The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Sower - Matt. 13:1-23

Introduction: What is a parable and why did Jesus speak or teach using them?

This morning we are started a new study series on the Secret Stories of Jesus. Or what we call the Parables of Jesus. And in His secret stories Jesus is addressing a certain kind of people. The kind of people he is speaking to are those we would call the “strong-willed” or the “stubborn.”

This characteristic can be both good and bad. When we think of a strong leader that is willing to fight through all the obstacles thrown against him to reach the goal, even to the point of taking a bullet, we think of this as a good attribute. Victory comes through perseverance.

But when we remember our children when we asked them to do this or that and they constantly resist and ignore direction, refuse to listen, we consider that “strong-willed” and a not so good attribute. So, at what point does “strong-willed” become “stubborn.”

Open up to Ezekiel 2:1-5

Ezekiel 2:1–5 NIrV

He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet. I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit of the Lord came into me. He raised me to my feet. I heard him speaking to me. He said, “Son of man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. That nation has refused to obey me. They have turned against me. They and their people before them have been against me to this very day. The people I am sending you to are very stubborn. Tell them, ‘Here is what the Lord and King says.’ “They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. But whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet was among them.

God was sending Ezekiel to the people of Israel who stubbornly refuse to listen and obey their God. Many of us would probably respond to God with, then why send me? Yet, Ezekiel answers the call to go to a people who don’t want to listen who have proved time and time again that they do not want to follow God. The pattern of the Israelites is a common theme throughout the Old Testament and it is something we often look to and are reminded of when it comes to us sharing the message of Christ today and it is also a reminder of how we sometimes respond in our own relationship with God.

With that said, it leads us into a time in Jesus’ ministry where he told secret stories to the people and his disciples. We call them secret stories because they were often shared with a people or crowd that was strong-willed and stubborn. These stories Jesus told were called parables and we are going to take a deeper look into them to gain the spiritual insight He was teaching.

Read Matthew 13:1-9.

A biblical parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. In the context of Jesus' teachings, parables were often used to convey profound truths about the Kingdom of God, human nature, and ethical behavior through culturally relatable narratives.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (The Message of Jesus’ Parables)

The topic of Jesus’ parables was the kingdom of God. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God by comparing it to the common aspects of life in first-century Palestine. In addition to teaching about the kingdom of God, the parables were also used to teach about God’s character (e.g., His graciousness), His work, the ultimate destiny of humanity, the future events in the last days, the dangers of disobedience to God’s rules, and the demands of following the rules expected of subjects of the kingdom.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Characteristics of Jesus’ Parables)

Characteristics of Jesus’ Parables

Jesus’ parables have some common characteristics.

In general, they begin with the familiar (e.g., life in Palestinian villages), then move to the unfamiliar—conveying truth about God and His kingdom then the story moves back to the familiar again to imply the consequences for the present (Knowles, “Everyone who Hears,” 287).

In addition, Jesus’ parables would often contain elements of the unexpected to shock the listeners.

For example in Luke 15:12, the father agrees to give his son his inheritance early. This would have been appalling to the original listeners of this story—it was unwise for a father who was still living to pass on property to his children (Sir 33:20–24).

Parables also contain ambiguous features that require active participation by the listeners. There is always either an explicit question (“What do you think?”) or an implied question that requires a response from the audience once the story has been told.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (The Function of Jesus’ Parables)

The Function of Jesus’ Parables

Jesus’ statement in Mark 4:10–12 seems to indicate that He used parables to conceal truth.

The passage says, “to those on the outside, everything is said in parables so that ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven’ ” (NIV).

Jesus is quoting from Isa 6:9–10: the basic thrust of the Isaiah text is rejection and judgment (Osborne, Hermeneutical, 238). This could be Jesus’ meaning as well.

Jesus’ use of the quotation from Isaiah may indicate that the parable symbolized God’s judgment on those opposed to Him, as well as that their hearts would be hardened in response to Israel’s rejection of Him and His message.

