The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1 – 23
RUNDOWN:  A sower is spreading seeds onto different types of ground.  The seeds respond according to where they lie.
HOW THIS HELPED ME:  What I do matters, choices I make today will impact my life sooner or later, very critical to be in a good environment.
I refer to this parable often.  I will ask students, “What type of soil are you?” Meaning, are we taking good actions in our lives?  Are we wasting time or really focused on our well-being?  When I was younger, in my 20’s and 30’s, this parable didn’t mean too much to me because I felt like I still had many, many years left in my life.  I didn’t treat things with urgency or feel like I had to focus on goals at that time because, hey, I had all the time in the world.
Now as I approach 50 years old, I am starting to see how fleeting time is.  When I do things, I need them to be good things, like planting seeds in good soil.  The soil can be seen as a symbol of our minds.  In any learning environment, some people will absorb the content, others will not.  There are a myriad of reasons for both cases.  The message that the teacher is teaching has the ability to reach all the ears of the students, but not everyone will hear or absorb the message.
It is important to understand another meaning in this parable.  The seeds the farmer planted all had the potential to grow into strong plants.  It was the environment that made a difference how the seeds grew (or didn’t grow).  So, the farmer needs to be aware of where he/she is planting the seeds.

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For 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.’[a]

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

 

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