Parable of the Sower

Jesus went out of the house a sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”--Matthew 13:1-9.

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” --Matthew 13:18-23.

The thirteenth chapter of Matthew's Gospel contains seven parables of Jesus. They are about a sower, weeds, mustard seed and yeast, hidden treasure and the pearl, and the net. The phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven is like" introduces six of the parables. Studying this chapter and these seven parables will give us a better understanding about God's Kingdom.

The first parable which deals with a farmer who sowed his seed is the longest and is perhaps the most familiar. In this story Jesus was instructing his disciples by using an illustration from the agrarian society that they were part of. First of all, Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that like the farmer they ought to be out in the field, which is the "world," sowing the seed which is the "Gospel." Just as a farmer cannot produce seed or cause it to germinate, both he and a disciple can and should plant the seed. Christians should definitely be sowing more seed than most of us do. You could do this through a spoken witness, printed literature, etc. Secondly, Jesus described the four different soils on which the seed fell. Those soils actually represent various heart conditions of people who hear the Gospel. An analysis of these "soils" indicates that only one of the four is "good" soil. Therefore, the Lord's disciples should be realistic about the results and not be discouraged by rejection or a lack of response. Thirdly, just as all soils are not the same, neither are the results from the plants that produce a yield. While the outcome may be different -- 30, 60, or 100 times -- from what was sown, the point is that reproduction and multiplication should occur. Translation: All Christians may not be effective evangelists as Billy Graham but we should reproduce other believers.

Parable of the Weeds

Matthew 13:24-30: "Jesus told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.' The owner’s servants came to him and said, "Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?" ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

Jesus then left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear" (Matthew 13:36-43).

The second parable in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew is about the wheat and the weeds. After Jesus told the story, he followed it by sharing two other short parables about the mustard seed and the yeast. He left the crowds and went into a house and his disciples asked him for an explanation about the parable of the weeds in the field. Apparently, individually and as a group, they did not "get it." Jesus explained the parable to them in a nutshell (see vv. 37-39).

This story about the Kingdom of Heaven has one main truth--that there are good seeds that germinate into wheat and bad seeds that become weeds. The sower of the good seed (the Gospel) is the Son of Man or Jesus Christ. The enemy who sows the seeds that become weeds is the devil. Both the wheat and the weeds are allowed to grow together until the separation which will occur at the harvest (the judgment). The destiny of the weeds is to be pulled up and burned in the fire whereas the "righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father."

There is a vast difference between heaven and hell (see Luke 16:19-31). What are you -- wheat or weeds? This is what will determine your eternity. As Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear." Respond in faith to the Gospel and become one of the righteous who are destined to experience the glories of heaven and eternal life.