Matthew 13:1-23

The Seed and the Soil

Matthew 13:1–23 NKJV

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, 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. “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The Parable

Jesus gets out on a boat and the multitudes came to Him and Jesus begins speaking to them parables.

PARABLE. An extended metaphor or simile frequently becoming a brief narrative, generally used in biblical times for didactic purposes.

The first parable was of the sower. This parable was about the seed and the soil it was sowed into.

Matthew 13:3–9 NKJV

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The seed is the same. Gods word never changes. The words of the Kingdom bring the power of starting life where they are planted.

The soil was different. 4 kinds of soil

The wayside/street or road

The Stony places/ rocky ground

The Thorns/thorn hedge

The Good ground

3 soil types didn’t produce

1 Soil produced 30-60-100 fold.

The end the of the parable Jesus closes with this statement

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

So the understanding of those listening was brought front and center.

The disciples wanted to understand why Jesus spoke in parables.

Jesus answers by saying

Matthew 13:11–13 NKJV

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Jesus was aware of their inability to understand the message. He refers to the prophet Isaiahs words.

In other words here is the reference I want you to consider to help you understand what I am talking about.

Jesus then proceeds to quote Isaiah chapter 6

This word was spoken by the Prophet when King Uzziah had died. in 2 Chronicles 26

King Uzziah became king at the age of 16. He ruled for 52 years. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. God made him prosper. He became very successful and this in the end got the better of him. The bible tells us He had farmers and vinedressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved the soil.

God’s warning to his people had to do with their lack of sight and hearing,

Matthew 13:14–15 NKJV

And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

Idols cant hear or see, we become that which we worship.

This kind of understanding was lacking in the people because they refused to see and to hear what God was saying.

You have probably heard the saying we see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.

Why? Is it because we are looking for something different. We reject what God has for us because we really want something else.

Its not until we reach a place where we hunger and thirst for Christ that this kind of understanding happens.

As long as we are satisfied with the things of this world and desire other things that are not Christ we will have eyes but not see and ears but not hear.

The sign that follows understanding, and being able to see and hear is repentance

Matthew 13:16 NKJV

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

Matthew 13:17 NKJV

for assuredly, 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.

Now Jesus breaks it down.

for those who have ears and eyes to hear and see.

Matthew 13:18–19 NKJV

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Seeds that fall to the wayside fall there because of lack of understanding…

Matthew 13:20–21 NKJV

But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

We become hard because of the hurts we have experienced in life. So we work hard to protect ourselves and by keeping things shallow.

These are excited about the seed at first but when the seed starts to dig into the person do establish roots it finds hardness and isn’t allowed to go deep.

Therefore at the sign of trouble they run.

Matthew 13:22 NKJV

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

Other interests will keep the seed of God from growing. We have other priorities and our desire isn’t really for the things of God. No fruit will it bear. Like a double minded person there will be no fruitfulness.

Matthew 13:23 NKJV

But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The good soil hears it receives it through understanding and becomes fruitful. a lot of fruit.