The Parable of the Sower

PARABLE OF AN OLD FARMER AND HIS MASSEY FERGUSON

“One cool spring morning a old man got up and opened the back door to his little farm house. It’s early in the morning and there are still a couple stars out; the grass is covered in dew. He walks over to the barn and pulls the large doors open to see his old Massey Ferguson. He walks over to the machine the smell of old grease, diesel fuel, and dust filled the air. The old man climbs on the old red rusty machine and turns the key. The motor turns over and black smoke starts billowing out from the exhaust. He puts the tractor in gear and heads toward the fields. It’s planting day.

As he drives down the dusty road he hits a bump and turns around to see some of the seed he was planting that day laying among the gravel. The old man thinks to himself, “Well there goes a lot of valuable seed.” A car drives past and runs over the spilled seed. The old man knew that soon the crows would be there to clean up the mess. He continues to drive toward his fields. As the old man gets closer he looks at all the work that had been done and he thought about the work to come as well. His field was perfectly tilled, straight lines and not a weed in sight. He pulls up to the gate and climbs down off of his machine. The dew is now soaking through his boots and he can feel the cold on his toes. He swings the gate open and pulls the Massey Ferguson into position. The old man lumbers his tractor along the rows and he starts to scatter the seed along the first row. He knows that he is getting good coverage because little bits of the seed are falling of to the side among the rocks and thorns in the ditch. He worked all day stopping only to refuel. The seed was planted.

As the weeks went by the old man would check on his field. He drove the same dusty lane as before, but this time in his pickup. He stops and looks at where he had spilled the seed before. There wasn’t anything left, not a single grain. The old man thinks to himself, “I wish those plants could have been saved,” but he just rolls his window back up and drives down to the gate that lead to the field. This time the old man backs the truck in. The tailgate groans as he sits down and looks at his work. His eyes gaze over the field and something catches his attention. There in a ditch there was some of his crop. He walks over to one of the plants, which now is brown and dead, and plucks it from between the rocks. “Not enough water,” the old man mutters to himself. Then he looks further down the ditch and notices some other of his plants but they are in among the weeds and thistles. They were brown and shriveled too. The old man knew that the other plants had taken the nutrients that his crop needed and had choked the young plants to death.

The old man stands up and walks to the top of the ditch. The sun is starting to peak over the trees and he can see his entire field. His crop had taken better than he had ever seen it. This was going to be the biggest harvest he had ever had. His crop had taken over the entire field, and the old man knew that he was looking at more plants than he could even imagine. He hadn’t planted this much, but the seed was incredibly good and so was the soil.

From a sermon by Nicolas Campbell, "Old Man and his Massey Ferguson," 6/4/2012

https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/82082/parable-of-an-old-farmer-and-his-massey-by-sermon-central

In Matthew 13, we get a glimpse of the Kingdom of God through Jesus telling several parables. In fact, these parables are some of the few that were taught to the crowd and not to the disciples. This morning, as you might have guessed, we are going to focus on the Parable of the Sower. It is a familiar parable, but this morning can you do something for me? What if we reconsider this parable and think about it as the Parable of the Soils. The focus of this parable is not so much the farmer who is sowing the seed, but on the type of soil that the seed falls on. I believe the Lord has a lesson for us this morning. Please turn with me to:

Matthew 13:1–23 NIV

1 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.’ 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.”

Before we dive into the parable this morning, I want to point out a couple things that we probably skip over more often than not. In vs. 1, we see Jesus sits down to teach. This is significant because sitting was the posture of a teacher in that day. Many have tied that back to the idea in apocalyptic literature of sitting on the judgement seat, but in this case more than likely refers to the idea that teaching was Jesus’s chosen role during his ministry on this earth. He isn’t just speaking to them, but teaching them. His goal was to teach people about God’s Kingdom and it’s counter cultural nature.

Also in vs. 2 we see the crowd gather around Jesus. Jesus had a following - much larger than his disciples. People walked long distances to be where Jesus was. There would have been challenges for those following Jesus - where to sleep, what to eat, etc. But they followed anyway. There’s a lesson for us in the actions of the crowds who followed Jesus.

In vs. 3-9, we see Jesus tell this parable. The farmer goes out to sow seed and the seed falls on various types of soils.

WALK THROUGH PARABLE

Let’s take a look at this explanation in the Message paraphrase:

Matthew 13:18–23 M:BCL

18 “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. 19 When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. 20 “The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. 21 But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. 22 “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. 23 “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”

vs 19 - anyone who hears and does not understand it

vs 20 & 21 - rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word at once and receives it with joy - does not count the cost of discipleship - any little thing goes wrong they last only a short time

vs. 22 - someone who hears the word but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful

vs. 23 - hears the word and understands it

Let’s think about this in terms of Jesus teaching about the importance of having a receptive heart to receive the word of God. He explains how the seed (word of God) can fall on different types of soil, representing different hearts. Some seed falls on the wayside, representing those who hear the word and do not understand it, some falls on rocky ground representing those who receive the word with joy but later fall away, some falls among thorns representing those who hear the word but let worldly cares choke it, and some falls on good soil, representing those who hear the word and understand it, bearing fruit with perseverance. This parable teaches us the importance of having a receptive heart to receive and understand the word of God and to bear fruit with perseverance.

Here are a couple of takeaways for us here this morning:

We need to be receptive in our own heart and lives to God’s Word. We cannot be good soil or sow seed ourelves if we are not in the Word and receptive to what God, through the Holy Spirit is teaching us and how the Holy Spirit is transforming us.

We need to bear fruit - be sowers of the Word of God to others. We will encounter people who will be represented by each of the types of soil from this parable. Not everyone we talk to will be fertile soil that is ready to be receptive to the Word. We still need to sow seed.

Lastly, we need to remember that it our job to sow and to water, but it is not our job to grow the seed. That is God’s job, we need to be wise to remember our role in this co-mission with Jesus, lest we can easily drive people away. We MUST be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.

In just a moment, we are going to sing the hymn “Just As I Am.” While we sing, I invite you to pray and ask God first if we are truly receptive of the Word and if we are then ask for God’s leading in how you can sow and water seed in others.

SING Just As I Am

COMMUNION

RITUAL

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

EXPLAIN ELEMENTS

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.