When I was growing up I thought of the parables of Jesus as just stories He told because there were easy to understand and would make it possible for the people who followed Him to get what He was talking about. As with many things in life, I discovered there is a lot more to Jesus’s parables than I thought. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God using parables. Parables are stories about something physical on earth that gives us insight and knowledge about how the spiritual kingdom of heaven operates. There are over 30 parables that Jesus used to give us this kingdom knowledge. It’s important to look at more than just the parable itself. We have to look at the full context, because there was always a reason that Jesus told a specific parable, to a specific crowd, at a specific time. I want you to try and put yourself in the shoes of the people that Jesus was talking to as He told the parables to the crowds. You’ve heard about a guy who is doing miracles of healing and so you and your friends decide to go see what all the fuss is about. When you and your friends arrive there are already thousands of people there, so you find a place to sit and start listening to this guy as He is telling stories. You stay for a while and listen as He talks about a farmer spreading seed. When the show is over you think, well that was super cool. That was an interesting and fun to listen to guy, and of course, I like hanging out with my friends and going to a big event. I saw some people healed, so maybe I’ll come back again.
Was that the attitude of the vast majority of the people who came to see Jesus? I believe it was. Now did any of that scenario sound familiar? Does that look like anything you’ve done yourself on a Sunday morning? It does to me. I went to the church of thousands because it looked like a good time, but when the show was over, my life had not been changed. I just went because I was curious. As long as there was something fun in it for me, I kept going back. I want you to keep that in the back of your mind as we focus our attention on the parable of the Sower as it is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is a foundational piece of information to the kingdom of God. Matthew 13:1-2 “1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Have you ever thought about how Jesus was able to teach such large crowds without a modern sound system? If we had a building large enough to hold 5,000 people do you think everyone could hear me if we didn’t have a sound system? The way Jesus was able to do this was by using the laws of physics. God built all the laws of physics into the earth when He created it, so Jesus just used what He had at His disposal to get the job done. Now I won’t go into all the physics of why sound waves travel much further and get amplified over water, but if you ever go to a lake shore on a calm day you can hear this principal in action. A lake is a bowl shape and the hills around it form the sides of the bowl, this also contributes to the sound wave amplification.
This is why an amphitheater is built with the design that it is. Because it works acoustically. Jesus knew this and used it. How often do we use the excuse that if we just had something to help us, we could do something for Jesus? Jesus wants you to use what you already have at your disposal for His kingdom. If you won’t use what you have now, why would God give you more...to continue doing nothing with? OK, let’s read the parable. Matthew 13:3-8 “3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Well, that was a nice story. But what does it have to do with anything? I’m sure, that’s what the people were probably thinking. The first thing I want us to notice is how much seed was successful long term. 25% of the seed was eaten by the birds. 25% of the seed didn’t have deep soil. 25% of the seed got choked out by thorns. That’s 75% of the seed that didn’t do what it was supposed to do. Only the last 25% of the seed grew and produced a harvest. It wasn’t the fault of the seed. All of the seed had the same potential, but only 25% was successful. It wasn’t the seed that was the issue. It was the soil.
The first soil was hardened from being walked over so the seed couldn’t penetrate and be planted. The second soil was too rocky and shallow. The third soil was already producing a crop and there was no room for anything else to grow. The seed was the same, but the soil was different. After Jesus finishes the story, He says a very strange thing. Matthew 13:9 “9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Well, how many of those people didn’t have ears? I bet all of them did. So what was Jesus saying? It wasn’t the fact that they didn’t have ears. It was the fact that they weren’t using them properly. Jesus was qualifying the type of soil from the very parable He just told earlier. Your ears have to be opened in order to hear what the Lord is saying. Your hearing has to be opened by the word of God, through faith, so the kingdom message can be planted into your heart. Romans 10:17 “17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” You have to be seeking the word of God to get your spiritual hearing aids. Your spiritual hearing aid is faith. When you are listening to the word of God through faith, you can have “ears to hear.” Otherwise you will be listening through fleshly ears and hearing only what you want to hear. Hebrews 11:6 “6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hearing the word through faith is required to be diligently seeking God. God views those who are seeking Him through faith differently than those who are not.
