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THE SOWER
& THE SOILS
Mt 13:3-9,
18-23, Mk 4:2-9, 13-20, Lk 8:4-8, 11-15
I. Background of
the Parable
1. Context 1. Many are following and being healed by
Jesus, which leads to their amazement, Mt 12:15, 22. 2. In contrast, the Pharisees
are constantly watching Jesus in order to discredit or trap him, Mt 12:2, 14,
24, 38. 3. Jesus is ready to teach about
the kingdom, primarily in parables, Mt 13:3, 11, 18, 24… 2. Definitions/Cultural Insights 1. Sower:
One who scatters seed. 2. Wayside: Roadway of hard
packed dirt or stones. 3. Rocky soil: Shallow soil over
rock. 4. Seed: That which gives life,
probably a grain of wheat in this story. 5. Fruit: The product of a plant
that is useful and that has the ability to reproduce. 6. Heart: The inner man, that
part of a person that thinks and plans and feels emotion. II.
Understanding the Parable
1. The sower scatters seed in
the field, in expectation of a fruitful harvest. The seed represents the word of the kingdom, the gospel.
The field is the hearts of people, Mt 13:3, 19. 2. Some seeds fall on the
road, where there is no soil to cover them, and the birds eat them. This
represents those who hear the word without understanding. There is never any life because Satan
snatches away the word, Mt 13:4, 19. 3. Some seeds fall on shallow
soil over rocks, and the plants grow quickly at first, because the
shallow soil is warm. But soon they
are scorched by the heat of the sun, because the roots cannot go down through
the stone for water. This represents
those who receive the word with great joy, and begin their new life quickly,
but are not able to stand the trials of life. There is no depth of trust in Jesus, the water of life, Mt
13:5-6, 20-21. 4. Some seed fell in thorny
ground, ground that had not been cleared of thorns, and the thorns
quickly crowded out the good plants, taking the needed sunlight and
water. This represents those who fail
to put Jesus first in their lives.
They are choked by the things of this world. Riches become more important to them than Jesus. Therefore they fail to produce any fruit. They are worthless, Mt 13:7, 22. 5. Other seed fell on good ground that
was well prepared, and yielded a fruitful harvest. This represents Christians
who trust in Jesus because of their right understanding of the gospel, who
produce things of eternal value by their lives, Mt 13:8, 23. 6. All the plants that lived
were part of the kingdom of God because they had life in Jesus through
the gospel seed. Those who died and
those who produced no fruit will be cast out of the kingdom. See Jn 15:1-5. III.
Consideration and Application of the Parable
1. Secure or Vulnerable… hear AND understand
People must hear and understand the message of the kingdom in order
to have spiritual life. Jesus
emphasized that if we don’t understand as well as hear, we open ourselves to
Satan’s attack and theft of the good news.
What causes people to not understand the gospel? What attitudes cause one to reject the
message of God, Acts 28:25-28? 2. Rooted in Jesus…
Those who receive the word into their hearts and come to Jesus must
become rooted in Jesus to survive tests and bear fruit. How can we be rooted in Jesus? How can we help others to become rooted in
Jesus? How can we help others stand
the tests of their faith, Rom 5:1-11? 3. Selfish Living… it’s deadly Those who do not repent of selfish living will be choked by the cares
of this world. What are the thorns,
the things of this world that choke out our spiritual life? (The lust of the
flesh, of the eye, & the pride of life.)
Name some things that are a problem for you personally, 1 Jn
2:15-17. 4. Fruitfulness… flows from good and honest hearts People who want to be fruitful in their lives must put their trust in
Jesus, and never give up. If we
follow Jesus faithfully, we will produce useful spiritual fruit in our lives,
and we will lead others to Jesus so that God’s family multiplies. How many people have you led to
Jesus? We must desire to bear much
fruit to the glory of God, Jn 15:1-8. 5. Church Work… sowing the seed
Sowing the seed of the kingdom is the work of the church, Eph
3:8-21. As we sow, preaching the
gospel, we do not need to know where every seed will fall, but let them fall
where they will. The word will bring
forth fruit according to the condition of the heart of those who hear. We must trust God for the increase, 1 Cor
3:6-9. 6. Every Person…
needs to hear Although some people will not receive the gospel into their hearts,
we do not know who they are. We
should preach the gospel to every person, Mk 16:15-16. IV. Memory
Verse - Mt 13:23 |