Parable of the Sower

I. Introduction

A. Farming/gardening image here

1. Amazing fruit-producing seed! A wonder to behold!

2. The joy of planting and watching it grow, the joy of fruitfulness

a. Gourd story

3. A children’s book entitled, The Carrot Seed — about a boy who wanted to grow a carrot from a carrot seed

a. But his parents had a more nuanced view of growing plants from seed. It’s not always as simple as you think.

B. Elements of Jesus’ parable

1. sower sowing seed

2. The seed falls on four different kinds of soil, representing four different human reactions to the word of Christ: which is what this parable is all about.

a. hard roadside soil, seed eaten by birds

b. shallow rocky soil, seed grows but shrivels when the hot sun comes out, because it had no roots

c. the soil among the thorns, seed grows but the thorns grow up around it and choked out its life

d. good soil, seed grew and flourished and produced much grain

II. The seed is the word of God – v.18. The parable is full of references to God’s word:

A. “the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy”

B. “tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word”

C. “the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word”

D. “the one who hears the word and understands it”

E. The dialogue with the disciples about why He speaks in parables doesn’t explicitly mention the word of God, but it is talking about why Jesus chooses to speak His word in parables, so it’s very much about the word of God.

III. The conversation about the purpose of parables

A. This parable has an unusual structure.

1. First of all, it contains two sections: the parable and the explanation of the parable.

2. Usually Jesus doesn’t give an explanation. But that’s not what’s so unique about this.

3. What is most distinct is that the explanation doesn’t come right after the parable. In between the two is a conversation between Jesus and His disciples about the purpose of parables.

4. Why is this? Why not put it down in more simple order? It is because you can't completely understand the parable without the middle section. You can see this in v.18: "hear then."

5. The original parable itself was spoken to the vast multitude who had gathered. But it seems the explanation about why He speaks in parables as well as the explanation of the parable were spoken only to the disciples.

a. Jesus on the shore of the lake when a large crowd gathers. He tells them this parable.

b. Then He sits down in the boat and has this dialogue with His disciples.

B. 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

1. Why did they ask this? They were confused by the parable. They didn’t understand it. Why don’t You just tell us what You want to tell us?

2. But even more than that, it was probably because they saw all these potential new converts, who had heard about Jesus, coming forward to hear what He had to say. But then He would speak to them and use all these parables that they didn't understand.

3. "Don't you want people to understand you, Lord?"

4. "Here you have this great opportunity to talk to these big crowds, and you speak so strangely that they go away confused. You are just not giving them the truth, plain and simple.

C. 11 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.”

1. There are supposed to be secrets. That’s on purpose.

2. You have been given the gift of knowing these secrets, but many others have not been given it.

3. That’s why he ended the parable with these words: Matt.13:9 “He who has ears, let him hear.”

a. Not everybody has ears to hear. Not everybody is given ears to hear.

D. 12 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.

1. "Whoever has" what? Eyes to see, ears to hear! The one who has been given the gift of understanding will receive more and more knowledge, whereas the person who isn’t given that gift will have the little knowledge he has taken away.

2. Think about this in light of the parable of the sower.

a. “from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” In three cases the seed bore no fruit, and even what they had was taken away (the seed, the plant, the life).

b. “to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance” In one case, there was fruitfulness, and this was rewarded greatly (perhaps the 30,60,100 apply to this)

c. Some have been given divine grace and light, they will be rewarded with more and more.

d. Some have not been given the grace of seeing, and even the grace they have will be taken away.

E. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 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.

F. This answer Jesus gives doesn't merely address the question of the purpose of parables, it also helps to explain the parable of the sower itself.

1. There were different kinds of men who had different responses, which naturally generate the question: Why these different responses? Why do people react in such diverse ways?

2. And how does this explanation answer this question about the parable of the sower?

a. It gives us a glimpse backstage and says: This ability to see is a gift from God.

IV. Now if all the parable contained was the part about the seed falling on good soil, it would be easier.

A. But it’s not easy. It’s complicated.

B. When you scatter the seed of the word of God, everyone doesn’t just accept it and start growing.

C. There are a variety of responses.

1. Some refuse it from the get-go.

2. Some accept it for a little while but then abandon it.

3. Some accept it for a long time but then other things begin to get in the way and it gets forgotten.

4. And then some accept it and grow and flourish and bear much fruit.

V. But this raises the question of why. Why are some different than others? Why does the seed of the word of God prosper in some people’s lives and not in others’? What makes good soil good and bad soil bad?

A. Man was created and placed in a garden befitting who he was.

B. Man sinned and was cast out of the garden into the wilderness, befitting who he now was.

C. So, the way man is now – in and of himself – there is no good soil. He is hard and resistant. And the devil has free reign. This is how Jesus describes it in v.15 “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed.” (John 3:19 Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light. Rom.1:18 men suppress the truth in unrighteousness; John 8:43–45 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 2Cor.4:4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel.)

