Parable of the Soils Matthew 13:1-23

Intro

The teacher had instructed the students to push the seed into the potting soil in the styrofoam cup

They then placed cups up on the window seal of the classroom

Each day the students came in with expectation of seeing something

When they didn’t see anything they wanted to water it more

The teacher told them that the seeds needed equal amount water, sun, and oxygen to grow

Too much of one would cause the seed to die

One day they came in and green sprouts could be seen above the lid of the cup

The students were giddy with excitement and after a few more days they could take it home

I had a friend who was the manager of a group of scientists in a top-secret laboratory on a military installation.

These scientists spent their days looking through microscopes and conducting experiments in a sterile atmosphere.

They only came out of the lab when necessary or went home.

One day his daughter brought home her school experiment

It was a st

My friend's desk was right outside the lab's door, and on his desk, he had a small plant his daughter had given him.

He noticed that the scientists took a great interest in the plant, often smiling at it when they walked by, even talking to it.

One day, when he came into work, he noticed the plant had some yellow leaves. He was concerned about how his scientists would take it dying, so he took it home.

The plant quickly revived upon doing so.

He quickly understood what was happening.

The scientists were watering the plant when he wasn't at his desk. The plant was drowning.

In that sterile workplace that tiny plant brought joy because it was a symbol of life

Read Matthew 13:1-9

Transition

4 Types of Soil vs. 1-9

vs. 1-3 Teaching in Parables

Parable

Terms parable or parables used 48 times in the New Testament

parable = to place or cast alongside

Something physical alongside something spiritual

Earthly stories with heavenly meanings

1/3 of Jesus' teachings are in story form

Rabbis used stories

In the ancient world storytelling was prime method of teaching

Use stories to paint pictures

SOWER = Person who held a vessel filled with seed in the left hand and scattered the seed with a practiced motion with the right hand.

The seed was usually scattered on untilled ground. Then with a plow, the ground would be scratched or turned to cover the seed.

Kingdom of Heaven

The kingdom is one of Jesus favorite subjects

Matthew 4:17 ESV

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Today’s parable is about the kingdom of God

Jesus uses the metaphor of a field to represent the kingdom

vs. 4 Seeds on the Path

The first soil we see is the hard soil

This soil had become hard by people walking on it

It had become the paths that the farmers walked around their fields

seeds that fell here were either eaten by birds or blown away by the wind

vs. 5-6 Seeds in Rocky Soil

The next type of soil we see in the rocky soil

Now this doesn’t mean the soil had rocks in it

In Israel there was limestone that often resided less than an inch under the top soil

Seeds that feel on this would have enough soil to germinate and send up a shoot, but it couldn’t establish roots

It’s growth was quick because it didn’t have to do the hard work of pushing roots down

When the heat of the day it would wither because it had no root system to draw water

vs. 7 Seeds amongst the Thorns

The third type of soil was good fertile soil, but weeds known as tares would choke out any growth that could be harvested

The plants would be anemic and spindly

As both would grow the thorns would encircle around the plant and its root would steal the water choking out all life

vs. 8 Seeds in Fertile Soil

The final soil is the fertile soil

This is soil rich in the minerals and moisture necessary to be harvested

When seeds are planted here they bring a mighty harvest

vs. 9 Let Him Hear

Jesus finishes this section by telling everyone there to listen

But only those who had open hearts would receive

Purpose of Parables vs. 10-17

vs. 10-11 Why Teach in Parables?

After Jesus told the Parable his disciples asked why

They were familiar with parables because all of the scribes and Rabbis used them while they taught

They wanted to know why Jesus was using them

Jesus told them it to let them know the mysteries of the Kingdom

Those who’s hearts were open would understand what he was talking about

To those closed to the good news of Jesus they wouldn’t understand

You would think that Jesus was trying to keep it from those closed but it is actually the opposite

By using parables Jesus was able to share a story everyone understood, those who were open gleaned the spiritual principles, AND those who didn’t weren’t offended

Jesus didn’t want to turn off those people or offend them

If they knew Jesus was describing their spiritual state they might have become combative

vs. 12 More Will Be Given

To the one who comprehends the parables, they are given more understanding

They will have an abundance of truth, wisdom, and insight

This will be a blessing

To those who are closed even what understanding they have will be taken away

vs. 13 Hearing but Do Not Hear

Parables aren’t just easy stories or metaphors for life

A lot of pastors use the thinking that Jesus related to the masses by telling stories

That is not the case

It was a way for him to explain spiritual reality to his followers

It was also a way to separate the wheat from the chaff

Those who followed Jesus and those who wanted something from him

Parables expose the spiritual blind because they can’t understand Biblical truth

vs. 14-15 This was foretold

This isn’t something new to Israel

They had been guilty of this for centuries

800 years before Isaiah prophesied this would happen with the people when Jesus appeared

Quoting Isaiah 6:9-10

Isaiah 6:9–10 ESV

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

vs. 10 has an interesting phrase

“Make their hearts dull”

This is what Jesus means in vs. 12 “even what they have will be taken away.”

The more you hear about Jesus and the more you reject him the harder your heart grows.

vs. 16-17 Blessed to hear

Parable Explained vs. 18-23

It’s easy to look at this parable and relate it to the state of the world

I think you would be interested to know that this isn’t meant for unbelievers

This is meant for those in the kingdom of God

I want to challenge you to look at these types of soils as one area and that is your heart

Your heart is your life

There are places that can be hard, shallow, weedy, and fertile

vs. 18-19 Hard soil = Devil Steals

vs. 20-21 Rocky Soil = No root

vs. 22 Thorny Soil = cares of the world

vs. 23 Fertile soil = Understands the Word

This is the parable of the Sower

2 Corinthians 9:10 ESV

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

How many types of soil were there?

How many produced a harvest?

Only 25% of the people got it

That means 3/4 of you are going to hear this message and walk out and forget it