Judgment was probably not Jesus’ only intention in telling parables.

Some of the parables were so clear that the audience had no difficulty understanding them (e.g., Matt 21:45).

Jesus also used parables to teach His disciples (e.g., Luke 7:40–43) and to challenge people to make a response to the message. It is most likely, that Jesus’ stories functioned differently depending on the audience.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Principles for Understanding Jesus’ Parables)

We need to understand some basic principles that about these stories to aid us in interpreting their meaning.

1. Understand the social, historical, and cultural context of the parable.

2. Determine the number of points the parable is intended to teach.

3. Consider to whom the parable is directed. Is the audience being addressed the disciples, the Jewish leaders, or the crowds? The identity of the audience will help indicate the message that the parable was intended to communicate.

4. Realize that repetition in parables is for the purpose of stressing a major point.

5. Identify stock symbolism being employed. For example, God is commonly pictured throughout the Bible (and in parables) as a father, king, judge, shepherd, etc.

6. Note the conclusion of the parable. The last person, deed, or saying often conveys the significance of the parable.

A. The sower, the seed, and the soil (13:1–8, 18–23)

In the previous chapter we find that Jesus has just wrapped up a series of confrontations with the religious leaders and now turns to the crowd that has been following him since chapter 12:23. Jesus walks down by the sea of Galilee and because of the size of the crowd, He steps into a boat and sits down. When a teacher was preparing to teach he would sit down and then would address his students. Jesus was ready to share a story with both the crowd that was following him and his disciples.

We have to understand that when Jesus told these stories he didn’t always interpret or explain their meaning. But on this occasion because the disciples asked him, he explains why he teaches in parables and gives them the meaning of this story.

Let’s look at the story through the eyes of the text to understand what message Jesus was conveying to his followers and to us.

1. Information in this parable (13:1–8): A farmer sows grain, which falls upon four different kinds of soil, producing four different results.

a. Roadside soil (13:1–4): This seed is soon devoured by the birds.

b. Shallow, rocky soil (13:5–6): This seed springs up quickly but soon withers, being scorched by the sun.

c. Thorn-infested soil (13:7): This seed is quickly choked by the thorns.

d. Fertile soil (13:8): This seed produces a thirty, sixty, and even hundredfold crop!

B. Reason for Parables: In Matthew 13:10-17, Jesus teaches in parables for several reasons.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Reason for the Parables (13:10–17))

In response to their question, Jesus explains to his disciples that the mysteries of the kingdom have been revealed to them, but to the world/crowds/unbelievers the mysteries of the kingdom haven’t yet been granted. So His speaking in parables fulfilled the words of Isa 6:9–10.

New International Reader’s Version (1998) (Isaiah 6:9-10)

So he said, “Go and speak to these people. Tell them, “ ‘You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.’ 10 Make the hearts of these people stubborn. Plug up their ears. Close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. And they might turn to me and be healed.”

The Reasons Jesus speaks in parables:

As followers of Christ and students of the Word we need to understand the reasons why Jesus chose to speak and teach using these secret stories or parables.

First, Jesus used parables to engage his listeners by presenting complex ideas in simple and relatable ways. That way the stories invite reflection and personal interpretation, allowing each person to discover the deeper meanings of his teaching.

Second, Jesus used parables was to reveal truths to those who were open to understanding while concealing them from those who were resistant or indifferent. This approach fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, again, highlighting the contrast between those who seek wisdom and those who do not.

Ultimately, Jesus' used parables to provoke thought, encourage spiritual growth, and to communicate the mysteries of God's Kingdom in a way that resonated with everyday life.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Reason for the Parables (13:10–17))

With this back and forth, Matthew is showcasing for us the message of this passage: that followers of Jesus are those who are part of God’s kingdom family (12:46–50), and the Father and Son reveal the kingdom to them (11:25–28).

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Reason for the Parables (13:10–17))

We also need to understand that Jesus response to the disciple’s question indicates to us a clear division between the disciples and the crowds.

The mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the disciples, His true followers, (11:25–28), but not to the crowds.

The other notable difference between the crowds and disciples in the narrative - is that the disciples have chosen to follow Jesus.

While those who receive the teachings of Jesus only in parable form remain outsiders of the kingdom of God.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Reason for the Parables (13:10–17))

Because the disciples have chosen to receive the mysteries of the kingdom, they will continue to receive more of the teachings of Jesus.

The crowds have heard Jesus’ teachings and seen His ministry, but they have not responded correctly.

People like this will receive only parables, and the ministry of Jesus will have no lasting impact on them because they have not responded properly.

The correct response from the crowds would be to repent and follow Christ. But, because they refuse, the meaning of Jesus’ teaching remains concealed from them.

Matthew: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (Jesus’ Purpose in Teaching with Parables 13:10–17)

This does not mean the outsiders are bad people. It simply means they cannot understand the parables on their own. They will need to come to Jesus via repentance and be taught the meaning of the Kingdom.

Those who do not understand is NOT due to the harsh judgment of God it is because of their stubbornness, their hard-heartedness.

A hardened heart to the Word of God is what keeps people (the crowd) from understanding and receiving the gift of eternal life in Christ.

True disciples understand because they have chosen to repent and follow Christ, to serve Him. Their eyes truly see and their ears truly hear because of their choice to follow Jesus, the Father and the Son have opened their eyes to THE TRUTH.

The word “hear” has a double meaning - to hear and to obey.

What Jesus is essentially telling his disciples is that those who refuse to hear God’s message of repentance—and those who reject salvation through the Messiah, Jesus—will experience the path of judgment they have chosen.

But to those who receive Jesus (his disciples), the mystery of God’s kingdom is revealed. They understand what is being said in the stories. They move beyond hearing them to observing Jesus’ teachings and experiencing what the kingdom of heaven means.

C. Interpretation of this parable (13:18–23)

In this last section of our text Jesus goes through the parable and clearly describes for us the characters and the soil types they represent.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18–23))

The disciples stand in a place of privilege because they have chosen to follow Jesus. Because of this privileged position, they receive the explanation of the parable.

The seed (13:18–19a): The seed represents the Good News about the Kingdom.

The Message of Matthew (The Parable of the Soils (13:1–9, 18–23): What Is Your Response Now?)

The Sower is the same, the Father. The seed is the same, the Word of God.

The different results depend on the soils, how we respond to the Sower and his seed. What fruit we produce will depend entirely on the soil type of our heart.

a. Soil by The Wayside or Path (13:19b): The hard soil represents those who hear the message but do not understand it, thus allowing Satan to steal it from them.

It is those people who do not understand teachings about the kingdom of God. In the case of these people who do not understand, the devil snatches the word from their heart.

The Message of Matthew The Parable of the Soils (13:1–9, 18–23): What Is Your Response Now?

Has the word bounced off me, like seed off the hard track that traverses the field? Has it begun to grow in me, so that I could face pressure, laughter from business associates, expulsion from kosher circles? And our children are growing up now. We must not be so ascetic; it’s not fair on the kids. We must be a bit more like everyone else, with the cares, the riches and the pleasures of life!

Matthew: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower 13:18–23)

This doesn’t mean that the evil one controls the listener’s heart but that each person chooses in his or her own heart their response to the Kingdom.

b. The rocky soil (13:20–21): The shallow, rocky soil represents those who have a “rocky faith” — no spiritual depth and so drop out upon encountering any trouble or persecution as their journey begins.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower (13:1–9))

In other words, the seed does spring up but without much soil, there is no depth for their faith to take root. The resulting plant gets scorched by the sun.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18–23))

These are the people who receive the good news immediately and joyfully, but it does not actually take root in their heart. The rocky ground represents affliction and persecution because of the word, resulting in the destruction of what little faith has started to grow in them.