D. But the Holy Spirit is also at work in the world, turning some hearts from stone into soft, open hearts ready to receive God’s word (Ezek.36:26).

E. That’s why Jesus says to His disciples, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”

VI. But it’s even more nuanced than that.

A. Some folks when they hear the word of God, they like it, or at least part of it. And so they say, “I’m in! I want this.” But as time goes on, the advantages they seem to be getting from the word no longer outweigh the disadvantages which come, and so they give up on it.

B. It’s not that they’ve known Christ and found Him wanting, it’s that they never really knew Him, they just liked some of the things He offered.

1. Matt.7:21-23 “Depart from Me I never knew you.”

2. 1John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

VII. Application

A. For those who haven’t ever been gripped by the truth of Christ, who hear and don’t get it.

1. I want you to know what Jesus says about you and about why you react this way. You’re blind.

2. Does this disturb you? That’s a good sign. Maybe the Lord is beginning to work on your heart.

3. But even if it doesn’t disturb you, that doesn’t mean you are without hope.

4. Maybe you have to go through some things first. Maybe the Lord has to show you some things about yourself first. Maybe you have to be humbled first. Maybe you have to fail more. Maybe you have to sin more. Maybe you have to be shown the emptiness of your life first.

B. To those who do get it:

1. Two men in Kenya who should have been college professors

2. How much more tragic when someone is given the gift of eyes to see and ears to hear the word of Christ and who treat it so lightly.

3. Our greatest lack is that we don't realize what we have, what we've been given.

4. Two aspects of seeing

a. v.16 Spiritual eyesight to see the truth He has made available

b. In v.17 Jesus says that not only have you been given eyes to see the light that is being shown, but you have been given much more light than anyone ever had. For to you has been revealed something that all the righteous men of old longed to see, but could not see because of the time in which they lived. But you can see it!

(1) See what? See Jesus.

(2) Jesus is the "mystery" hidden from of old. He is the sacred secret that the rest were not able to see.

c. Do you realize what a privilege it is to live in the time after which Christ has been revealed?

5. Giving God the credit if you are good soil. 16 “Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.”

6. But He doesn’t just say be thankful because you’ve been blessed. He also says, “He who has ears, let him hear.” (V.9) a. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Let him apply himself. Let him pay close attention. Let him listen to Jesus.

7. This parable applies not only to those out there, but also to those in here.

8. There are a number of ways someone might react to God’s word preached this morning, and every Sunday morning.

9. Suppressing the light cuts off the flow of more light. Closing oneself to God's blessing cuts off the flow of more blessing. a. Opening up to the light, being thankful for God’s blessing, putting it into practice, yields greater light and greater lessing.

C. Living in an antagonistic world

1. This is NOT how it looked from the perspective of the shallow soil or from among the thorns, or even from the side of the road.

a. They tried Christ but didn’t really get anything out of it.

b. It just became impossible for them to believe in Jesus in light of all the evidence against it.

2. Can you accept the fact that there are those who will not accept, indeed who will oppose you because of Christ?

3. Can you live in a world that is antagonistic to the truth, since God has ordained it to be so?

4. Can you tolerate being rejected and ridiculed and laughed at and scorned?

5. Sometimes the Christian feels like the whole world has gathered around him and is yelling at him about what a fool he is to believe in Christ.

6. It is often tempting to think: "Maybe they're right. Maybe I am a fool." But being scorned by this world doesn't make a man any more of a fool than Jesus, for they scorned Him too. They scorned Him and they scorn us not because they are so wise but because they hate the truth!

7. Can you handle it that the vast majority of the scientific community in our day calls us crazy?

8. And not just the scientific community, but the media, and the educational establishment, and the arts community and more and more of our neighbors.

9. They have plugged ears and blinded eyes. They won't listen to the message of God's creation, and man's fall into sin, and God's curse upon the creation, and the incarnation, and the cross, and the judgment day.

10. This is the world we live in. This is the way it was for Isaiah, and for Jesus, and for us.

11. The blind are saying that those who see are blind! How long can we stand it before we start to believe it?

12. The reality is that we can see something that the world is blind to. But that is not the way the world sees it. It looks to them as if we claim to see something that doesn't exist. Therefore they call us crazy.

13. The temptation to surround myself with people who affirm what I believe, in order to minimize the negativity.

a. God has not only called us to stand firm and take all this, He has called us to go forth into the darkness to proclaim the message of Christ, with love and compassion. Remember that He is the One who changes a man's heart, and gives him eyes to see and ears to hear.

b. Or conversing about the Lord only with those who also believe it

(1) Not scattering seed means none falls on the roadside, and none falls in the rocky soil, and none falls among the thorns. AND NONE FALLS ON THE GOOD SOIL.