Background Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4; Luke 8:5-15
Lesson in Perspective: Jesus is the” Master Teacher.” Jesus taught primarily in parables. A parable is a short and simple story that teaches a religious or moral lesson. Many of us have been taught from our childhood that a parable is earthly story with a heavenly meaning, or spiritual implications. One of Jesus’ most famous parable is about a farmer sowing seed in his field. It’s a story that illustrates profound truth about the condition of our hearts and our responsibility to share the gospel as often and widely as possible. This parable is replicated in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke).
Teaching by the Share (Matthew 13:1-3a):
Setting (v. 1). “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.” Such large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood around the shore.
Audience (v. 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.”
A teaching stage was improvised. The water made a natural barrier for crowd control, so a small ship was available to serve as a floating podium. An added benefit was the excellent acoustic properties of the surface of the water. This allowed for the whole multitude to hear Jesus’ voice.
Method (v. 3a). “And he spake many things unto them in parables.” The use of parables was a favorite method for this master teacher. Mark goes so far as to say that Jesus did not teach the crowds without using parables (Mark 4:34).
Sowing of Seed (Matthew 13:3b-9):
On Hardened Soil (vv. 3b-4). 3b. “Saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow.” Jesus created a word picture that resonated instantly with the agrarian life experiences of His audience. All was ready, and the sower headed out to do his job.
v. 4. “And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.” The way side was the path where people walked and nothing could grow because the ground was too hard. Birds (fowls) eating of seeds is always problematic for farmers. But seeds having no cover have little hope of sprouting and growing. They are just bird food.
Shallow Soil (vv. 5-6). “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth.”
Stony places were where the soil was thin, lying upon a rocky shelf. On the ground the seed springs up quickly because of the warmth of the soil, but the seed is unable to take root because of the rocky shelf.
v. 6. “And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.” Seeds might germinate and sprout if they fell on wet, rocky ground that was covered by a thin layer of dirt. But lack of rain and a hot sun would cause them to be scorched and wither away.
On Thorny Soil (v. 7). “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.” A third type of soil the sower could encounter is dirt having noxious weeds already embedded. Among thorns describes soil that is fertile-perhaps too fertile, because thorns grow there as well as grain.
On Fertile Soil (vv. 8-9). “But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Good ground describes soil that is both fertile and weed-free. A good, productive crop grows in the good ground.
Explaining the Meaning (Matthew 13:18-23):
The way side soil represents those who really hear the word with understanding. The Word of God must be understood before it can truly bear fruit. The soils represent four types of hearts:
On stony places. This soil represents those who receive the Word enthusiastically, but their life is short lived, but because they are not willing to endure tribulation and persecution because of the word.
Among the Thorns. This soil represents fertile ground for the word; but their soil is too fertile because it grows all sorts of other things that choke out the Word of God; namely it is the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches that choke out the word.
Good Ground. This soil represents those who receive the word and it bears fruit in their soil in differing proportions those each has a generous harvest.
References: Enduring Word Bible Commentary, International Sunday School Lessons, KJV 2022-2023