LESSONS FROM THE PARABLES OF THE SOWER AND SEED

TEXT: MATT.13:1-9,17-23, MK.4:26-29

INTRODUCTION

Our Savior hardly appeared to take any rest, he was always laboring and doing the work of Him that sent Him, ready in season and out of season to teach. Many of His lessons are conveyed in parables, and in Matt.13:10-17, he gives the reasons He chose that way of instructing His listeners. In the parable of the Sower, He shows what great hindrance people have in profiting from the word of the gospel and how many come short of it end through their folly.

A parable sometimes signifies wise, and weighty sayings that are instructive. In the gospel, parables signify a continued similitude or comparison, by which spiritual or heavenly things are described in the language borrowed from the things of this life. In the parable of the sower, three elements are significant; the sower, the seed and the soil. Two of these elements are identical in each instance. It is the same sower and the same seed, but the one factor that account for the variety of results is the soil. If we accept the principle that the soil refers to the hearts of the hearer, then it follows that there are four categories of people who hear the gospel and of the four only one brings forth enduring and acceptable fruit.

I. THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER – MATT.13:1-9.

While studying Jesus’ parable of the sower, it is important to consider the following regarding Jesus’ preaching.

1. WHEN DID HE PREACH THIS SERMON?

The parables of the sower and seed were preached the same day Jesus preached the sermon in chapter 12. Not tired because He was doing good and working the works of Him that sent Him, He was always preaching night and day and by His example He has also recommended the church to do same. The church must “in the morning sow our seed and in the evening not withhold our hands” Ecc.11:6. As sowers of the seed of the gospel we must be ready as our master to sow(preach) in season and out of season, knowing that the afternoon preaching will never drive out the morning sermon we preach from the hearts of our hearers, instead it will clench it and fasten what has been heard in the hearts of men.

2. WHO DID HE PREACH TO?

In chapter 12, we observe that there were a great multitude gathered together
to hear Him. There is no indication of the Pharisees and Scribes being present in this gathering. Though the Pharisees and Scribes were willing to hear Him while He preached in the synagogue, they thought it too diminishing and degrading to hear a sermon by the sea-side, though the same Christ is the preacher. So Jesus in these parables was speaking to the poor, not the kings, the high and mighty who gathered around Him even when the Pharisees tried to drive them from following Christ.

3. WHERE DID HE PREACH?

In this sermon the meeting place of Jesus was not the synagogue but the sea-side. Jesus went out of the house because the room will be too small for the auditory. It will seem a pity for a teacher of Jesus’ caliber who would have had the most spacious, sumptuous and convenient place to preach in only to deny Himself of that honor. He had no house of His own to live in, so He had no chapel of His own to preach in.
By this, Jesus teaches us not to go after external conveniences before we can sow the seed of the gospel, but to make the best of conveniences which God in His providence allots to us. The opportunity we have to sow the seed may not be convenient, yet we must make the best out of such opportunities by going on to preach.
Jesus’ pulpit for these sermons was not like that of Ezra that was made for that purpose, Neh.8:4. Those who preach Christ today are not to be ashamed though they have inconvenient places and pulpit to preach in. The multitude stood on dry land while the preacher was upon the water, a more hazardous environment. Ministers and preachers of the gospel should learn from the master preacher, that those who preach and minister are most exposed to trouble. The great pulpit from where these great sermons came forth was a ship-pulpit, indeed it was a true rostrum.

At the time Jesus preached these sermons, the method of sowing seed in Palestine was by broadcasting. This is a method of scattering seed or grain in a large or broad area of land. Some who do rice farming today still employ this method of planting seed. By this method of sowing, it was not out of place for the grains or seed to fall on the pathway, rocky soil, thorny soil and fertile or good soil. From Jesus’ explanation, we must keep in mind that the type of soil (the heart) is the factor that makes the difference. The same sower(the preacher) sows the same seed(the gospel) in four categories of soil(the hearts). Jesus intimates us that of all the multitude that followed and listened to Him as well as those that will follow and listen to us today, only few will bring forth fruits to perfection.



II. EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER – MATT.13:18-23

In His explanation to the parable of the sower, Jesus informs us of the categories of the soil(hearts) on which the gospel seed is sown. He began by calling the attention of the apostle “Hear then the parable…”, that is to say, here is the spiritual meaning of the parable.

