Parables, Sowers, and Soils

Opening Revelation

Psalm 119:33–40 ESV

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. 39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Introduction

You know those times you tell someone something, and they just don’t get it?

Maybe it was a joke you thought was funny, but they didn’t laugh?

Maybe it was a touching story, but they didn’t shed a tear?

Maybe it was something simple, but they couldn’t grasp it?

We all have those experiences where it’s not your delivery that’s off, or your explanations, but what you say just doesn’t click for the other person. What about those times you share the gospel with someone and it doesn’t take root?

I can think of two very similar examples of when I shared the same gospel-truth with people in similar situations where they had completely different reactions.

When I was in Chicago, I met a man who was in dire straits with his marriage. His wife was leaving him, his kids hated him, and the stress was causing him to under-perform at work and he was getting in a lot of trouble. This man shared with me some of his deepest sorrows, deepest regrets, and had tried everything under the sun to fix his broken family, only to be shunned and cut off.

So I empathized with him, told him how sorry I was, and tried to help him find hope beyond his own situation. I told him what I regard as “good news,” the best of news, even! That Christ died for our sins, taking the punishment for our failings against a perfect and righteous God on Himself. And not just dying like every other man, but raising from the dead and being a Savior who will “never leave us or forsake us.

But, he didn’t think this was good news at all. He couldn’t make the connection of this gospel-truth to his life, and (if I remember correctly) he even called it a “fairy tale.”

In another situation, I met a lady who had almost the exact same situation. She had failed in her marriage, her husband and kids were leaving her, and she had actually been fired from her job because her underwhelming performance at work.

I empathized with her, and gave her that same gospel-truth. She did find hope in the news. I bought her a Bible, prayed with her, and suggested a solid church for her to attend.

So, what was the difference in these situations? The gender of the person was different, but their situations were quite similar. The difference wasn’t in me, or in my delivery, or my location. It doesn’t even matter which of these situations happened first...

What is the difference between these two? Well, today we are going to hear some hard words of Jesus as He gives an illustration of what floated under the surface of these situations. He’s going to tell us of other ways people respond to good news of His kingdom, and He’s also going to encourage us to take an attitude in evangelism that we may not already have.

Let’s read.

Matthew 13:1–23 ESV

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Why parables? (13:10-17)

Real quick, I want us to consider the function of parables and even how to interpret them.

In church history, Christians have often struggled to understand “parables.” There have been two primary interpretative methods for understanding parables.

One method is that they are allegories. That they have some deeper, secret meaning that can only be ascertained by deep contemplation or meditation. Sometimes chanting, or re-reading the same passage over and over again recognizing that there was some deeper, more personal revelation in the words of Jesus. Even treating it as a code that needed to be de-coded, sometimes.

Early commentators of the Bible held this position mostly, especially in the latter third century and medieval periods.

The other method is that they are, as Jesus’ and His Disciples call them: “parables.” A parable is a simple story with a simple point. Usually a quick proverb of a story-telling nature.

A parable should be thought of as more of an “illustration” of a truth. It exists not to obscure the point and create some coded, hidden meaning, but to bring it to light for those who listen carefully and ask questions.

To hold to an allegorical method, honestly, devalues the fact that Jesus explains His more difficult parables. He explains them to His disciples, but then those disciples have recorded those explanations to us for our benefit.

Look at v. 11. Jesus explains His purpose of the using parables like this:

To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Jesus’ point is that He intentionally gave the parables to people in order to not give the crowds the secrets, the wisdom of His kingdom.

“For this people’s heart has grown dull,” Isaiah writes “…with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn , and [God] would heal them.”

Christ was intentionally hiding the truth from the crowds. Those whose hearts had not grown dull to God in faith would come to know the secrets, be His disciple… But those who had closed ears and blinded eyes would remain in the dark under the condemnation of God who was hiding truth from them.

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But we can’t miss the encouragement Jesus includes here. Within their condemnation is the blessed position of those who do have faith. Jesus says to His disciples:

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Application: Friends, to hear and understand Jesus’ words is a wonderful, blessed gift. We should be filled with delight to read these parables and be given understanding of them as disciples of Christ. Therefore, as we understand and apply the parable in our section today, let us humble our hearts and not close our eyes or deafen our ears.

The responsibility of the sower (13:3)

Notice in v. 3 where Jesus says “A sower went out to sow.” The duty of this man was to sow the seed he was given. He is not a person who is tilling the soil, he is just a simple sower.

