations on the word for “sow” (vss. 3 twice, 4, 14 twice, 15 twice, 16, 18, & 20), four occurrences of “seed(s)” (vss. 4, 5, 7, & 8), and seven uses of “word” (vss. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 20). Two areas of focus demand our attention. First, we must consider the actual story of the farmer sowing seeds and the spiritual lessons it conveys. We then must deal with the nature of parables, that is, why Jesus chose this particular literary form to teach his followers spiritual truths.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus set forth the parable of the farmer sowing seeds in various types of soil. (1-9)
II. Jesus explained to the disciples the reasons why he chose to teach in parables. (10-13)
III. Jesus explained to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the farmer sowing seeds. (14-20)
IDEA STATEMENTS
[The parable itself] Just as a farmer sowing seeds produces differing results in different types of soil so the Word of God proclaimed produces differing results in different types of hearts.
[The reason Jesus taught in parables] Parables reveal truth to those with receptive hearts while concealing the same truth from those whose hearts are unresponsive.
APPLICATION
According to the parable, the same seed, scattered by the same farmer, will produce differing results depending on the soil onto which it happens to fall. Obviously, the essential factor in agricultural production is soil fertility. Spiritually, the same truths expounded by the same teacher will likewise produce a variety of results depending on the hearts of the listeners. What really matters is our spiritual receptivity. Each of us should ask, “How can I be sure that my heart is ready to receive God’s Word so that I may produce an abundant spiritual harvest?”
The three unproductive soils described in Jesus’ parable help us understand what steps we need to take to avoid barrenness. We must guard our hearts lest they be hardened by unconfessed sin, made rocky by spiritual negligence, or turned into thorn-infested soil by allowing the cares of this world and the allurement of riches to choke out God’s truths which otherwise would produce a rich spiritual harvest within us. Each of us should constantly be praying, “Lord, give me a receptive, responsive heart that constantly seeks to know more of your precious truth so that your Word might take root and produce an abundant harvest in my life.”