CSSA 3-4-336 - THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

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336. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

"Behold a sower went forth to sow . . ."

The Word of God, depicted in this parable as the seed, was faultless. Whether it took root and grew to produce seed depended en tirely upon the nature of the soil in which it lodged. When we receive the Word of God in our hearts we must carefully nurture it. We must make sure that the influences of the world and problems we face do not stifle its growth and prevent it from bringing forth fruit.

Our aim in this lesson is to learn the right and wrong ways to receive the Word of God.

Matthew 13:1-23

A NEW METHOD OF TEACHING.

Jesus had taught by PREACHING the things relating to the kingdom of God and the character required of those who would in herit it. The great MIRACLES had revealed God's power and shown that his claim to be the Son of God was true. By EXAMPLE, too, he had powerfully shown God's way; how to pray, how to forgive, how to show compassion.

At this point in his ministry we find a new emphasis: PARABLES become the basis of much of his teaching and preaching. The word "parable" comes from a Greek word meaning "to compare together". The Lord compared natural things with spiritual things, in stories about every day familiar matters. Thus a parable is a story with a hidden meaning.

His new style was observed by the disciples and they asked the ques tion: "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" (Matt. 13:10). Before we consider his answer to this question we must take into ac count the change of circumstances. It was now midway through the se cond year of his ministry. The first flush of enthusiasm for him was passing and the rulers were already plotting his death. In Matthew 12 the Lord was opposed by the Pharisees who attributed his miracles to Beelzebub, a pagan god. The leaders rejected his claims and teaching, and criticised his labours. Jesus' reason for speaking in parables was, as he expressed it to his disciples, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given" (Matt. 13:11). Parables served a two-fold purpose: to enlighten the humble and confound the proud. The humble-hearted who follow ed him stored the parable in their minds and, through meditation, its message was understood: but the critical who were prejudiced against him, did not take the lessons to heart and so did not understand his teaching (cp. vv.34-35). Thus to him that "had" humility would be added understanding and vice versa (v.12). In verses 13-15 Jesus spoke of the folly of those opposed to him. He said that the words of Isaiah 6:9-10 would find fulfilment in that generation. They would "hear" the parables spoken, but would not "understand" because THEY had in the first place become "dull of hearing". In verses 16-17 Jesus told the disciples that they, by contrast, were highly privileged, for they saw and heard from his mouth things which holy men of old earnestly desired to see (cp. 1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Parables then were a wonderful way of enlightening while con founding. They were easily remembered and recalled for they were taken from everyday experience. Those interested had their thoughts provoked and so gradually the meaning was unfolded, although many were not fully understood till after his resurrection. The apt and vivid parables which flowed apparently impromptu from the mouth of the Master are a clear hall-mark of the fact that he was the Son of God.

One of the foremost and earliest of Jesus' parables is the parable of the Sower (cp. Mk. 4:13).

THE STORY OF THE SOWER (Matt. 13:1-9).

Jesus was on the western shores of the lake of Galilee when he spoke this parable. From this position all types of soil were visible and it was the time of harvest (cp. Matt. 12:1). Before Jesus, as he sat in the boat, were great multitudes. His words were falling on their ears like seed when it is sown; his words would test the soil of their minds and divide them into categories. The simple story had a natural setting in Israel. Unlike today, when seed is sown mechanically, the sower would go forth with his bag of seed hung around his neck; casting handfuls from each hand alternately as he strode down the furrows. Across the field was the footpath or wayside; in the corners were the collections of stones, while in the good soil there were patches of thistles already taking root. Above him the burning sun shone, while birds, attracted by the scattered seed, gathered behind.

Jesus described in vivid language the fate of the wheat. The seed which fell on the wayside was easy meat for the birds and was devoured by them; that which fell on the stony ground, quickly ger minated and as quickly was scorched by the sun and withered for lack of good soil; that which fell among thorns sprang up in competition with the well-established and stronger plants which choked it out of existence; and finally, that which fell on the good ground sprang up and flourished, yielding an increase in some cases of an hundredfold. The story was simple and easily-grasped as Jesus told it.

THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE (Matt. 13:18-23).

In the case of the parable of the sower, we have the great advantage of the interpretation from Jesus' own lips. What lesson was Jesus striving to teach those who had "ears to hear" from the parable? Clearly the emphasis is upon the differing kinds of soils. The same kind of seed was sown € the good seed, the Word of God or the Word! of the Kingdom (v.19) € but it fell into different kinds of soil. God's] word is like a seed, small but able to reproduce itself many times,! depending upon the heart of the hearer (cp. 1 Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:21; 1 Jn. 3:9). Any gardener knows how important it is to have the correct? soil properly prepared if labour is to be accompanied by success. The seed will test the soil; so, too, will the Word of God, spread and scat tered by the Lord and his followers. The soil, then represents different kinds of people; and its reception, how they react when the Word of God is "sown" in their heart. Jesus describes four classes of men € the gospel sorts men out into groups. Of these the largest of all is made up of those who reject the Word outright € their minds are likened to the impervious wayside. Against these, however, stand the others who hear, for the seed in them takes root. But for them, believing is not an end: it is only the beginning and within this group, as a whole, ex perience unfailingly creates sub-divisions. Let us consider for our in struction each class.

