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...”