Those who seek God in faith will find what they are looking for. The kingdom is not for the casual Christian, but for those who are diligently seeking. Alright, let’s continue the story from the gospel of Mark. Mark 4:10-12 “10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand,lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” In verse 12 Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah when He says they hear but don’t understand. This is where He clarifies His statement about “whoever has ears, let them hear.” Jesus spoke in parables because He was hiding the mysteries of the Kingdom from those who weren’t seeking Him in faith as the Messiah. The mysteries of the kingdom are revealed to the disciples who seek the kingdom in faith. They are rewarded with hearing. Mark 4:13 “13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” The parable of the Sower is a key to unlock the other parables. So we must be seeking by faith to hear and understand it...this will allow us to correctly interpret the other parables Jesus told. He continues and tells them to listen so they can hear the true meaning.
Matthew 13:18-19 “18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 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 next couple of truths we have to understand about this parable is that Jesus says the seed is the message about the kingdom and the soil is a heart. How many times have you heard me say that we have to have the word of God planted in our heart? This is where that concept comes from. We have all walked along a well worn path. What is the ground like? It’s hard and so compacted from people walking on it that it becomes smooth. Is that the kind of soil you choose when you plant seeds? Our heart has to be a place where the seed can take root. It has to be plowed up and not compacted to the point where seed just bounces off of it. Has your heart been walked on or trampled on to the point it is almost smooth and hard as stone? People will walk on you, with a complete disregard to what it is doing to you. That is why we have to be constantly aware of our heart condition. How is yours doing? Is it becoming hardened from the interaction with other people? Ezekiel 36:26 “26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” God wants to change your heart from smooth stone to soft flesh so the His word can take root. If our heart remains hard the seed of the word of God will just lay on the surface where it is easily stolen by the enemy. That’s what it looks like when I teach about the kingdom and someone with a hard heart allows the enemy to come
immediately and snatch it away. The enemy tells them, you’ve never heard this kingdom thing before, it can’t possibly be true. I know what church is supposed to be and this ain’t it. Score one for the enemy. 25% of the seed is now ineffective. Moving on. Matthew 13:20-21 “20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 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.” Have you ever been around someone who comes to church, gets excited about the message of the kingdom and then two months later you notice that you haven’t seen them in a while. They didn’t have any roots themselves. Maybe they came to church because of their parents or grandparents or even just a friend invited them. They have no root of faith themselves, they rely on their family faith to get them through. They thought the kingdom life would be awesome all the time and all of their problems would be over if they walked the isle and payed a prayer. When that did not turn out to be true they quickly lose faith and turn back to their old ways. They reject the kingdom because they didn’t count the cost of losing friends or family because they are now a holy roller and a church guy. Following Jesus will cost you something...your old life. You can’t have Jesus and continue to live your old life with your old friends. You have to separate yourself and make new friends who will push you to be conformed to the image of Christ. Luke 9:23-24 “23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” What does it look like to take up your cross and follow Jesus? Where are you walking when you take up a cross?
You are not just continuing to go about your regular life. You are a person under a judgment of death. You are walking towards losing your life, your crucifixion, your death. Does your life look like that? If you don’t stick it out, and just give up. Score two for the enemy. 50% of the seed is now ineffective. Moving on. Matthew 13:22 “22 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.” Did you ever watch the TV show “The Apprentice?” Money, money, money, money...money. Is that what has your attention? No, you don’t think so? let’s look closer. Is money the motivation of your life? Is that what you worry about? I mean, come on, you have a mortgage, probably some kids, which means a college fund and a 401K don’t you? Isn’t that what motivates you to keep working? What priority have you given money in your life? Does it control every decision? Do you have financial obligations that prevent you from being generous in the kingdom? Matthew 6:24 “24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” What could you do to help if I told you that just this week the church financially helped some people who needed a new washing machine and another family with a car repair? Do you have enough financial margin to do what needs to be done to take care of widows and orphans in the kingdom? Is there any room left for “others” in your financial life, or are you using up every bit of the resources God has entrusted to you? Do you claim to be fully surrendered to the King and yet you don’t use His resources for His purposes?
If you’ve allowed the deceitfulness of money to choke out the message of the kingdom in your life, score three for the enemy. 75% of the seed is now ineffective. Moving on. Matthew 13:23 “23 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.” Wait a minute, this looks promising. This is a person with a soft heart, who hears the message of the kingdom in faith and has been given spiritual hearing to receive and understand it. This is the soil that can produce many times what was sown into it...up to 100%. Mark 4:33 “33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.” Did you think the parable of the sower was just about the message of salvation to a person whom is lost? It is much more than that. As a believer, if that’s all you thought it was, it’s basically something you don’t need to study, because you have already been saved. If you are asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the meaning of a parable He will give you revelation of the word.
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