1. The Wayside or Footpath (v. 19):

Trodden hard as stone, there is no chance for germination here. The seed, exposed upon the surface is a ready prey for birds. This type of person makes no response to the Word of God. The "wick ed one" ("Satan" in Mk. 4:15; "the devil" in Lk. 8:12), like the birds, snatches it away before there is any reaction. In Jesus' day the Pharisees were like this. They heard the Word from his mouth, but as a class of men they were "dull of hearing" (cp. vv. 14-15; Jn. 8:43-47). The blindness and pride inherent in human nature had prejudiced them fatally and they could not "hear" the Word of life. Those who put their faith in these established leaders were liable to the same fate. As the birds snatched away the seed, so any under their influence were discouraged from following Jesus: the blind were being led by the blind.

How might we apply this to our own day? Unbelief is rife today because men want to fulfil their lusts in various forms of pleasure-seeking, etc. Such desires stifle the influence of the Word at its threshold. In other cases false religion so biases thinking that reason is banished and the Word can take no effect.

2. The Stony Place (vv. 20, 21):

There is sufficient soil here for the Word to find lodgment, and germinate. But the soil is shallow and the roots cannot penetrate far before they strike the stone beneath. Deprived of moisture, healthy vigorous growth is soon stopped. The result is a quick springing up, followed by rapid wilting and death when the sun beats upon the seedling. The sun with its heat stands for the tribulation or trial that will inevitably accompany profession of the Truth. There are those who hear the Word and receive it quickly and enthusiastically, but have no real depth of conviction. They are of superficial character and are shallow-minded. When required to make a stand for the Truth and endure the shame, they "wilt", and reveal that they fear men rather than God. How different were the apostles to this class (cp. Acts 3, 4, 5). Do we count it joy when required to suffer shame for the name of Christ? Or do we lack spiritual stamina and behave as our fellows might approve? The Lord commented in another place, "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22).

3. Amongst Thorns (v. 22):

The thorns are already growing strongly and the good seed, fin ding a place among them, germinates and begins to grow. But then commences a contest for soil nutrients, light and air. The thorns have a head start and in the course of time the young spindly seedl ings are crowded out and give up the struggle.

Here we have a tragic picture. It is not for want of vigour that this class of "soil" or person fails; it is solely because their vigour is misdirected. Such expend themselves not only on the gospel, but also on those things which are destructive of it. The good seed and the worthless weed both grow together € but in soil, alas, which is more congenial to the latter than the former. So, steadily but remorselessly, "the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful" (Mk. 4:19). Here then, we have depicted the tragedy of a lifetime spent in discipleship with nothing by way of spiritual fruit to show for it in the end € a purely futile proba tion. Great service could have been rendered the Truth, for the soil had great productive capacity. But other competing influences took precedence € their roots robbed moisture and goodness from the soil and their leaves blocked the light and choked the good seed: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (cp. Matt. 6:24; Hag. 1:5-6). Compare as an example the rich young ruler (Matt. 19:22).

4. Good Soil (v. 23):

The seed falling on well-dug, well-drained, weed-free soil has every chance of bearing a goodly harvest. This soil represents the class of men who undoubtedly, will inherit the kingdom. Twice before in Matthew's gospel Jesus had declared that men would be known by their fruits (7:20; 12:33). Such hear, understand and "receive" the Word (Mk. 4:20), unlike the 'wayside class'; they have depth of mind, the Word takes deep root so that they are able to withstand the day of trial (cp. Col. 2:7), unlike the 'stony ground class'; their lives are uncluttered by worldly ambitions and pursuits and so the Word flourishes without competition, unlike the 'thorny ground class'. True fruit can only be developed in association with the Christ (Jn. 15:4). The fruits of the Spirit, the end products of the influence of the Word upon true and honest hearts, are listed in Galatians 5:22, namely, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance" (i.e. self-control). The children of the kingdom will reveal these qualities as the evidence that they have known the Son of God.

OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND.

The prophets used metaphors and similes in order to emphasise and! make vivid their message. The ideas of God sowing and of the hearts of men being like soil, form one of the thematic metaphors of the pro phecy of Hosea: refer the following verses, noting that the name Jezreel means "God sows" € Hosea 1:11; 2:22-23; 8:7; 10:12. The same ideas are found elsewhere (e.g. Isa. 55:10), while Jeremiah with the same import in mind as the Lord, says to Israel, "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns" (Jer. 4:3).

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. What is a parable? Why did Jesus speak in parables?

2. In the parable of the Sower, the seed lodged on four types of soil. Describe what each type represents and how the seed responded.

3 Explain the meaning of the parable of the Sower. Make special mention of those things which could stop our growth in the Truth.

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.

The parable is an analysis of the results of preaching, reflecting what the passing of time would reveal in the experience of Jesus. His hearers were being "classified" by their reaction to him. So far as the twelve were concerned, the parable must have tempered the en thusiasm they must have had when they saw the initial response of the people to Christ. We, like them, are thus prevented from having deep disappointment when we come to realise that all men will not hear. Moreover, we are made to contemplate which group we belong to and this should improve our attitude.

LESSONS FOR US:

Evil influences, internal and external, can snatch the Word away before it has time to germinate ("wayside").
The shallow-minded fail in tribulation because their convictions are only superficial ("stony ground").
A heart that would serve God while at the same time seeking world ly fame and wealth will be choked by the weeds and yield no fruit ("thorny ground").
Our hearts must be prepared like good ground and then the Word will flourish to the glory of God and to our salvation.

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"Parables of the Messiah" (J. Carter) € Nos. 27 and 28

"Nazareth Revisited" (R. Roberts) € Pages 216-218

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS: