Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower
We begin a look into Matthew thirteen. First, we take a look at the parable of the sower.
Jesus made specific preparations to speak to an eager and growing crowd of disciples.
To do that, Jesus got into a boat because a large crowd of listeners was pressing in on him from all sides. Getting in the boat was a wise move that prevented the ‘pushing and shoving that occurs in such crowds. After that, the people likely were quick to settle down and listen. And this simple, and probably strategic move out into the sea illustrates an important point for teachers and students. Jesus put himself in a better position to be heard. And the learners, the disciples, were in a better state to quietly listen. Teachers should be alert to the state of the listeners before pressing forward with their lessons.
The Lord taught his disciples in parables and there is a two-fold reason for that. For the eager listeners, the things of God were taught clearly since they were put into simple ‘layman’s’ terms. But at the same time, the truths were hidden and obscure to those who chose to remain ignorant. And of course, that is a sad choice made by many over the two thousand years since.
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Matthew 13:1 By the Sea of Galilee (also known as the Lake of Gennesaret.)
“That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.”
This important series of parables was started after the considerable commotion we see written about in Matthew twelve. As you have time, turn there in your Bible to get a better understanding of how full this day of teaching was. This move to the shoreline, as I suggested, was probably a strategic shift. It would naturally allow for more people to see and hear the important lessons that would follow.
Matthew 13:2 large crowds hear the parable of the sower
“And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.”
This was a great way for the great teacher to begin laying out the important kingdom parables. And the parable of the sower, in many ways, is a foundational message of the Gospel. So, the Lord got into the boat, and the audience quieted themselves, probably leaning forward to hear every word.
In the verse, we learn that large crowds gathered. So it’s safe to assume there were probably at least three large groups of people that crowded around the preacher to hear what he had to say. This was in the early stages of his ministry. His popularity was rising as the numbers in the crowds grew. These crowds no doubt arrived from several of the surrounding fishing and farming towns.
Matthew 13:3 Behold — The parable of the sower
“And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow.”
This is the first use of the word parable in Matthew’s Gospel. And the unique method of Jesus’ teaching didn’t go unnoticed by the disciples. It was different from the other rabbis and it led to a question that we see in Matthew 13:10. The Lord had used illustrations before, such as when he taught about building a house on rock instead of sand in Matthew 7:24-27, but in this instance, he spoke to a large crowd in this unusual teaching format and without an explanation. The word parable literally means comparison.
A sower went forth to sow. In the original language, an emphasis is put on the act of going forth. The sower put forth an effort to plant his seed. In the same way, those who present the Gospel will put out an effort. And of course, the imagery Jesus used here was very familiar to his audience. It would have caused them to immediately relate to the word picture. Considering the large crowds, it’s very probable that many heads nodded with understanding as Jesus told this simple parable.
Matthew 13:4 Birds eat the seeds on the hard path
“And as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.”
The sower, or the seed planter, as we might phrase it, grabbed a handful of seeds and began an important step in raising a good crop. Whether he pulled the seeds from a bag hung around his neck or from a barrel on his cart, he would often spill some on the ground. Also in the effort to spread the seed across the furrowed soil, more seeds would fall on the hard ground.
The birds were the first recipients of the fallen seeds in this story. The seeds that fell by the wayside were easily spotted and eaten by opportunistic birds. In every garden setting, big or small, the farmer has paths by which he or she will travel between crop rows. The birds are quick to take notice of the seeds that aren’t covered by good soil.
Matthew 13:5 Rocky soil leads to shallow roots
“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil and immediately they sprang up because they had no depth of soil.”
Jesus continued the story saying, some seeds fell upon stony places. These rocky places were a common problem with the terrain in the biblical stories. It took considerable work to turn a rocky field into a patch of ground worthy of the name, ‘rich soil.’ Often the farmer would have to deal with large stones or worse. Sometimes slabs of stone prevented roots from growing deep into the soil. In such places, the young shoots sprouted early but the farmer knew those crops wouldn’t last long.
Matthew 13:6 The scorching sun kills
“But when the sun had risen, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.”
In the region of Israel where Jesus told this parable of the sower, the rain was often scarce. But the sunshine wasn’t scarce. It came up every day and was often scorching hot. There were brief periods of rainfall followed by longer periods of drought. If plants weren’t deep-rooted in moist soil then the sun would kill them. A quick and promising start would end much sooner than it took the tiny sprouts to break through the soil. Later in the chapter, Jesus takes time to give a thorough understanding of the parable of the sower. But the listeners in the large crowds probably already guessed some of the hidden meanings.
Shallow roots are bad for plants and for Christians. It’s not at all surprising why so many Christians can’t take the heat. 🙁
Matthew 13:7 Good plants get choked to death
“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.”
The thorns and/or weeds for the farmers were a constant problem. When the farmer prepared his soil he would make an effort to clear the ground of as many unwanted plants as possible. But anyone who has ever gardened knows how that goes. The weeds always return. Though not visible at the time of the planting, they find their way back to the rich soil. Then with the care and watering of the farmer, the unwanted weeds and thorns take advantage. And often, as we’ll see in the parable of the tares, the sprouts of the weeds often looked just like the young crops that were recently planted. This caused problems for the farmers and often the weeds and crops grew together.
Most wild weeds have more aggressive growing cycles, so in short order, the good plants can be overwhelmed by the intruding plants.
Matthew 13:8 The good soil produces great results
“And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
Now we get to the good soil, or the primary place the farmer was concerned with. A lot of hard work had already gone into preparing the soil. The hardest work was finished, that was the preparation of the soil. Now the seeds could just fall into the rich soil and God would do the rest. Of course, that’s not entirely true but the language in this verse gives that implication. If the soil was rich, the seeds would grow naturally. God’s magic would begin in the seed once the farmer irrigated the crops, the rest was history.
And, God willing, the rain cycles would come as expected and the crops would yield a bountiful harvest.
Matthew 13:9 Listen and understand the Parable of the sower.
“He who has ears, let him hear.”
This parable, like all of God’s amazing story, is optional. If you have ears, you should listen up.
Nobody is required to listen and learn God’s truth. And since it’s not mandatory, most people don’t bother. It’s a sad commentary on the story of mankind. God blesses all of us with life and a beautiful planet. But we’re not easily satisfied and we like to rebel so when the good Shepherd says listen, most just walk away.
Don’t make that mistake.
In the next article, we’ll go a little further in this great chapter of Matthew — the chapter of the Kingdom Parables.
The Parable of the Sower was the first of the Kingdom parables in Matthew thirteen.
Before the Kingdom comes, the war must be finished.
Let me know what you think.