Sowing Seed:
varied results.
Context:
- following His anointing
by the sinful woman.
- Jesus starts His second
trip around Galilee, bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.
- He is accompanied by
His twelve disciples.
- He is also accompanied
by some woman who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities.
- One of these women is
Mary Magdalene, from whom 7 demons had gone out.
- One is Joanna, the wife
of Herod's household manager.
- the news was going
everywhere, with varied results.
- a great crowd gathers,
and He speaks to them with a parable.
What is a parable?
- some have said "an
earthly story with a heavenly meaning."
- stories which don't
directly state the point they are meant to illustrate.
- stories that both
reveal and hide a mystery, requiring more serious reflection and
involvement to be understood.
- from two Greek words
(para, ballo), which together mean “to throw alongside.” A
parable makes a comparison between a known truth and an unknown
truth, throwing them alongside each other.
Matthew 13:3-9 "...And
he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to
sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path,
and the birds came and devoured
them. Other seeds fell on rocky
ground, where
they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since
they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched.
And since they had no root, they withered
away. Other
seeds fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked
them. Other seeds fell on good
soil and
produced
grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears,
let him hear...”
Mark 4:3-9 “...Listen!
A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the
path,
and the birds came and devoured
it. Other seed
fell on rocky
ground, where
it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had
no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched,
and since it had no root, it withered
away. Other seed fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked
it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good
soil and
produced
grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and
sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to
hear, let him hear...”
Luke 8:5-8 “...A
sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the
path
and was trampled
underfoot, and
the birds of the air devoured
it. And some fell on the rock,
and as it grew up, it withered
away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among
thorns, and
the thorns grew up with it and
choked it. And
some fell into good
soil and grew
and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out,
“He who has
ears to hear, let him hear...”
Does everyone have ears
to hear?
- would Jesus have made
the statement if He didn't know that some didn't?
Matthew 13:11-15 "...And
he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of
the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the
one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This
is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing
they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they
understand.
Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“ ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed
see but never perceive. For this
people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have
closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’..."
Mark 4:11-12 "...And
he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom
of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not
understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven...”
Luke 8:10-11 "...he
said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom
of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they
may not see, and hearing they may not understand..."
According to the Matthew
account, why don't some see, hear and understand?
- their hearts had grown
dull.
- how do hearts grow
dull? [rebellion without repentance creates a seared conscience]
Matthew 13:16-17 "...But
blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to
see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and
did not hear it..."
- why is it a great
blessing to have eyes that see and ears that hear? [many, including
prophets and righteous people, didn't get the opportunity]
Who gets to hear the true
meaning of the parable?
- those who have been
willing to leave everything to walk with Jesus.
What is the seed in this
parable?
Luke 8:11 "...Now
the parable is this: The
seed is the word of God..."
What determines whether
people hear the words of Jesus, grow and yield much good?
- there are varied
responses depending upon the condition of the hearer.
- this is one of the
parables that Jesus himself explains quite clearly.
What is the path problem?
Matthew 13:18-19 “...Hear
then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the
kingdom and does not understand it, the
evil one comes
and snatches
away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the
path..."
Mark 4:14-15 "...The
sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the
word is sown: when they hear, Satan
immediately comes and takes
away the word
that is sown in them..."
Luke 8:12 "...The
ones along the path are those who have heard; then the
devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not
believe and be saved..."
- birds devouring is a
picture of the evil one snatching away the truth.
- when our life is merely
the common place where everyone walks, there exists a lot of evil
that prevents the word from remaining in front of us long enough to
have it's affect.
- and what is it's
affect? "...believe and be saved..."
What is the rocky ground
problem?
Matthew 13:20-21 "...As
for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word
and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself,
but endures for a while, and when tribulation
or persecution
arises on
account of the word,
immediately he falls away..."
Mark 4:16-17 "...And
these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear
the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in
themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation
or persecution
arises on
account of the word,
immediately they fall away..."
Luke 8:13 "...And
the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive
it with joy. But these have no
root; they
believe for a while, and in
time of testing fall away..."
- temporary effect but no
depth.
- without roots, the
difficulties of this world erode the truth and wash people back into
their earthly bondage.
What is the thorn
problem?
Matthew 13:22 "...As
for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word,
but the cares
of the world
and the deceitfulness
of riches
choke
the word, and it proves unfruitful..."
Mark 4:18-19 "...And
others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the
word, but the cares
of the world
and the deceitfulness
of riches and
the desires for
other things
enter in and choke
the word, and it proves unfruitful..."
Luke 8:14 "...And
as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as
they go on their way they are choked
by the cares
and riches and pleasures
of life, and their fruit does not mature..."
- too many other things
vying for attention and control.
- distraction, deception,
and pleasure prevent healthy progress.
Do any of the three
problems appear to be intellectual deficits?
- the failures are caused
by spiritual forces (Satan snatching), social forces (persecution),
and ethical breakdowns (anxieties, pleasures).
What is the good soil?
Matthew 13:23 "...As
for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears
the word and understands
it. He indeed bears
fruit and
yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another
thirty...”
Mark 4:20 "...But
those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear
the word and accept
it and bear
fruit,
thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold...”
Luke 8:15 "...As
for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing
the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart,
and bear fruit with patience..."
- a person postured to
receive.
- more than just hearing.
- off the path, not hard,
not distracted.
- the truth works deep
into a person's being and has it's way.
- it requires honesty,
goodness, and patience.
Can we understand the
words of Jesus without assistance?
- the Holy Spirit
inspired the written Word.
- the Holy Spirit is
necessary to understand the Word.
- lack of understanding
is not caused by the obscurity of the parables, but by an
unwillingness to inquiry and seek God for understanding.
- meaning is either
revealed or concealed, usually dependent upon our hardness of heart.
Will God blind the eyes
and close the ears of those who obstinately refuse to repent and
believe?
Ezekiel 12:2 “...Son
of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes
to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they
are a rebellious house..."
Isaiah 6:9-10 "...And
he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but
do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the
heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their
eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and
understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed...”
