The Parable Of The Sower
(A Teaching On Our Response To God's Word)
Matthew 13:1-9
“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”"
"Oh what a vivid parable! It really is a treat(A Teaching On Our Response To God's Word)
Matthew 13:1-9
“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”"
To picture Jesus sitting with His listeners on their feet!
No sign of people slumbering while snoring in the pews,
His congregation soaking up the message of Good News!
Christ speaks about a sower and tells us of his toil,
He scatters seed which lands upon four different kinds of soil.
Some lay on the wayside, a hard, unyielding place,
The seed is soon devoured, quickly gone without a trace.
Next He paints the picture of the seed on stony ground,
It shoots right up but withers for no depth of root was found.
Third we have the seed that grows and prospers for a time
But soon the thorns of worldly cares replace the things divine.
Finally we hear about the seed that’s taken root,
It grows a mighty harvest and proceeds to bear good fruit!
This tale has great significance, apparent from the start;
The seed reflects the Word of God, the soil is our heart.
A parable to challenge us but may we not recoil;
Though seed and sower stay the same, the difference is the soil!
May our heart be open and a fertile place to sow.
Let God’s Word take root today and watch the harvest grow!"
2 Corinthians 9:10
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness."
Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Points For Reflection And Insight
The pictures created throughout this parable are so vivid and give great examples of how different each person’s response to God’s Word can be.
As I mentioned in the poem, the sower is the same sower in each scenario and the seed is the same seed. What makes the difference is the soil on which the seed lands and so it’s the soil that dictates the outcome.
Neither the sower nor the seed can be blamed for the end result if no fruit is produced and so it is with the Gospel. God has made the Good News of salvation available and accessible to all. He doesn’t discriminate and has made provision for all people to be saved. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross to pay for the sins of the whole world and has made this known to everyone through His divine Word.
If a person chooses to reject the truth and God’s provision then the responsibility lies with them. The same message of redemption is extended to all people from the same loving God. It’s up to each person how they respond to this message and whether they choose to accept God’s Word into their heart or not.
If God’s provision of salvation is rejected then neither God nor His Word can be blamed for this tragedy. This comes down to our personal choice.
Looking at the different pictures created in this parable, “the wayside” is such a powerful representation of a hardened heart.
The wayside was a path where people walked regularly and so nothing could grow here because the ground was too hard. The soil of the wayside represents the unbeliever whose heart is so hardened towards God and His Word that they can’t possibly receive it or hear it with understanding.
This is a real sign of the work of the enemy because one of Satan’s main tools is to keep people in darkness when it comes to understanding God’s Word.
People can also become so downtrodden by life and the misrepresentations of God that the soil of their heart is too hard to receive the seed of God’s Word.
It’s a heartbreaking thing to meet an unbeliever whose heart is so hardened that they hear the Word of God but you can see it doesn’t take root and is promptly snatched away by the devil.
My personal feeling is to pray for people such as this. There’s nothing too difficult for God and only He can soften a heart that’s so hardened towards Him.
Do you know someone whose heart is hard and closed off to God and His Word? Why not pray for that person today and ask for a divine and miraculous work of the Holy Spirit to soften them towards their Saviour.
The “stony place” mentioned in this parable gives us a very accurate comparison to someone who hears God’s Word and responds with instant enthusiasm, only to wilt quickly when trials or persecution come.
Just as the seed on stony ground swiftly springs up, so too do some people seemingly “convert” overnight and respond to the Gospel right away. Sadly, as soon as persecution for their new faith comes along, this person collapses under the pressure.
Often times, people see God as a “quick fix” to their problems but then when trials come along and life gets tough, their growth is short-lived and speedily withers away. Sudden growth is not the issue here, lack of depth is the problem. This is a clear picture of a false conversion which has a short burst of enthusiasm but no true depth of real faith or relationship with Jesus.
Those only looking for a speedy road to an “easy life” have not grasped the truth of the Gospel at all. Anyone unprepared to face the heat of the trial and weather the storms of life with Jesus, will soon retreat and their profession of faith will amount to nothing.
Do you know someone who may have had a false conversion? Pray that they would respond to the Lord’s call to come into a real, deep and meaningful relationship with Him.
The third picture we’re given is the seed that grows “among the thorns.” Here we have an example of how some people respond in truth to the Word of God, becoming a genuine believer but after a while they let other things take priority and their growth becomes stunted. This speaks of the true Christian who has a real relationship with Jesus but along the way has become backslidden.
The nature of weeds and thorns is such that they steal the light and water from other plants, thereby choking out the seeds and preventing further growth and the production of fruit. This creates the very clear picture of how the thorny ground represents those who hear the Word of God but let the cares of this world and the deceit of wealth choke out the Word.
The soil of their heart is fertile but almost too fertile as other things are given space to grow too.
The person experiences spiritual growth for a time but then the competition and growth of unspiritual things comes in to play as well. Before you know it, that person’s priorities are in the wrong order entirely. They become more concerned about worldly desires and less focused on spiritual things, thus strangling the chance of any further growth where the things of God are concerned.
Do you know someone who was once passionate about Jesus but has since grown cold and become backslidden in their faith? Let’s pray for that person today. Pray that the Lord would reignite their love for Him and that they would get back on track with their Saviour.
The “good soil” represents those who hear and embrace the Word, where the soil of their heart is both fertile and weed-free! It’s here where the seed may grow and produce a crop which yields many more seeds than was used to sow.
The good soil shows us the person who responds correctly to the Word of God, receiving it and allowing it to bear fruit in their soul.
The seed that falls on good ground will produce a harvest. For some, the harvest will be more plentiful than others but all do produce good fruit.
Do you know someone whose heart is like the “good soil” and is doing well spiritually, really growing in the Lord? Pray for that person today! So often we only pray for those who don’t seem to be doing very well spiritually but those who are spiritually strong and in a good place need our prayers just as much, if not more!
As we know, the devil hates it when God’s people are making an impact for His Kingdom and so they’re often in the centre of the enemy’s target. This is why we need to pray for the ones seemingly doing well in the Lord, that they would stay bold, keep on track and not fall foul of the enemy’s attacks.
This powerful parable is both encouraging and challenging for the listener. Jesus’ statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” wasn’t a call for all people to listen, it was a call to those who were already spiritually alert to take note. They were the ones who had ears that could hear and understand the spiritual lessons being taught.
The parable of the sower brings a personal challenge and compels the listener to ask, “What kind of soil do the words of Christ fall on in my heart? Has the soil of my heart become hardened to the Word of God? Am I allowing other things to take priority in my life or letting the concerns of this world choke out the importance of God’s Word?”
If we feel the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then I’d like to encourage us to commit those things to God in prayer and ask Him to help us today. God is faithful!
For those who already have the love of Jesus deeply rooted into their heart, some good questions to ask are,
“What am I doing with that love? Am I seeking to share that love with others and therefore multiplying the seed sown to me? Am I tending the soil of my heart and making sure it stays a fertile, weed-free place so that the planted seed can continue to prosper and grow?”
By staying close to God and immersed in His Word, He will equip us with the strength to endure whatever life throws at us. Whether it be the enemy seeking to snatch away whatever he can get hold of, trials, persecution, cares of this world or the scorching heat of the sun, Jesus is able to see us through.
May we boldly sow the seed of God’s Word into the lives of those around us. It’s only through Jesus that we can grow and flourish so let’s seek to share that life-giving nourishment with others today.
