Good Seed is Scattered

Recap

Last week we wrapped up Chapter 12 as Jesus promised the sign of Jonah, that the Son of Man would spend 3 days and 3 nights in the grave. He didn’t go so far at this time to speak of his resurrection. He simply told them once again who he was an warned them of what would happen if all they did was get their lives cleaned up morally.

Jesus wrapped up with pointing out that his real family is made up of those people who do the will of His Father in heaven.

Matthew shifts his writing now as he features Jesus and his parables. Remember, Matthew didn’t write his gospel account in chronological order. He wrote to feature specific types of events to communicate Jesus authority as the Messiah.

Parable of the Seeds

Jesus has just spent the last two chapters bumping up against the scrutiny of the Pharisees. Time after time they tried to trap him in some sort of way to first discredit Him and eventually with the desire to destroy him.

Jesus now changes tactics, seemingly, in order to continue to get his message out without stirring things up even more. He now begins to use parables.

A parable:

The idea behind the word parable is “to throw alongside of.” It is a story thrown alongside the truth intended to teach. Parables have been called “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.”

“A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied; a parable is heard. We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables.” (Barclay)

Matthew 13:1–9 ESV

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Jesus chose to speak to the crowd in a context that they would understand. He spoke of a “sower”, someone who plants seeds. The difference in how we plant today and how they planted back then was the seed was spread first and then it was plowed into the ground.

In this parable the seed fell on four different types of soil.

i. The path where people walked and nothing could grow because the ground was too hard.

ii. Rocky ground were where the soil was thin, lying upon a rocky shelf. On this ground the seed springs up quickly because of the warmth of the soil, but the seed is unable to take root because of the rocky shelf.

iii. Among thorns describes soil that is fertile — perhaps too fertile, because thorns grow there as well as grain.

iv. Good soil describes soil that is both fertile and weed-free. A good, productive crop grows in the good ground.

This was not a call for all to listen. Rather, it was a call for those who were spiritually sensitive to take special note.

Purpose of Parables

Next Jesus explains the purpose of parables.

Matthew 13:10–16 ESV

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 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. 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. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

The parables were given in the context of the Jewish leaders’ building rejection of Jesus and His work. Jesus’ parables were examples of mercy given to the undeserving. Jesus explained that He used parables so that the hearts of those rejecting would not be hardened further. Parables are an example of God’s mercy towards the hardened.

“The same sun that softens the wax hardens the clay; and so the very same gospel message that humbles the honest heart and leads to repentance may also harden the heart of the dishonest listener and confirm that one in their path of disobedience.” Guzik

Jesus’ goal in using parables to communicate to the crowd is so that those who have a heart to hear what is being said would clearly hear the principle of the truth that had already been delivered.

The crowd had already heard Jesus call out the Pharisees for their hard hearts as they tried to trap him on the Sabbath. They had heard Jesus call them a brood of vipers and declare you are either with me or you are against me. They had heard him promise the sign of Jonah pointing to his death and burial. Time and time again they had heard the truth of who he said he was, and now it was time for them to deal with who they were. Where was their heart in being willing to receive the good seed?

The one who is sensitive to the truth of Jesus’ message will receive that truth and more truth will be given to him because he is spiritually receptive. But to the one who’s heart has grown dull, as Isaiah said, they can barely hear, their eyes are closed, otherwise they would see and hear and understand the goodness of God. Look at that last part of verse 15.

Jesus is saying through his own words and as he quotes Isaiah, that if the hard hearted would just choose to understand, see, hear, and turn to Him, He would heal them.

1 Timothy 2:1–6 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

How willing are we to truly consider where are hearts are?

The Parable’s Meaning

That’s the thing about Jesus, the sower, and the seed, His message. The sower is good no matter what! He doesn’t change, and the seed is good see no matter what type of soil it’s gets scattered on.

Matthew 13:18–19 ESV

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

The path represents those who never really hear the word with understanding. The Word of God must be understood before it can truly bear fruit. One of Satan’s chief works is to keep men in darkness regarding their understanding of the gospel.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 ESV

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

“Satan is always on the watch to hinder the Word…He is always afraid to leave the truth even in hard and dry contact with a mind.” (Spurgeon)

Matthew 13:20–21 ESV

20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

On rocky ground: As seed falling on the thin soil on top of the rocky ground quickly springs up and then quickly withers and dies, so some respond to the word with immediate enthusiasm yet soon wither away.

It withers away because of two reasons. One, he has no root in himself. No root is able to be formed in the rocky soil of his or her life because roots only last so long without plenty of good soil to bring the root nutrients. the rocks form a hard barrier that prevent the roots from growing like they need to. Two, tribulation and persecution come on them because of the truth of the word, or the seed planted and because their is not enough soil for the root to gain nutrients and start to become established in order to remain, they immediately fall away.

“Tribulation is a general term for suffering which comes from outside; persecution is deliberately inflicted, and usually implies a religious motive. Falls away is literally ‘is tripped up’; it is not a gradual loss of interest, but a collapse under pressure.” (France)

Matthew 13:22 ESV

22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Among the thorns: As seed falling among thorns grew, the good plant growth was soon choked out.

What chokes out the life of the good plant? The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. This soil represents ground that is fertile, but other seeds have been planted alongside the good seed and the draw of the fruit of those plants takes over the stalks of grain to where it doesn’t bear any fruit. (certified weed free hay)?

Matthew 13:23 ESV

23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Good ground: As seed falling on good ground brings a good crop of grain, so some respond rightly to the word and bear fruit. A seed finds a good home in soil that has been prepared to receive it. The fruit that comes from that plant brings high yields, 100x, 60x, and 30x!

Wrapping Up

We benefit from seeing bits of ourselves in all four soils.

Like the path, sometimes we allow the Word no room at all in our lives.

Like the rocky ground, we sometimes have flashes of enthusiasm in receiving the Word that quickly burn out.

Like the soil among thorns, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are constantly threatening to choke out God’s Word and our fruitfulness.

Like the good soil, the Word bears fruit in our lives.

Even more than describing the mixed progress of the gospel message, the parable of the sower compels the listener to ask, “What kind of soil am I? How can I prepare my heart and mind to be the right kind of soil?” This parable invites action so that we would receive the Word of God to full benefit.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.