We left off
last time, in the article “The Parabolic Approach”, with the Parable of the
Tares. It is one of the parables that we have a recorded explanation from Jesus
of what a particular parable meant. We will pick up here with another parable
Jesus explained for us - the Parable of the Sower.
The Parable of
the Sower is often considered very important to understand because Jesus, in
essence, asked how His disciples would be able to understand the other parables
he was going to say if they couldn’t understand this one (Mark 4:13). His
explanation for the Parable of the Sower, as with the Parable of the Tares, shows
us how to understand Him. It shows us that we do not need to search for some
deeper hidden meaning. Look at His words with the faith and simplicity of a
child; and, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you will find His Truth.
Versions of
this parable are given in all three synoptic gospels - Matthew 13:3/9, Mark 4:3/9, and Luke 8:5/8. The explanation Jesus gave is
also recorded in all three synoptic gospels - Matthew 13:18/23, Mark 4:14/20,
and Luke 8:11/15. We will focus primarily on the
parable as recorded in Matthew; because, it is in Matthew 13:18 that Jesus
Himself, when asked to explain it, specifically said, “Then hear
the parable of the sower”.
The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:3-9)
And He spoke to them many things in
parables, saying: Behold, the sower went out to sow.
And in his sowing, some fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them. And other fell on the stony places
where they did not have much earth, and it immediately sprang up because it had no deepness of earth. And the sun rising, it was scorched; and
because of having no root, it was dried up. And other fell on the thorn-bushes,
and the thorn-bushes grew up and choked them. And other fell on the good ground
and yielded fruit; indeed, one a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty.
The one having ears to hear,
let him hear.
The explanation
Jesus gave for the Parable of the Sower
(Matthew
13:18-23)
Then hear the parable of the
sower: Everyone hearing the Word of the kingdom, and not understanding, then the evil one comes and catches
away that which was sown in his heart. This is that sown by the roadside. And
that sown on the stony places is this: the one hearing the Word, and immediately receiving it with joy, but
has no root in himself, but is temporary, and tribulation, or persecution
occurring because of the Word, he is at once offended. And that sown into the
thorn bushes is this: the one
hearing the Word, and the anxiety of this age, and the deceit of riches, choke
the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. But that sown on the good ground is this:
the one hearing the Word, and
understanding it, who indeed bears and yields fruit, one truly a hundredfold,
and one sixty, and one thirty.
This parable is also sometimes called
the Parable of the Four Soils. I consider that a more apt name because the main
focus is not the sower but the type of soil. I consider this parable of extreme
importance for that very reason. It gives four types of “soil” that the sower
sows in. Please take note that only one of those soils - by the roadside - is a
full blown non-believer. Into this category would fall Atheists, Muslims,
Buddhists, etc., - the Truth of the Word has never even dawned on them. Please
take further note that only one of those soils - good ground - is a true saved
believer. That leaves two soils - stony and thorny - that are comprised of
people that may consider themselves “Christian” but won’t be
saved. They will be the ones that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7:21/22:
Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom
of Heaven, but the ones who do
the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord,
did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your
name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you;
"depart from Me, those working lawlessness!" Note1
Jesus’
explanation needs no help from me; but, we are told to learn line upon line,
precept upon precept. To explain why I say that two types of soil are
“Christians” who won’t be saved, I will dig deeper. For example, the word
“offended” had a different meaning then than it usually does now - i.e. Matthew
26:31/33. We see that “offended” indicates a person who deserts or abandons.
There are a lot of folks who were “baptized” at a young age and may very well
have been, as Jesus says, filled with joy at that time. However, many of these
people never went further in their relationship with God or Jesus. Maybe it wasn’t
a popular thing to be a “Bible Thumper” in school, or college, or at the
workplace; so, they drifted away. Many, if asked, will still call themselves
“Christians”; but, you would never know it unless you asked. They do not live
their lives as followers of Jesus. They do not “do the will of my Father”. They are
stony ground.
Next
we come to the thorny ground. These folks can present an even more
“Christian-like” appearance; but, as Jesus says, they are so wrapped up in this
world that they choke the Word and make it unfruitful. Jesus doesn’t say that
they are choked - He says that they choke the Word. They squeeze the life out
of the Word - so much so that it bears no fruit in their lives. They do not
live their lives as followers of Jesus. They do not “do the will of my Father”. They are
thorny ground.
The
parable is easy to understand; but, there are a lot of people who misunderstand
because they fail to do as we are told to do:
Isaiah 28:10 - For
precept must be on precept,
precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
Both
the stony and thorny ground has failed to do this. The stony ground has
forgotten what Jesus said in Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8. They no longer
confess Him before men. The stony and the thorny ground have forgotten what
Jesus said in Matthew 3:10, 7:19, and Luke 3:9, and John 15:2, 15:8, and etc.
The unfruitful will perish, burn, die!
What
ground does Jesus call good? Ground that is fruitful! Only fruitful ground is
saved! Here the version in Luke (8:15) adds the word “patience”, which is
defined by Thayer as: steadfastness, constancy, endurance; and by Strong as: endurance, constancy. It is ground that continues to produce fruit - not ground
that used to.
To this we must add more - line upon line, precept
upon precept. Remember the thorny ground choking the Word so that it is
unfruitful. If the word you are following comes anywhere except from the Old
Testament or from Jesus then you are choking the life out of the Word. The
writings of Paul are not a part of the Word that Jesus referred to (See Note2).
If you are not following the commands Jesus gave then you are choking the Word.
Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love
Me” (John 8:42). He said, “If you love
Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Jesus said, “If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
our abode with him” (John
14:23). If you are not keeping His Words - keeping His commandments - then you
are choking the Word! You are thorny ground.
Learning
what a parable means is useless unless you apply that meaning to your life. If
you do not apply it, you are choking the life giving properties out of the
Word.
In Brotherly Love,
Wayne
Note1
- For those that are interested, this is one of the times that Jesus is
referring to the Old Testament - specifically Psalms 6:8: Depart from
me, all you workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my
weeping.
Note2
- Paul very seldom referred to Jesus either - Paul’s gospel is not Jesus’
Gospel
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