The Parable of the Sower
TRANSLATION
(1) On that day Jesus left the house and sat down beside the sea. (2) And such a great crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down while the crowd remained on the shore. (3) Then he told them many things in parables saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow (his seed). (4) And, as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it. (5) And other seed fell on rocky soil where it did not have much ground. And immediately (the seed) sprouted up because it had no depth of soil. (6) And when the sun rose, (the shoots) were scorched and, because they had no root, they withered away. (7) And other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked (the shoots). (8) And yet other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
(9) And the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” (11) And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (12) For to the one who has, more will be given, but to the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (13) This is why I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand. (14) In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive, (15) for this people’s heart is calloused. Their ears have become dull and their eyes have shut lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ (16) But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. (17) For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people have longed to see the things which you have seen and never saw them, and to hear the things which you have heard and never heard them.
(18) “Listen now to (the meaning of) the parable of the sower. (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what (happened to the seed that) was sown along the path. (20) As for the seed that was sown upon the rocky soil, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. (21) Yet, he has no root in himself but endures only for a while. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (22) As for the seed that was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (23) As for that which was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
OBSERVATIONS
This passage contained many repetitions that help us grasp how it was structured. In the first paragraph where Jesus set forth his famous parable of the sower, we find repetitions of “sat” (vss. 1 & 2), “sower/sow/sowed” (vss. 3 & 4), “seed” (vss. 3, 4, 5, 7, & 8), and “soil” (vss. 5 & 8) along with its synonym, “ground” (vs. 5). In the second paragraph where Jesus explained the reasons why he chose to teach in parables, we find repetitions of “parable(s)” (vss. 3, 10, 13, & 18), “given” (three times in vss. 11 & 12), and in vss. 13-18 eight occurrences of “see/seeing,” eight of “hear/hearing,” three each of “understand,” “ears,” and “eyes,” and two of “heart.” In the final paragraph where Jesus explained the significance of the parable, we find six repetitions of “sower/sown” (vss. 18, 19, 20, 22, & 23), four repetitions of “hears” (vss. 19, 20, 22 & 23), and five of “word” (vss. 19, 20, 21, 22, & 23).
OUTLINE
I. Jesus gave the parable of the sower to the crowd that had gathered to hear him teach. (1-9)
II. Jesus explained to the disciples why he chose to speak in parables. (10-17)
III. Jesus explained to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower. (18-23)
IDEA STATEMENT
A person’s capacity to assimilate God’s Word will determine the nature and amount of fruit that will be produced in his life.
APPLICATION
Jesus’ brilliance in devising parables that have powerfully communicated his truth to multiple generations and cultures has never been equaled. In these verses he addressed an important question raised by his disciples: “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Based on the prophecy he quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10, he explained that parables provide greater insight to those with receptive hearts while hiding that same truth from those whose hearts are dulled. In other words, by using figures of speech and stories that were not immediately apparent but required thoughtful processing, he challenged his followers to ponder these truths even more deeply. At the same time, this approach served to protect those with unresponsive hearts from an even greater judgment that would have fallen on them had they understood and then rejected what they heard.
The parable of the sower described four types of soil in terms of their capacity to produce a harvest. Jesus in his explanation showed how these soils represented four different responses to God’s Word, each one depending on the condition of the hearer’s heart. Only good soil that has not been hardened, filled with stones, or infested with thorns can produce the kind of harvest that is worth reaping. Upon hearing this, each listener should respond with the following question: “Do I have the kind of heart that will produce a rich harvest upon hearing God’s Word?”