JCSLK #32 Jesus and The Parable Of The Sower Mathew 13:4-9

 

JCSLK #32 Jesus and The Parable Of The Sower

Text: Mathew 13:4-9

Background

Matthew 13:1-3 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 

Matthew tells us that our passage this morning is tied together with events from the previous chapter. The parable of Sower along with 6 others is given in the midst of one of Jesus’ busiest days. In fact, when you study the life of Christ in Bible College, the professor will tell you, “This is the Busy Day”.  I imagine Jesus had many busy days during His 3 ½ year ministry on earth, but Matthew gives an in-depth look into this particular one.

They day may have begun in Matthew 12:1 with the plucking of the ears of grain on the Sabbath day and then later in the synagogue, the healing of the man with the withered hand that challenged the Pharisees with the question, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?” He healed the withered hand without even touching the man, but told him to stretch forth his hand and when he in faith and obedience did what the Lord commanded his hand was restored whole. Proving Jesus point made when he argued with the Pharisees in the field, “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day!”

It also could be that the day begun in Matthew 12:22-23 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? Then the Pharisees which had just returned from a counsel to determine how to stop Jesus accused him. Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Jesus’ reaction is an eternal curse in Matthew 12:31-32 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

The aptly named “unforgiveable sin” is specifically the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Seeing Jesus miracles in person, wrought by the power of the Holy Spirit and being clearly convicted that Jesus was the Messiah by the Spirit’s work and then lying and saying it was the work of Satan, well yes, I think we would all agree that would be unforgiveable. A sin of such magnitude, committed while Jesus was on the earth, showing beyond doubt that He was the son of Man, God in the flesh and the Messiah and then calling Him an emissary of Satan was unforgiveable. Such was the terrible fate of these Pharisees and only these. The unforgivable sin is not possible today since Jesus is not on the earth doing those same miracles.

This same day He tells them, Matthew 12:39 An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas.

When his mother and brothers come to try and speak to Him, what today would call an intervention, they are worried about Him and his ministry. His brothers don’t believe He is the Messiah yet and His mother I’m sure is very concerned for her son’s safety. Matthew 12:48-50 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

He then taught these parables on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias). And finally, putting the other Gospel accounts together with Matthew we see he crossed the Sea of Galilee, calmed the storm and on the other side healed the demoniac of Gennesaret.

John Broadus says of this day, “What a busy day was this! beginning and ending with miracles and filled with remarkable discourses. And our Lord felt to the full, in his human nature, all that bodily and mental fatigue and prostration which such labors must produce. Seizing upon every opportunity of doing men good, excited by a consuming zeal, yearning in unutterable pity over the perishing, oppressed by responsibilities such as no other was ever called to feel, and harassed by the most unjust and insulting accusations, he toiled on through the day, and at evening was so tired that he slept soundly on the cushion amid all the tossing of the waves and roar of the storm.  - John A. Broadus

Now I want to jump to vs. 10 in order to talk about the purpose of parables before we look specifically at the parable of the Sower.

Parables Of Purpose - Matthew 13:10-17

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Jesus’ Use of Parables

Christ used parables for two reasons. First, to instruct the believers, disciples and apostles.

Then secondly, to separate those who were hypocrites seeking to use Christ or the truth to their own advantage.

He told His disciples, “Because it is given unto you, literally, ‘has been given,’ as one who believes, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.”

The word ‘mystery’ does not occur anywhere else in the Gospels but here and in Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10, which parallel this passage.

“The Greek, word musterion, signifies something into which one is initiated, something hidden or secret, and known only to the initiated.” - John A. Broadus,

The parables revealed the truth, the mystery of the Kingdom to the disciples, but  hid that truth from the false professers.

How a Parable Separated Disciples and Pretenders

Most of the parables told by the Lord were about the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wanted to explain to His disciples about the Kingdom but there were others that Jesus warned about in Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Something that is still happening today.

