Parable of the sower

Kingdom parables part I

As mentioned in the introduction last week to this series we are breaking up the parables into some simple divisions. Today we start with the kingdom parables.

Opening thoughts

John the Baptist was the forerunner preaching the kingdom was near

Matthew 3:1–2 HCSB

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”

Jesus preached the kingdom was at hand

Matthew 4:17 NASB95

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus central teaching was about the kingdom.

What was the kingdom, what was it like

Who could enter the kingdom

How to enter the kingdom

What do kingdom citizens do

There are some differing opinions on what the kingdom is. Let me give you a couple of them:

J Dwight Pentecost defines it as “It is to be stressed when Christ revealed truth about the kingdom, He was not speaking about the church. When he spoke of the coming age, he was not speaking of the church age. . . The coming kingdom age of which Christ spoke began at the time of Israel’s rejection of Him as messiah and will continue until Israel’s future reception of Him as the Messiah at the Second Advent (Parables of Jesus, J Dwight Pentecost, 1982)

Or there is another on the other end of the spectrum this one by William Taylor: “The subject is ‘the kingdom of heaven.’ by which it meant not the glorified state of the future life, but that presently existing community of which Christ is the head, and of which is composed those who hearts and lives are subject to him as their sovereign.” (Parables of Our Savior, 1975)

Both are extreme positions. I give only for informational purposes as I got these quotes from (Womack)

Can we agree that Jesus in his teachings speaks of the kingdom historically as well as presently (Mt12:28; Lk11:20, Lk17:21) and he also taught it was to come (Lk17:20-21)

As I mentioned that this parable is in all three of the synoptic gospels, we will read from one of them (Mt3:1-23) for our study of this one today. So open your bibles there, but yet there is more to come before we read the passage.

Shift in methodology prior to Mt13, Jesus and His teaching was focused on in the synagogues, but now He is teaching by the sea.

Intro to parable

Matthew 13:1–3 “1 That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. 3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;”

Q: What details can you pick out in the introduction to this parable?

Oh, more information to consider. When the methodology changed the parables seem to start here in Mt13.

Matthew 13:34 “34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.”

This parable is very well known, many call it the parable of the soils, Scripture speaks of the sower.

This parable gives an explanation on why parables were used (Mt13:11-15)- - - - We will read those verses in a few minutes

Interesting fact that this parable is 1 of 7 parables listed in Mt13, all of which deal the kingdom of heaven

This parable is one that Jesus explains the meaning so there is no missing out or drawing a wrong conclusion on meaning.

Background

Jesus was now travelling from town to town

Luke 8:1–3 “1 Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”

As you just read in our passage in Matthew, there were large crowds, he got on a boat (sound; crowding in?)

Sower: No machinery to speak of, some would use animals with bags of seed on back to spread seed, but most was spread by hand by a sower.

Some call this parable of soils, since Jesus addresses soils, then explains what the soils mean.

This is the first of the parables that Jesus delivers back to back here in Mt13.

Some spoken to the crowd, while others seem to be to the apostles alone (Mt13:36)

Matthew 13:36 “36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.””

(Transition) back to the passage now the parable itself

Matthew 13:3–5 “3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.”

Matthew 13:6–9 “6 “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. 9 “He who has ears, let him hear.””

Q: What is the first thing that you notice about the sower (v.3)?

Q: what are the different soils noted, and what verse?

Beside the road (v.4) - the wayside in some versions. This is the trodden path

Q: Did all the seeds come up? (no, v.4 says birds ate the ones by the road)

(Transition) not going to look at the results of the seed as of yet. We will look at Jesus explanation with some more information

Matthew 13:10–12 “10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Matthew 13:13–15 “13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’”

Matthew 13:16–17 “16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Q: What sticks out to you in these verses?

Q: Who is the ‘You’ in (v.11) and how do you know?

Q: Think on this, who is the ‘whoever’ (v.12)?

Q: Who is the ‘them” (v.10, 13)?

Q: Knowing what you learn (v.11), what has been given (v.12)?

(v.13) is a transition verse for we know the “them” but not the why yet, so we need to read on.

Q: The why (v.15), what is the why you see?

Q: Who is the “your” and the “you” in (vv.16-17)

Q: What are the results to the “you, your” (vv.16-17)

Well, that is about it we will get to Jesus explanation on this next week.