1. WAYSIDE OR PATHWAY.

The wayside or pathway is a thoroughfare, a hard path which a plough had not touched or broken, where there is no opportunity for the seed to sink into the earth. The seed is God’s word that can be communicated in different manners to the minds of men through the scriptures.

The heart that is described as the wayside or pathway is the one that hears the gospel “ but understand it not” by not understanding the word means he does not lay his heart to it, he does not properly attend it. This category of heart represents the thoughtless, careless and stupid hearers. Because of their carelessness about the word, the wicked One, Satan, the Devil, the accuser, the tempter, the adversary and opposer of those who walk after righteousness(Mk.4:15, Lk.8:12) which is represented by the bird comes and pick the grain or seed by the wayside.

The wicked one, because he resist men in all purpose to do right, he opposes in order to frustrate the influence of God Divine grace upon man. The wayside soil is that heart that is inattentive, it is like an open road where evil affections, foolish and hurtful desires continually pass and repass without restraint. This heart is where Satan has his thoroughfare, he comes quickly and pick the word hastily lest it should take root in the heart.

2. THE ROCKY SOIL

The second heart is described by Jesus as the rocky soil or stony places. In this lecture I prefer to use rocky soil because in Jesus’ explanation, the rock is underlying with a little earth covering the surface of the rock. The rocky soil represents the hearts that hear the gospel , they are excited by its beauty and excellence, they are glad to hear what God has done to save man, with this delight they are full of zeal for the gospel. This is because the soil on the surface of the rock is fertile but the rock beneath the soil does not allow the root of the seed to penetrate, to acquire the desired nutrients to enhance growth.

Such hearts are not rooted on the word heard, they are not attached to the word though excited. Because they are not rooted on the word, they are quickly discouraged about remaining faithful when hit by persecutions and trails. They fall as the rootless plant before the scorching rays of the afternoon sun.

These are hearts that are not deeply convinced about sin. They lose the interest they once felt in the gospel. They are those who are easily excited, who for a while seem to be much engaged, but are unstable, easily turned aside by difficulties, give up and become more hardened than before. They stumble and fall when persecution and trails hit because they have no confidence in God to carry them through.

3. THE THORNY SOIL

The thorny soil is one that is ploughed but not properly cleared of thorns. Thorns are woody plants bearing sharp impeding processes as prickles or spines. The thorny soil therefore is representative of a worldly minded heart. These are hearts that receive the word but are destitute of good works. These hearts do not live a life of piety towards God and of beneficence towards men. These hearts are so occupied with the things of time that they have no heart to attend to the salvation of their souls or of their fellow men.

The thorns are representative of the cares and anxieties of the world. Because this heart is worldly inclined, the deceitfulness of riches which promises peace and pleasure but can’t give them, choke or overtop the word and the word dies. The worldly cares and anxieties with its delusive hopes and promises of riches cause such hearts to abandon the great concerns of their souls for what to eat, drink , and wear, they end up as “meet up” Christians, Matt.6:25-34, Lk.12:15.

The desire of these hearts to posses more wealth is unending. By this, there is the temptation to be dishonest, to cheat, to take advantage of others, and to oppress others. Every evil passion is therefore cherished by the love of gains, no wonder the word in such heart is choked, we have some of these hearts amongst us. The seed of the kingdom cannot produce fruits in these hearts unto salvation until the thorns of vicious affections and impure desires are plucked up by the roots and burned.

