Jesus explained the seeds, the sower, and the rejection.
In this third section of chapter thirteen in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus explained what the parable of the sower means.
The importance of the meaning of this parable cannot be overstated. It literally deals with life and death and eternal destiny issues. Most people who have lived and died on this earth, have rejected the truths found in God’s Word. And most people alive today will also reject the truth. But why? The answers are found in this parable. The reasons for that rejection of the truth are found in this simple parable. And the sad and shocking fact is the rejections aren’t based on the facts.
Look at the parable again. And remember how important it is.
In this article, we’ll look at Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question. They had noticed his unique teaching style, so they asked him about it. Then, in answering their question, he chose to dive deeper and give them further insight into the important parable of the sower. We’ll start with their question in verse ten, and then continue on from verse eighteen where he explains the sower and its meaning.
In the parable of the sower, the seeds are all the same. Yes, there is a multitude of seeds but they are all the same. The key element to the parable is where the seeds fall and what happens to them afterward.
Jesus taught the Kingdom parables from an unusual place.
The four seeds and where they fell:
- First, seeds fell on the hard dirt path and were quickly eaten by birds before they could grow.
- Second, seeds fell into the rocky or shallow soil. They sprang up quickly but soon withered.
- Third, seeds fell into the soil that had weeds and thorns. Those seeds were choked out and died.
- And fourth, seeds from the sower fell into the good rich soil and produced an abundant crop.
Matthew 13:10 The question from the disciples
“And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
There were two groups of disciples of Jesus. The tight-knit group of twelve who were with him for the three and a half years of his ministry. And the other group was a much larger crowd who gathered wherever he spoke. The group of twelve is where this question came from.
And now follows the explanation from Jesus. The Lord’s answer is short but helps to begin laying a foundation that helped the disciples better understand the Lord’s way of presenting God’s truth.
Jesus welcomed the questions his disciples asked.
Matthew 13:18 Understand the parable of the sower.
“Hear then the parable of the sower.”
As we get into Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower, it’s important to note there are key parallel passages in the other gospels. Mark 4:13-20 and Luke 8:11-15. When we study any Bible passage, if we can find similar and corresponding passages, we should study those to give us a deeper understanding of the intent of each passage.
Regarding discrepancies and apparent contradictions: As Bible students, we will encounter numerous passages that on the surface might seem to present counterpoints of view. Some Bible critics use these discrepancies to prove the Bible isn’t inspired. But that’s never the case. A good student knows that the Holy Spirit inspired the different writers and they each wrote the stories from their own perspective and often focused on different readers.
With that, let’s move on to the Lord’s explanation of the sower and the seeds.
Matthew 13:19 The birds represent the evil one.
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.”
In the first telling of the parable, we read that birds came and ate the seeds that fell on the hard path. The birds aren’t mentioned in the explanation, but something prevents understanding in those who hear. That’s the birds and they represent a type of activity that comes from God’s enemies. The seed is the message of the Gospel. Some call it the good news. Many times, a person will hear the message. Jesus describes it as the message being “sown in his heart.” Good seeds in rich soil will begin to germinate when water is applied. But if birds snatch the seed away, understanding, or germination, never begins.
The evil one, the devil, Satan, or whatever you want to call him, has demonic help. They come in like scavenger vultures and eat up the seeds before they can grow. When a person hears the word of God, often our friends, family members, or co-workers will work in the same way as the birds in the parable of the sower.
They might say something as simple as this,
“Oh you don’t believe that garbage do you?”
And as quickly as the seeds are sown, the birds snatch them away before understanding is allowed to germinate. Too often the meek reply follows.
“No, that’s just stupid superstition. Of course, I don’t believe that.”
Thus the seed is snatched away, the devil claims another victory.
Matthew 13:20 Many people respond with joy.
“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.”
This second person, seed, is very different from the first. There was no change in the first seed, but this time is very different. This seed fell into rocky soil, but there is rapid growth, and strong emotion, and it looks like a quick conversion. Again we should remember that each seed represents an individual who hears the Word of God. In this case, the hearer responds very positively to the message. It’s not at all uncommon for a person to respond in this way. They hear that Jesus loves them, and of course, that is often well-received. Preachers can pull thousands to the altar with effective and inspiring messages of hope and love. Church services, revivals, and many similar religious gatherings end with scores of people responding with apparent love and devotion to Christ.
But was it real?
Only God knows, but often it’s not.
Matthew 13:21 The seed (Christian) with no roots falls away
“Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.”
This second person, or seed, has no roots, meaning no deep roots. This explanation helps us to understand the meaning of rocky soil. If the problem was stones mixed in with the soil, the roots could still grow deep. But since the roots can’t grow deep, we obviously have a large stone layer that prevents the roots from growing deep. The conviction of belief appeared true as evidenced by the immediate joy. But we see that it wasn’t genuine.
Jesus explained that tribulation and or persecution proved to be a hard stone that prevented the growth of the roots. The early Christian Church grew fast and strong in the midst of harsh persecution and death. But many who faced it were quick to denounce their brief trust in Christ. The same applies today, but the persecution rarely reaches extreme levels, at least in western countries. Sometimes they are just petty annoyances that challenge our faith in Christ. Too many people buckle under the pressure when challenged with tough questions like…
“You really believe that Bible stuff?”
