GOOD GROUND - MATTHEW 13: 1-23

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 13)

13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”WHY JESUS USED PARABLES10 Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”11 He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive.15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, band they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back—and I would heal them.,16 “Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER EXPLAINED18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

GOD’S WORD GROWS WHEN IT LANDS IN GOOD GROUND.

JESUS IS ON MISSION. AND HIS MISSION IS THE KINGDOM. KINGDOM! NOW WHILE JESUS DOESN’T EXPLICITLY DEFINE THE KINGDOM, HE DESCRIBES THE KINGDOM: SIMPLY STATED: GOD’S RULE ON EARTH…KINGDOM...

SO, WITH JESUS’ REVELATION OF HIS PURPOSE (TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM), CAME THE REJECTION OF HIS PERSON AND PURPOSE!

THOSE TO WHOM HE CAME HAVE REJECTED HIM, AND ARE PLOTTING AGAINST HIM, AND SO JESUS PIVOTS! HE SHIFTS...

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO SHIFT? TO PIVOT? FOLKS YOU WERE ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE OR COMMUNE WITH SIMPLY WEREN’T HAVING IT. THEY DIDN’T WANT YOUR INSIGHT, ADVICE OR WISDOM…SO YOU PIVOTED. YOU SHIFTED...

AND AS MATTHEW 13 OPENS, JESUS BEGINS TO COMMUNICATE DIFFERENTLY...

PARABLES: A METHOD OF CONNECTING KNOWN TRUTH WITH AN UNKNOWN TRUTH.... AWWW, JESUS IS SHIFTING!

YOU SEE, JESUS’ MISSION WILL BE FULFILLED WITH AND THROUGH THOSE WHO ARE RECEPTIVE - GOOD GROUND!

JESUS IS SHIFTING…CROWDS CONTINUE TO ENGAGE: SOME SEEKING - OTHERS SNEAKING! TO WEED THROUGH THE CROWD, JESUS PURPOSES TO USE PARABLES…AND IN THE RABBINICAL STYLE OF TEACHING, JESUS SITS. HAVING CONVERTED THE BOW OF A BOAT INTO HIS PULPIT. AS THE PEOPLE GATHER ROUND THE WORD RECORDS:

3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”

THE MOVEMENT OF THIS NARRATIVE IS AS FOLLOWS:

THE PRESENTATION OF THE PARABLE (VS.3-9)

THE REASON FOR THE PARABLE (VS. 10-17)

THE EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE (VS. 18-23)

PRESENTATION: SOWER - SEED - SOIL

FOUR TYPES OF SOIL:

The Outline Bible (Section Outline Twelve (Matthew 13))

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!

FOUR RESULTS OF THE SEED

JESUS IS TEACHING, BUT MOST AIN’T GETTING IT. WHILE THEY CAN SEE THE VISUAL OF THE PARABLE, THE “WHY” OF THE PARABLE IS ESCAPING THEM...

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 13)

10 Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”

JESUS HAS SHIFTED, AND THE DISCIPLES HAVE NOTICED…WHAT’S THIS YOU SAYING? SO, IN THIS PRIVATE EXCHANGE, JESUS GIVES HIM REASONING BEHIND THE PARABLES:

IT’S REVELATION FOR YOU! THE SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEVEN HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR YOU TO KNOW....AS YOU LISTEN (IN FAITH) THE TRUTH WILL PENETRATE YOUR HEARTS…YES, I’LL EXPLAIN WHERE NECESSARY, BUT YOU’LL KNOW…YOU’LL KNOW....

AWWW, NOW ONLY REVELATION FOR YOU!

SECONDLY, JESUS USES PARABLES AS CONCEALMENT FROM THEM! “BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN TO THEM...”

(((MORE)))

THIRDLY, JESUS USES PARABLES AS PROPHETIC FOR ALL…THINGS ARE BEING FULFILLED WITH JESUS’ WORDS...

THE FINAL MOVEMENT IN THIS SECTION: THE EXPLANATION FO THE PARABLE, JESUS HELPS THEM/US TO SEE WHAT HE’S SAYING:

“So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

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