Parable of the Sower - 2

Parable of the Sower - 2 - The Hard Path

Blessing on listening and doing

Deuteronomy 11:26–28 ESV

26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.

Understanding God’s Word is Paramount

· This is the most foundational parable – unlocks all the other parables.

Mark 4:13 NLT

13 Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables?

Sower = Son of God

Matthew 13:3 ESV

3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.

Mark 4:3 NLT

3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.

Sower explained

Seed = Word

Mark 4:14 NLT

14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.

Luke 8:11 NLT

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.

Hard-hearted – Path

Matthew 13:4 ESV

4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Mark 4:4 ESV

4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

Stepped on = hurts of life

Luke 8:5 NLT

5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.

Path of Life

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.

Mark 4:15 ESV

15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.

Luke 8:12 NLT

12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.

Birds = enemy = evil one

John 17:15 ESV

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

Some won’t believe: Hearts Became Hard

‘The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved’ (v.12, MSG).

Hard

· hard times, hard life, hard childhood, hard marriage, hardheaded, hard hearted, between a rock and a hard place.

How do people become hard?

· Parable – people’s hearts respond like soil

· Walked over, stepped on, run over

· Hardened by adversity – survival instinct

Parable of the Sower - 2 - The Hard Path