Sowing Into What?

Sowing Into What? Matthew 13:1-23

We have a lot of text to cover, and rather than covering everything 3 times, lets read the text for context by way of introduction and see if we can look at 23 verses this morning? lol, we’ll look at The Parable, The Prophecy, The Preaching

We see here from previous verses that Jesus is in Capernahum, leaves Peters house and goes to galilee to teach.

Matthew 13:1–2 (NKJV)

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.

2 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.

Matthew by the Holy Spirit notes that the same day that Jesus rejects Israel (corporately) this Parable and prophecy are engaged.

The Parable

The word “parable” comes from two Greek words (para and ballō), which together mean “to throw alongside.” A parable, like an illustration, makes a comparison between a known truth and an unknown truth; it throws them alongside each other. (BKC)

To truly understand it, explanation is needed from the giver, or a key given for interpretation.

Matthew 13:3–9

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.

4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.

6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Now, if Jesus says we really need to listen/hear (understanding implied) we should seek that out,

We see A sower/farmer, and 4 results from `

and rather than appear to know what i’m talking about, we’ll just let Jesus explain it here in a moment, first lets look at

The Prophecy

Matthew 13:10–13 

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 

Bruh, wassup with the parables? Why change up teaching?

11 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. 

Now, some would say this is reformed theology but its not. Jesus is gonna make clear this was prophesied and it applies to the audience currently listening (multitudes). He will preach later, but things have changed.

How is the mystery (Gospel, Death, Resurrection, Indwelling) given? Through the sharing of the gospel right?

Then, because they hear and choose to believe/follow Christ. They go to the source to find the meaning. Not allegorize and make it all up.

Kingdom of Heaven - some scholars say the difference is KOG is just the saved, whereas the KOH, is to all saved and not. But the fact is that Jesus is telling them and us, you need to listen up. To hear HIM, is the greatest import, beyond any other message.

12 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. 

Whoever has what? Faith. Trust. Here speaking to a jewish audience, they think that their birthright is salvation. Belief not needed.

The Word has shown that false and here Jesus shows that you must to be a disciple not just a fan.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Someone that really wants to understand, will search it out and see it. If it bothers you to know, that salvation is tied up in this, and you don't want to understand you are also not interested in His salvation. His Gospel.

Matthew 13:14–15 “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; 

15 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.’

Jesus quotes from the Septuagint here and it reads that it is God that heals them (I heal them), therefore Jesus referring this to himself in fulfillment of prophecy means Jesus is? God right!

When the scribes and leaders interpret, they interpret with what God has given to that point - since we know Jesus is the key to scripture, what they do know is made moot at times because they don’t understand the mystery. So they are still without light. And perhaps never really had any. John 6:45  “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” If you worship the Father, you will worship the Son. To be taught by Jesus is to be taught by? God.

You cannot be healed of sin and death if you reject the only healer.

It’s a choice, we must turn. (Believe, Repent, Receive). To respond to the saving grace of Christ.

Matthew 13:16–17 “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 

17 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.”

Every prophet who heard of the coming messiah, saw him in almost every scripture, promised from the beginning of creation (Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.””)

Jesus then lays it out for us. Whats funny, one of the commentaries I looked at said that Jesus then gives His interpretation. I challenge and say its THE Interpretation, because the creators states it so.

The Preaching

Matthew 13:18 “ “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:”

This is a wow moment. Jesus warned everyone (v9) you better hear! (again implication is understand). The disciples dare not “interpret” so they ask and He gives the understanding. Its teaching yall. No dream.

He says now because of this prophecy, only those coming to Him in faith will get it (because they sit at his feet)

The sower, in their culture the landowner or worker (farmer/gardener)

Matthew 13:19 “ 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.”

Ok, we talked about the sower now since Jesus is obviously sharing, and he is the giver of life, etc.

Wicked one? Mark 4:15 “15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.”

the listener(s) heart is the soil. We can harden that soil. prepare it, seek out the Lord we are even told Psalm 95:8 “ “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness,” (dismiss calvinism/reformed, you have choice)

However, i think because he doesnt identify the sower, it could be anyone sharing the Word of the Kingdom.

Note: the majority of humanity is this. They ignore, don't care or quite literally worship demons, or rock/trees. They are on the broad road. Matthew 7:13–14 “ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Matthew 13:20–21 “ But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 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.”

You rejoice! Grace, salvation, all these things. But then trials come because you’re a christian. You get bent out of shape, the stumble is skandalizetai in greek its where we get Scandal from. You’re tripping on rocks that dont belong in your heart.

Many of our Jewish brethren were killed for their stance in Christ. Many of them lost their homes, fellowship, families, as they were persecuted for the sake of the Name.

Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 3:17 “ For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

Many will say, thats good for you tater, but I have a low pain threshold. You also have a low grace threshhold. Peter says again in NLT 1 Peter 4:1–2 “ So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.”

Folks with stony ground can be sensitive about their walk with Christ and often react badly to rebuke or exhortation. You cannot root without being rooted in Christ. You have to get rid of the things that prevent growth and stability in Him. These folks bail and bail often. Pray for them, help them work on their soil :)

Matthew 13:22 “ 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.”

Some folks just have the wrong heart about it. And listen, you have only yourself to blame. Paul the apostle was legit but even his disciples bailed on him constantly - NLT 2 Timothy 4:9–10 “ Timothy, please come as soon as you can. 10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica…” wow.

Notice, same sowing, good seed. Same word. finally - we see what understanding brings.

Matthew 13:23 “ 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.””

We know the Gospel is the power of God to salvation buuuuut, what if you dis the gospel, or don’t wanna die, or would rather party, get the boats and cars and motor bikes. But when we get the word, understand the word, submit to the word, get the understanding it changes us forever.

Proverbs 2:2 “ So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;” Proverbs 3:13 “ Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;”

When you get that its about the power of Jesus at work in our lives, then fruit comes, because we become those who get it. And dish it out. Hebrews 10:11–18 “ And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.”

Romans 6:5–9 “ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.”

Close: This isn't about being a good evangelist, or giving money to the church, this is about the incredible life changing power of the Word of God. When we understand that Jesus is the Son of God, Word made flesh, our lives are forever changed.

This is about prophecy being fulfilled, and a nation who's leaders rejected the one they have been anticipating for thousands of years. Who condemned themselves by say Jesus was doing this by a demon. They slandered God. They arent followers, they’re gonna lose so much more than they will save (Go look at the attack on Jerusalem of 70AD). Twas devastating. But at the same time, they show that their knowledge of the word and all was fleshly, earthly. Because understanding truly looks like something, James 3:13 “ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” For us to have true faith, we must worship the way/truth/life. He has abundant never ending life for us.