In starting this study on the Parables of Jesus, I got ahead of myself and left out the very first one which is 'The Parable of the Sower.' I apologize for that, and will proceed with this that one today.
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still, other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
(This is where the disciples then wanted to know why Jesus was speaking to them in parables. And his answer to that question was in yesterdays blog if you would like to refer back to it. After he answered their question about that, he went on to explain the parable of the sower.)
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
The seed Jesus is referring to represents God's Kingdom. The seeds that fall along the path refers to someone that has been hardened to sin. He has heard the gospel but does not understand it, perhaps doesn't even believe it and turns away from it. Satan has then stolen it from his heart. The rocky ground is someone who hears the gospel and is joyful but it doesn't take root in his heart and therefore does not grow. So as soon as someone persecutes him for believing it, he backs away from it and doesn't want to admit they even believed it in the first place. The seed falling on thorns represent someone who hears the gospel, but his interest of it is choked out because it is in worldly possessions instead and he is not concerned with the things of God. And lastly, the seed falling on the good ground is someone that receives God's word in his heart and produces good fruit for his Kingdom.
And so the question he is conveying to his disciples and to us in that passage is, where are we in this analogy of seed? Have our seeds fallen on the hard ground and our hearts become harden to our sin so that rather we have turned away from God? Has it fallen on the rocky ground so that as soon as someone knows we are even the least bit interested in God, will laugh at us for our stupidity and therefore we turn away so they will stop making fun of us? Has our seed fallen on the thorny ground so that our cares are of this world instead of what will come in the next? Or has our seed fallen on good ground whereby we have accepted Christ, and it has taken root as we grow in his grace and go on to win others to him and work for him in this world so that others might know him too.
We are one of these kinds of seeds or person as Jesus described hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years ago. They are still viable for today. Which are you? Which am I? It is a question we need to ask ourselves. Our eternal life depends on it.
Reference for todays blog: Mathew 13:1-9, 18-23 and What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower?
Up tomorrow: The Parable of the Tares (Weeds)
February 5, 2019 Promise: Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.
Thanks for coming by today Friends. God bless you on this day and every day!
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