The Parable of the Sower

Introduction

Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. One theologian said it this way: “A metaphor or story connected with the affairs of daily life is used as an illustration of moral and spiritual truths.”

English, D. (1992). The message of Mark: the mystery of faith (p. 93). InterVarsity Press.

The Parable of the Sower is probably one of the most familiar of all the parables. We find Mark’s version in Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:1–20 NIV84

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! 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, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 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. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

In this powerful story, I see four parts that we must understand. I see the sower, the seed, the scattering and the soil.

The Sower (vs. 4, 14)

This parable is told in Matthew, Mark, and in Luke. I believe the sower references three different entities being the farmer, the Son of God, and the followers of Jesus.

The Sower as God

We see in verse three that Jesus says, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.” Farming was something that the people could relate to in that region. We don’t know why Jesus used the farmer in this illustration. Some believe that at Jesus was teaching from that boat on the lake, there could have been a farmer working in his field on the hillside. John 4:35

John 4:35 NIV84

35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

However, the term sower in reference to God is found in a couple of Old Testament passages. Jeremiah 31:27

Jeremiah 31:27 NIV84

27 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals.

Hosea 2:23 NIV84

23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

God is the ultimate sower because He created all things plants and vegetation with seed on the third day of His creation.

Genesis 1:11–13 NIV84

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

We also see the sower as the Son of God, as Christ Himself.

The Sower as the Son of God

You have heard it said over and over that Jesus was the Word of God. John 1:1

John 1:1 NIV84

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We also see that Jesus sowed the seed of God.

1 Peter 1:23 NIV84

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

We see in this passage that the farmer which is sowing, is Christ Himself. Christ it telling the parable and as He does, He is actually sowing seed. That sown seed also tells us as the followers of Jesus was should be sowers as well.

The Sower as Followers of Jesus

The New Testament is clear that we should share the word of the Lord everywhere we go. We are to make disciples. It is the Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18–20 NIV84

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Notice the seed.

The Seed (vs. 3-9, 14-20)

We have already indicated that the seed is the imperishable word of God. There is a reference to it being the seed of grain because it produces grain according to verse 7. But what exactly is the seed?

The Word of God

In this parable, it is the Word of God. The Word of God is His redemptive plan for all mankind. Luke 8:11 clarifies this for us in Luke’s version. Luke 8:11

Luke 8:11 NIV84

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.

We have already determined that the word of God is His Son Jesus. It is the declaration that leads to the way of Go.

The Way of God

The way of God is that through Jesus, all may be saved.

John 3:16 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God so loved the world. The way of God is through Jesus, which leads to the works of God.

The Work of God

The work of God was described by Jesus this way:

John 6:29 NIV84

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

God’s redemptive work is that we may have fellowship with Him through the saving act of Jesus. God desires for us to understand this idea. That’s why Jesus said in verse 3, “Listen!” Are you listening to see the work of God? The seed is all about God multiplying His followers.

The Scattering (vs. 4)

Notice the idea in this parable of the scattering. It was common for grain seed to be spread by hand and slinging it across the field.

It is Intentional

The first thing I notice is that the sower is intentional to scatter the seed everywhere.The sower is intentionally slinging that seed all over the field, so it is natural that some seed will land in areas not conducive for growth.

It is Intellectual

It is also intellectual. The law of numbers tells us that the greater amount of seed sown, the greater the possibility of a crop being produced. I love cantaloupe. When you cut open a cantaloupe, how many seeds are inside? LOTS! Think about it, how many cantaloupes come from one seed? 4-8! What if we were as ambitious as a cantaloupe?

It is Inspirational

For me, it is inspirational. The sower sows in order to produce a crop that is worthy and representative of the seed sown. We have discussed the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5: 22-23

Galatians 5:22–23 NIV84

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God loves us so much that He wants us to be the ones that share His love so that others can experience Him as well.

The sower, the seed and the scattering are all important parts of this parable. But the main thing here, is the soil.

The Soil (vs. 3-9, 14-20)

There are four types of soil described here in versed 3-9. In verses 14-20, the description of the soil types are referring to the condition of the heart.

Snatching Soil

The first type of soil is that area that the seed lands and the birds snatch it away. That seed never gets a chance to get started. Satan will do all he can do to take away the word of God from you. Why? Because he knows that if the word gets in you, your life will be changed! This is like some people that never will open their hearts and minds to understand that Jesus loves them and wants them to be in fellowship with God. They never come to church to find out.

Rocky Soil

The second type of soil is that area that is rocky. The seed lands in a spot that seems like it is conducive to growth but the roots aren’t able to penetrate. They are the seeds of those that get fired up about Jesus and are ready to grow, but the teachings of Jesus become too demanding. Or when problems arise, they run away. The pressure snuffs out the fire. Remember how the disciples scattered after the crucifixion? They were seeds planted on rocky soil.

Thorny Soil

The third type of soil is that where it falls in an area that has lots going on. It is where weeds and thorns grow. There are too many other things that call for attention and suck the nutrients away that the seed needs. We might call these weeds and thorns ways to get rich, emphases on religion instead of a relationship, or all kinds of factors that get in the way of true growth.

Growing Soil

The fourth type of is that soil where the seed sticks, the plant grows, and more seed is produced. The heart hears the word of God and receives the word of God. Though the obstacles come, it will produce a harvest for which it is designed.

These types of soil show us the hard heart, the shallow heart, the over-cluttered heart, and the good heart. All of these are present when the world of God is preached.

When the seed is scattered, it will fall on one of these types of soil. When we as followers of Christ broadcast the seed, we don’t determine the quality of the soil. It is not our job to do that, but it is our job to cast the seed. Let me say this another way, when the word of God is shared, it will fall on one of these types of hearts. When we share the word of God, we don’t determine the quality of the heart, we just share the word of God.