The Parable of the Sower
Rev. Joey Crisostomo
Director for Central Operations
March 7, 2010
Key Scriptures
Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:2-20; Luke 8:4-15
9He who has ears, let him hear.“
10The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?“
12Whoever has will be given more,
and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
What is a Parable?
* Parables have been defined as “earthly stories with heavenly meanings.” They are short illustrations that convey spiritual lessons.
Four Kinds of Parables
* Parabolic sayings – a short statements, questions, or command…Matthew 15:14-15 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
* Similitude – which means likeness… Luke 15:4 4″Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
* Example – stories – an example of a truth being presented…Luke10:30-37 12:16-21
* Symbolic Parables – similar to the example –story in that they describe a specific event, but are different in that they involve two realms of reality. Luke 15:11-32
The Reasons for the Parable
* To make spiritual truth clearer to hearers
* To put truth in a form easily remembered
* To avoid offense with hostile people
* To declare judgment upon those who were willfully blind
The Problem Addressed
* The problem Jesus faced was that many people, though they had ears to hear, their ears had become “hard of hearing” – Matthew 13:14-15
14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
” ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.
The Central Truth
* To illustrate this problem, Jesus told a parable that has come to be known as “The Parable Of The Sower”
* Jesus ends this parable with the statement, “He who has ears, let him hear”
* Because they had hard hearts, they could not hear Jesus’ words. Because they would not listen to His words,
o They could not see who He was.
o They could not see that He was the Messiah.
o Therefore they could not see the kingdom that had come upon them.
The Details Interpreted
The wayside soil
* The first soil symbolic hardened hearts too calloused to received the word of Christ.
* It had become hardened by unbelief and lack of response.
* In this soil Jesus’ words found to root and the devil quickly devoured them.
* Person who is closed to the gospel.
* Not so much rejection as lack of interest.
* They feel they don’t need Christ.
Question for reflection: Have I become hardened to the things of God?
The rocky soil
* They represented soil that had so little depth.
* This ground describes many of Jesus’ early disciples who followed Him in the early stage of His popularity, but backed off when the going got tough.
* Trouble and pressure is the acid test.
* They were superficial disciples.
Question for reflection: Am I shallow in my commitment to Him and His work?
The thorny soil
* They represented those who gave their priorities to other things in life.
* It speaks of soil capable of good production, but infested with the weeds of worry, riches, pleasure, and personal ambition.
* The problem is not hardness or shallowness but the hungry weeds of personal priorities.
* Many well-meaning Christians become preoccupied with jobs, finances, and families. Their relationship with God suffers.
Question for Reflection: Am I constantly distracted, burdened and defeated by sin and the cares of the world?
The good soil
* They are honest and responsive
* They listen attentively to the Words of Christ and evaluate them.
* They respond with spiritual understanding and commitment.
* A true Christian must produce fruit.
* No such thing as a stagnant Christian.
* Varieties of fruit.
* Change in inner character and priorities.
* Influence on others (witnessing).
Question for reflection: Am I bearing the kind of fruit I should be bearing?
LESSONS FOR US TODAY
* We must make an effort to hear God.
* We must be sensitive to spiritual truth.
* We listen to what we value.
* We must prepare our hearts before we can received and be blessed.
* A person is held accountable for the kind of heart he has.
* A person who seeks and seeks for more will receive more.
* One of the most tragic sight in all the world is to see people sitting under the most glorious message and fall asleep, listless, inattentive, distracted and close-minded.