Such intense persecution makes knees buckle and faith crumble if the soil isn’t deep. Jesus continues by saying, “by and by he is offended.” It doesn’t take much to have such weak believers turn their back on the Savior who gave his life for them. Social pressure is one of the most effective weapons used in our western countries. Look at the intense anti-Christian biases that exist. That bias is used to pressure and shame people. The bias is denied by all who have it but it’s there. But the seed (individual) that buckles under the pressure has himself to blame.
Matthew 13:22 The care of the world (the love of stuff) will choke the seed.
“And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
Now we move to the third seed.
For this seed, the growth is normal, so the roots are free to grow. But as normal growth happens, warning signs begin to show. And again, this is something that is common among professing Christians. The problem that arises is a divided heart.
The person is double-minded and tries to serve two masters. The “care of this world” as seen in Matthew 6:25 will destroy an otherwise healthy Christian. The deceitfulness and love of earthly riches cheat the soul. The serpent tricked Eve in the garden with beautiful fruit and a promise of wisdom and pleasure. Whatever apparent fruit appears in the early stages of this seed is soon choked out by a world of pleasure and deceit.
In Luke’s Gospel, the writer says that such men “bring no fruit to perfection” Luke 8:14.
There are many apparent Christians who don’t bring forth any fruit. I say ‘apparent Christians’, because no one knows the heart of a person except God. But often people are just playing the game and when pressure comes, they will fold.
Matthew 13:23 The seed in good soil brought abundant fruit.
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
And now to the seed we all should hope is true of ourselves. This fourth seed fell among good soil. The result was nothing short of spectacular when compared to the fruitless results of the other three.
There is a process to the growth of this seed and it is not merely an academic exercise. The seed, (the Christian), in good soil, hears the words and then tries to discern the meaning.
The Apostle Paul told Timothy to meditate on the Word of God. This should go far beyond reading a short devotional comment. We should study the Word and apply it to our lives. Unfortunately, most people aren’t willing to do that. They’ll sit in church and listen to a preacher tell them stuff.
We need to do more than that.
Closing points to consider in the parable of the sower.
Who is the sower?
A notable exclusion from Jesus’ explanation is the identity of the sower. That would seem like a good place to start. We don’t get the answer to that until we look at the next parable in this chapter. Spoiler alert — It’s Jesus. He is the sower of the seed. As we explore the next parable we’ll gain a better understanding of his role and ours. As Christians, we also have the privilege of sowing the seeds.
Don’t feed the birds.
There is an important lesson we can learn from this parable. And that is, it’s possible to recognize that some people have good soil that is ready for the Gospel. Others may not be ready to hear. As a teacher with over thirty years of ‘sowing the seed’, I’ve seen that quite often. Some people just aren’t ready to hear what you have to say. Their soil, so to speak, is still hard. But we should understand that people often aren’t ready. The light of Jesus began with him, nearly two thousand years ago. It continues with those willing to take up the role he modeled. But one of the best things a good farmer should do is spread seeds in good soil. How often have you seen street preachers shouting to the masses? In those cases, they’re just feeding the birds. There’s very little good fruit in that effort.
But of course, many are called to that style. The Apostle Paul often preached in this manner.
Prepare the soil
As we present the Gospel, we should make an effort to spread the seeds while standing in good soil. Remember, Jesus commanded that we should follow in his footsteps and share the Good News. But we can and should be wise in our efforts. As noted above, if we shout at strangers on the street, we shouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see fruit. Instead of standing on the hard path of the street corner, find better soil. Go to where the good soil is.
And when we find good soil, we can also help improve that soil.
The hard work begins by preparing the soil before planting. The hard path, the rocky soil, and weedy soil can be turned into rich soil with a little work. Whenever we can we should try to break up the hard soil before we toss the seeds. It is the responsibility of every preacher and teacher to prepare the soil as well as sow the seed. The prophet Jeremiah had a miserable record in regard to converts. Nobody responded favorably to his messages. But he understood they weren’t ready to hear because their hearts were like hard soil. He said, “break up the fallow ground and sow not among thorns” (Jeremiah 4:3).
Those were wise words from the preaching prophet.
Here’s another great video from the folks at The Bible Project.
White Stone Watcher
Hello readers,
I have served as a children and youth pastor for over three decades. It was a great honor and pleasure to serve the Lord in that way. It has been my prayer, that many of them will learn of Jesus’ love and decide to commit their lives to follow Him.
I wrote the fiction story, ‘White Stone Watcher’ for them and their parents. In the story, we see a young man, and his best friend, Amanda. They face the normal challenges that today’s kids face at school. But with one huge difference.
Their challenge is twelve feet tall to be exact with an enormous set of six wings. Just like the prophet Isaiah saw in the throne room of God. He is a Watcher, an angelic being who is still invisible to Amanda. The messenger from God is about to lead both on a spiritual journey. They find they cannot escape the unseen war that rages all around them. They will become key players that God will use in the battle between the Sons of Darkness and the Children of Light.
I invite you to pray about a youth that might enjoy and benefit from this story. As the world grows darker, our youth must become aware that the Lord is calling them to join the Children of Light in the fight for what is righteous. We are all involved, whether we realize it or not. If they will not go to church, maybe they will read a book about someone just like them facing challenges at school.
God is calling them.
Praying for the youth, and a great awakening.
Pastor Doug
Let me know what you think.