Application: That is how we should see ourselves. When we read the contrasting situation in v. 19 (When anyone hears the word of the kingdom…) we should recognize this as a Christian duty. We are to get people to hear the “word of the kingdom.” This means that we should be announcing it, heralding this word. As Paul puts it in Romans 10:14:

Romans 10:14 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Transition: We are to be those who bring the good news of Christ’s kingdom to the ears of people. But, how can we be sure that people receive this word? Short answer: we aren’t supposed to.

Different Sorts of Soil (13:4-8, 19-23)

There are four sorts of soil that this sower throws the seed on. They are:

The path (13:4)

Rocky ground (13:5)

In some thorns (13:7) //and//

Good soil (13:8)

The result of the seed on the path is that it’s snatched away by birds, explained by Christ in v. 19 as it not being understood and Satan coming and snatching away the seed before it can take root in the heart.

This is like the man I had met.

Unlike on the path, the seed sown on rocky ground does take root, but the soil is apparently very shallow with rocks underneath. Though it springs up quickly, it gets burned by the scorching sun. This person appears to receive the gospel, but as soon as it gets hard to be a Christian, as soon as tribulation or persecution arises, they renounce their faith and “fall away.”

What gets sowed among thorns seems to sprout up as well, but unfortunately the over-bearing thorns do not allow the plant to sprout. Christ explains this is v. 22 as where worldly cares and the desire for riches “prove” this seed unfruitful.

Now, these last two examples are probably the most heartbreaking. I have more stories of these of people I care about than any others. Predominantly, the first set on the path don’t deeply bother me because I rarely have deep connections with these folks. But the sprouts on the rocky ground and among the thorns hurt when I see them happen, because they are usually those who I grew close to and counted as a brother or sister in the Lord.

They are those who appear to deeply love God as far as we can tell, but then they suddenly implode or explode. As quickly as they appeared on our radars as people who love God, they show themselves to be more concerned about things other than Christ.... Who is of deep, incredible value. Like a pearl of immense cost, in an upcoming parable.

The last soil is the most wonderful of soils. It receives the seed, takes root, grows up, and produces more sprouts, more plants, and yields something useful. It bears fruit, but not just for itself! Instead it continues producing more and more!

This is what we should be if we call ourselves Christians! If we are good soil where the gospel of the kingdom has taken root, then we should be those who produce a greater yield. We should naturally be those who spread more and more seed and sprout up more and more plants of our ilk.

Notice the diminishing amounts that Jesus affirms: 100, 60, 30. Our amount of replication isn’t most important, but that we are replicating.

We are to sow, not to make grow

So then, what do we learn from this parable?

We should learn these things:

We should realize that there are some whom God chooses not to illumine these truths to

Jesus wanted to hide this information from the crowds, but only allow the disciples to hear the explanations.

Now we have some of those explanations clearly retained in the Bible, and there are those whom we sow the seed of the gospel of Jesus’ kingdom who will hear, but will never perceive. They have self-closed ears, self-blinded eyes, and dull hearts just like many of the crowds who came to watch the spectacle of Jesus’ ministry.

There are always those who want to see the spectacle of Christianity, but in their deadened hearts they only want to be observers, not disciples.

We should realize that the sower is not blamed for sowing on bad soil

Christ does not fault the sower for missing the good spots, nor should we consider ourselves failures when people resist the gospel we bring to them.

The man who resisted the gospel at the beginning of this sermon was not my fault. I don’t bear the blame, as if I was able to till the soil of his heart. Though I truly hope that man would come to know the Lord.

When we follow the command to “preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18-20; and back in Romans 10:14-15), we often wonder if our evangelism is in vain. But knowing that the sower wasn’t blamed for the type of soil he sowed the seed on should encourage us.

Some have stretched this parable to say that we should be held responsible for “tilling” the soil and making it good. Pulling up the thorns, removing the rocks, being careful not to throw it the seed on the path, and so forth.

But, that is not what is addressed here! Christ does not call sowers to do such things. Manipulation tactics are abominable to the spread of the gospel and antithetical to the truth that God is the one who gives growth.

They may often look effective, but manipulation tends to prove the seed sown on rocky and thorny ground than anything else.

God is the one who gives growth (1 Cor. 3:6). We are just sowers, not ones who make the seed grow.

We should realize the sower would only be blamed for not sowing

If the sowers only job was to sow seed, as it is our job to sow the gospel of the kingdom, then he would not be faithful to his calling.

A sower who doesn’t sow isn’t doing his job, and therefore you should recognize your own responsibility to sow the seed of the gospel of Jesus’ kingdom. His kingdom that redeems sinners and treats welcomes in His subjects.

Conclusion

Do your work as sowers, saints. Do not grow discouraged as you’re ineffective, remembering that the type of soil is not your problem. You have all been given the seed of the gospel. You are not just to carry it on your person, but to spread it across all kinds of soil.