To those violent ones, like the Pharisees and some preachers, churches and movements today, who were trying to enter it by force, Jesus said they would have no part in it.

Parables acted as a sieve or a winnowing fan to remove the chaff from the wheat. Those who would come and ask the Lord the meaning of the parable would be the disciples but those who would not ask, did not care and would not be part of the Kingdom of Heaven and not know its truth.

In a very real sense it still works that way today. Those who care about the Kingdom, come to church often as they can, they love studying the Word of God and seek out every opportunity to ask and learn more. Those who don’t care, don’t. They may not use violence to enter the Kingdom but instead use ritual, tradition, family heritage to claim citizenship. They want to claim to be in the Kingdom, but they don’t want to be learning or doing the work of the Kingdom.

So, let’s take a moment to learn a bit more about parables, the most used and most important means of communication used by the Lord. First lets look at the…

Definition of Parable

The word parable (parabolos) means to place alongside for measurement or comparison (like a yardstick). By application it is an objective illustration for spiritual or moral truth.

The easiest to remember definition of a parable is that it is an earthly story that tells a heavenly truth.

Rules For Interpreting A Parable:

Never make a parable walk on all fours.

Interpret according to context.

Interpret according to proper time frame.

Never use a parable to interpret doctrine.

Make the main point, the main point.

The main point of Matthew 13:1-9 is not who is saved or not saved but the types of people who will live during the kingdom age, or the dispensation of grace and the degree of their reception or rejection of the Gospel.

We call this passage the Parable of the Sower, but it really isn’t about the Sower its about the Soil. So let’s begin by looking at…

The Wayside Soil - Matthew 13:4-9, 18-19

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:   ….8  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Hard Soil  

Way side soil it that which has been compressed or hardened by the walking of people in the field. Even the places where the sower walks in his planting, coming and going can pack and harden the soil. The broadcast seed falling on it cannot penetrate the hardness of the ground and won’t take root. In the parable explanation Jesus tells us that the soil is a person’s heart, the seed is the word of the kingdom, the Gospel and the birds are the agents of Satan who come and snatch the seed away.

Hard Hearts

What makes a person’s heart a wayside hard? This is a heart that is compressed by the busyness and stress of life and it leaves no room for the Gospel to penetrate and take root.

These individuals cannot see how the Word Of God can have any affect upon their life's situation, their life is just too full and too complex to be addressed by a simplistic principle of scripture.

The stresses of job, family, finances, troubles even the activities of church can add up to a life that crowds out the seeds being planted by the Saviour and allows Satan to snatch away the truth.

Ecclesiastes 4:5-8 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

The Stony Soil  -  Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21

5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. …. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon (immediately) with joy receiveth it; 21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Shallow Soil

When Jesus uses the phrase stony soil, He is not talking about soil with a lot of rocks scattered throughout the field. That’s the kind of soil in every garden I’ve ever tilled. There are few things in life as fun as running full tilt through a garden with a hand held tiller and hitting a big rock that somehow grew there since last season. But that is not stony soil as Jesus mean, this soil is shallow soil and underneath this shallow veneer of earth is a huge rocky ledge, not a single stone.

The seeds sown in the shallow soil will spring up very quickly due to the sun heating the rocky ledge underneath the seeds, but when the roots strike the that impenetrable rocky ledge they cannot find any depth it endures for a while but when there is stress on the plant it withers.

Shallow Hearts

Stony soil is a symbol for a shallow heart. This is a heart, the soul of a person with no depth, no ability to let the roots of the Word grow. It is shallow and cannot grow or make a lasting commitment to the Lord.

This is the person who seems to immediately accepts Christ but never grows or matures in the Christian life. They may be saved, that isn’t the point of this parable, but their relationship and walk with the Lord remains only on the surface. Sometimes we call them nominal Christians, immature Christians no matter how old they may be.

Ultimately, these shallow hearted people will fail in the Chrisian life. When something hard, harsh or hurtful happens in their life as it always does, then they can’t endure it and they wither because the word is not deeply rooted and grounded in them.

Ephesians 3:16-19  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The shallow heart cannot find the depth it needs to grow in the Lord’s love, faith and knowledge.

The Thorny Soil - Matthew 13:7, 22

7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Weedy Soil

Thorny soil is soil on the fringe, the outside of the field. Because it is away from the attention of the sower, it is easily overgrown with thorns and weeds.

It can be fertile ground, but it is so crowded with weed, thorns and worthless plants that it can’t produce the planted crop. It can’t bear fruit because the plants are starved, overshadowed and stunted.

Weedy Heart

Thorny hearts are away from the richness and protection of God's will, Word and work. They may be believers but they are fond of the things of the world and so they keep at distance from the things of God. Because they are distant from Him then the cares and stress of this world chokes off a deeper trust in the Lord.

These hearts are in people who don’t read the Word of God regularly, they don’t think about what God would have them do and they don’t go to church where they might be reminded of the work of God.

The result of such an uncommitted life is that it becomes crowded with weeds, the worry and worthlessness of the world. The weeds of the world to grow and the truth of the Gospel is choked and stunted, unable to bring forth fruit.

John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 1 John 2:14 -17 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 The Good Soil - Matthew 13:8, 23

8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. …  23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Fertile Soil

Jesus explained that this is the rich, fertile soil of the field. It has been worked deeply, enriched by the constant attention of the sower. The good soil is plowed often and deep, it is fertilized and watered and the because it is in the center of the Sower’s attention weeds aren’t given the chance to take grown and crowd the seed.  

If you love to garden and plant you know exactly what this kind of soil looks like, smells like, feels like, tastes like, (no, I’m not that much of a gardener) But when you sink your hands in this dark, rich, loamy soil you can easily visualize the harvest you are going to see in the fall.

Fertile Heart

So what kind of hearts are the good, fertile hearts. Because this is the kind of heart I want to have for the Lord to work in me.

A fertile heart is one that is willing to be worked by the Sower, our Savior. This heart must be willing to be plowed deeply and yest it will bear the marks of the Sower’s plow, but those marks open my heart instead of making it hard. The working of God’s word breaks up a stony heart and being close to the Sower means my life will not be crowded with the worthless weeds of this worthless world.

 Way back in the book of proverbs Solomon was trying to teach the key to a good life. Proverbs 3:1-8 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

 Conclusion

Jesus most famous parable is about a Sower broadcasting seed in a field, or today a farmer planting seeds, or a gardener putting in a garden. We all can relate to it even if we aren’t a sower in the first century or a farmer or a gardener. But Jesus’ parable was not to tell us about plants and soil, but about the word of the Kingdom and the people’s hearts when they encounter the Gospel.

It teaches us who are disciples that our task is to take up the Word and broadcast it into the field of the world. Jesus was the first Sower but those who follow Him are now walking in this world and our calling is to sow the seed. We cannot know the hearts of those who will hear the Word of God, the Gospel of Christ and the Truth of the ages, but Jesus has given us the four ways it will be received or rejected. We aren’t told to worry about that but only to broadcast the precious Gospel seed.

There is also the second application here and that is for those whose hearts Jesus just described. I know that sometimes my life feels like dirt but it is not. Dirt is not alive and has no will, but our hearts, our souls are the core of our will. Soil can’t make a choice but our heats can. We can choose the condition of our hearts when the Word of God, the truth, and the Gospel touches it.. We choose if our hearts are going to be hard, stony, weedy or rich.

We can ask the Lord to break up our hard hearts. We can beseech Him to plow deeply that His word may take root in us. We can pray for the Lord to plant the truth in open hearts that we might bring forth fruit, a hundred, sixty or thirty times over. The amount of the increase is not what concerns the Lord but He is vitally concerned that our lives are fruitful. It is His choice for us, but it is our choice if I will have the heart Jesus can work.