4. THE GOOD SOIL

The last category of soil in Jesus’ explanation is the good or fertile soil. This is a soil with depth mould, well ploughed, and well weeded. This heart hears the gospel, diligently attends the gospel and lay up the gospel to the heart, deeply weighing its nature, design, and importance.
This is the heart that receives the gospel into the heart and acts under its abiding influence. This heart represents sincere and pious Christians. This heart bears fruits. We must understand that to hear, to understand and to bear fruits are the three evidences of a genuine Christian. One who does not hear the word of wisdom and truth cannot understand what makes for peace, and one who does not understand what the gospel requires of him to be and perform , cannot bring forth fruits, and he who does not bear fruits of righteousness cannot be a disciple of Christ, and one who is not Christ’s disciple cannot enter the kingdom of God, Jn.15:8.
I wish to observe here that the different quantity of fruits produced by the good soil – hundred, sixty and thirty teaches us that all Christians do not bear equal fruits. All hear, understand and bear fruits, but not in the same degree, this can be occasioned by the fact that some do not have the situation or circumstances that allow them the opportunities of receiving and doing good, others it can be said that it is partly due to lack of mental capacity, because all minds are not equally improved.
Notice that the unfruitfulness of the different soil cannot be attributed to bad seed sown, neither can it be attributed to the unskillfulness of the sower. The same sower sowed the same seed in all with the same design, but the seed of the gospel becomes unfruitful in many soil(hearts) because they are careless, inattentive and worldly minded.
When the word is heard or sowed in one’s heart, can God make the unwilling heart ready? Yes. This is only when a man hears the justice and mercy of God - the gospel and he cries out to God imploring Him to work in him as it pleases God. May God save those who hear the gospel from impenitent and unfruitful hearts.

III. THE PARABLE OF THE SEED
Unlike the parable of the four soil which is found in Matt.13:1-24, Mk.4:1-9 and Lk.8:4-8, the parable of the seed is mentioned only by Mark, Mk.4:26-29, yet it lessons are enforced by other scriptures – Isa.55:10-11, Jam.5:7, I Pet.1:23-25, this is to proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew.
It can be correctly inferred that Jesus at this point was still emphasizing on the good soil of the previous parable. Jesus could be paraphrased as saying “what I have said about the seed sown on good ground can be illustrated by this parable…”
In the parable of the seed, Jesus emphasized that the teaching of the kingdom received in a good and honest heart is like a seed sown by a man, after sowing he waits by sleeping and waking day after day, and looking at the seed he sees it spring up and grow through the virtue of the earth in which the seed is sown, though the sower know not how it doth so.
Christians as in nature are co-laborers with God sowing the seed of the kingdom – the gospel. The result of our work depends on God and for the perfection of this results He takes His time, I Cor.3:6-9. It is ours to sow the seed, the truth, and God’s to give it growth. When we have sown we are to wait for time and God to perfect it. This He does according to the definite order of development, first the blade, then the ear, the full corn. The lesson of this parable is of trust and hope in God perfecting our work of sowing the seed of the gospel.
God’s kingdom is generated in the hearts by the word of life, under the influence of the Holy Spirit. First it is small as the blade, with full promises because a good blade shows there is a good seed at the soil, then the ear or stalk. The faith and love of a believing soul increases abundantly and soon the soul is purified from all unrighteousness and having escaped the corruption that is in the world, it is made a partaker of the Divine nature, and is filled with all the fullness of God.

CONCLUTION

From the two parables examined in this lecture, we will conclude that;
1. As preachers and Christians, we are employed by God as co-laborers and are sent out to sow the seed of His kingdom in the hearts of men.
2. It is a sin against God to stay in the field without sowing the seed.
3. It is a sin to pretend to sow, when we know that we are not furnished or prepared by the keeper with more seed.
4. It is sinful to change the master’s seed, to mix it with any other or to sow bad seed in the place of good seed.
5. One is not a seed-man of God, who loves to preach only to genteel congregations, to only people of sense and fashion and feels it a pain and a cross to labor preaching among the poor and ignorant.
6. Lastly, he who sows with a simple, upright heart, the seed of his master shall see the seed take deep root and notwithstanding the unfruitfulness and sloth of many of his hearers, he shall come with rejoicing bringing in his sheaves with him.
The harvest is coming, labor tirelessly to sow the seed of the gospel because your labor in the Lord is not in vain, I Cor.15:58.





Etim Echeng Enya preaches for Church of Christ, mile 2
Oppt. NNPC Mega Station Border Road, Ikom. P.O.Box 46 Ikom 551001
Cross River State.
He presents “LIVING ORACLES” a Church of Christ sponsored
programm on Cross River Broadcasting Co-operation(CRBC) Ikom
every Sunday 6.15am .He is Also the Director of Christian School of
Biblical Studies, Ikom.
Contact: Tel: 08063409493,08029216666, E-mail: timosetim@gmail.com,
churchmile2@yahoo.com, Blog: www.timosetim.blogspot.com