These people abandon the faith under the first sign of the pressure of persecution.

c. The thorn-infested soil (13:22): The thorny ground represents those who allow the lure of wealth to snuff out the Good News.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower (13:1–9))

This seed also starts to grow, but is choked off because of the thorny plants that surround it.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18–23))

These are the people who receive the good news and presumably even grow roots. But soon anxiety and the deceit of wealth cause the plant to be unproductive.

Matthew: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition (The Interpretation of the Parable of the Sower 13:18–23)

This is a story that tells of a time in the life of the Church when people respond to the gospel but then stumble because of the busyness of their schedule and the pressures of their work. The final phrase, the lure of wealth is what makes them unfruitful, and it suggests that such persons may not completely abandon the faith, but they fall short of Kingdom expectations.

d. Fertile soil (13:23): The good soil represents those who truly accept God’s message, producing an abundant harvest.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower (13:1–9))

The final scenario is seed that falls on good soil and produces a bounty.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18–23))

It is those people who hear and understand the good news and go on to produce fruit in varying degrees of abundance. It that day a farmer would expect a return of about 10 fold. But Jesus says those who receive the good news will produce, 30, 60, 100 fold! Those who have will receive more. Those who refuse to understand what little they have will be taken.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Parable of the Sower Explained (13:18–23))

By what we are understanding through this teaching it seems that this last type of person is the only one admitted into the kingdom.

CONCLUSION:

The Message of Matthew (The Parable of the Soils (13:1–9, 18–23): What Is Your Response Now?)

Today’s secret story is the first of many told by Jesus and it is by far the most significant of all. It is not just about ‘a farmer’ who went out to sow his field. It is a story of THE ‘farmer’, God, and he comes bringing the precious seed of His Word which can transform the soil.

The kingdom comes when the soil and the seed get together. It is a marriage of seed and soil. The seed is the word of God proclaimed by the Sower of God. And the kingdom begins to come in a life when the ‘soil’ receives the seed of the word for itself. Then it begins to germinate and shoot up and grow.

The Message of Matthew (The Parable of the Soils (13:1–9, 18–23): What Is Your Response Now?)

In this first parable we have a reflection of what was happening in the mission of Jesus, and the varied responses to which it drove the hearers. The parable is a mirror: it shows people where they stand. It is held up to the faces of Jesus’ hearers.

In the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus illustrates the different responses to the message of the Kingdom of God through the metaphor of a sower scattering seeds. The seeds represent the Word of God, and the various types of soil symbolize the hearts of those who hear it.

Application:The parable encourages us to self-reflect on how hearers, people, receive and respond to God's Word. It challenges us to consider which type of soil embodies our spiritual condition:

The path, where the Word is quickly snatched away by the enemy.The rocky ground, where initial enthusiasm fades due to trials and tribulations.The thorny ground, where distractions and worries of life choke the Word.The good soil, which represents a receptive heart that bears fruit and produces a bountiful harvest.

As believers, we are called to cultivate our hearts to be good soil, nurturing our faith through prayer, study of Scripture, and community. Additionally, we are encouraged to share the Gospel with others, understanding that different responses are to be expected. Three out of four heart types reject the seed of God’s Word. Only those hearts of good soil that openly receive the seed of God’s Word will inherit the Kingdom of God. We must continually care for the soil of our hearts making it always receptive to what God is teaching us and asking us to do. We must keep our eyes on the things of heaven and not the things of this world, striving for the prize that is Christ Jesus.

Conclusion:The Parable of the Sower ultimately emphasizes the importance of how we respond to God's message. It reminds us that while the sower spreads the seed generously, the effectiveness of that seed depends on the condition of the soil. By striving to be good soil, we can grow in our faith and contribute to the expansion of God's Kingdom, producing fruit that glorifies Him and impacts the world around us.

Willmington, H. L. The Outline Bible. Tyndale House Publishers, 1999, p. Mt 13:1–23.Introduction: