by Gary L. Evans
(revised 5/7/2023)
The Parable of The Sower — Part 1
It may seem quite shocking to learn that Jesus did not intend for the public to understand His teaching to any depth. When He taught publicly, He spoke in seeming riddles or dark sayings. Then He would take His disciples off to the side in private and explain their meaning to them in detail. Consider the “parable of the sower.”
Mat 13:1-9 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The method used by this sower described is called “broadcasting,” which was done with the grass like grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. The farmer walked through a field carrying a large bag of seed hanging from his shoulders, repeatedly reached in to get a hand full and used a smooth sweeping motion of his arm to let the seeds slip through his fingers so that they evenly covered the ground. Broadcasting is commonly used today as an inexpensive way to sow or re-sow a lawn with new grass seed.
The “way side” is like a well trodden path or road where the ground is hardened with packed dirt from being walked on continually. Just imagine what would soon happen after the farmer scattered seed all along the path or road. A flock of birds would land and eat up all of the seed which was easily spotted on the barren ground. So in this case, the birds were doing damage by quickly eating up the farmer’s seed scattered in this area, which in turn did not have the slightest chance to sprout.
The other two types of ground are easily understood as also being unsuitable, so the surface meaning of this parable is simple to comprehend. It is just common sense that one cannot grow a good crop by throwing seed onto any of the first three types of ground, but instead must cast it onto well ploughed fertile soil which is free of rocks, weeds, and briers in order to expect any profitable results.
Mat 13:10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Jesus declared that His chosen disciples were supposed to understand The Mysteries of The Kingdom, but the public at large was not supposed to understand.
This precept illustrates a type of predestination, of Election, but Jesus is also going to explain how there are substantial reasons why people in general are not fit to be trusted in any service to God Most High.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
The Lord is teaching from Proverbs:
Pro 1:5-7 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Remember that reverence to the Most High is the first requirement to gain true knowledge and wisdom. Those who do not reverence God are fools who hate wisdom and instruction.
In a public setting, a crowd is at best a mixed bunch, with perhaps a few sincere devotees but all of the rest just gathering around because of the large number of people and all the commotion.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Jesus explains more detail through a pair of logical contradictions describing their behavior, which is in fact quoted from Isaiah.
Isa 6:8-10 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
People in general are essentially arrogant, believing that they already perceive the world clearly, and therefore are not capable of perceiving the deeper truths from The Lord’s teaching. They believe that they already understand what is significant, and therefore cannot begin to comprehend the incredible wisdom entailed within His dark sayings.
Can you imagine some of the people jumping to premature conclusions, shaking their heads in disapproval, and walking away thinking, “What is the point? He is telling us what we already know. Is he presuming to teach us how to farm?”
Mat 13:14-15 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
The simple truth is that people in general are not suitable for God’s purpose and plans. God still loves them. But they think they know something already. Their minds have become calloused from all the ideas and philosophies they’ve learned, and they’ve heard so many things from so many teachers they become easily bored, desiring more to be entertained than to focus earnestly on serious Bible study.
They are not meant to understand the teachings of Christ; they are not meant to be converted; and they are not meant to be healed and to receive salvation.
Like I said before, grasping this fact may at first seem shocking, because the scope is the entire world. Only God’s Elect are selected to hear and understand, and to you our Lord continues saying:
Mat 13:16-17 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Parable of The Sower — Part 2
The disciples were chosen to be given understanding and wisdom, and because of that fact they were indeed very special in the overall scheme of things. Jesus emphasized just how special they were by mentioning that many Old Testament prophets and many sincere believers throughout history had desired the full understanding that the disciples were being given now. Jesus explains:
Mat 13:18-19 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
A “kingdom” is a king and his dominion. The gospel or “good news” is the declaration and description of God’s Kingdom and how to enter into it through The New Covenant.
Jesus explains that the “seed” is the “word of the kingdom,” which is the teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.
What about all of those “fowls that came and devoured them up” from the surface of the “way side?” Unclean birds are frequently used in Scripture to represent evil, as in this case where they represent “the wicked one” who is in fact “The Devil,” alias “Satan,” or in the plural by extension “Satan’s servants.”
Focus on the key subject, which is true doctrine, The Truth. Satan’s work is to destroy or nullify the wisdom and understanding offered by the “word of the kingdom” by the false doctrine of evil doers in this world, such as by false preachers and teachers who contradict and confuse the teaching of God’s Word, and by empty headed philosophers and idealists who presume to be wiser than God or even deny that He exists.
Unless people develop some depth of understanding of The Word of God quickly, all of the opposing forces in this world will overwhelm them with contradictions they are not prepared to resist, resulting in the removal of God’s Word from their thoughts. And this first type of hearer is hardened and stubborn, unwilling to accept The Word even for a moment of contemplation. This type does not have the slightest chance of usefulness.
This first precept is extremely important as a warning to the disciples of Christ, because it is exactly the mindset and behavior of so many people when they are introduced to the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ. They may hear a few things but not enough to develop any significant understanding. The Word of God cannot take root in their minds.
Some may have already learned so many things, so many ideas and philosophies, so many man-made traditions and religious dogma, that they have become arrogant. Often such people are professionals, and even religious leaders such as priests and preachers.
The notion of “packed dirt” from “the well trodden path” can be understood to represent the vast number of meaningless ideas and falsehoods that have been packed into their minds. They may already know so much religion or philosophy and perhaps a big pile of pseudo-science that they have become hard hearted, such that it is impossible to teach them anything.
Mat 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
These “stony places” represent people who listen for a while and appear to believe at first. And the “stones” represent “trouble caused by other people,” particularly from people who attack anyone who begins to understand the literal truth of God’s Word. These converts don’t last very long under duress because they do not understand enough of God’s Word to defend their newly found convictions. Believe it or not, their persecutors are often religious leaders guarding their own money making machines, “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” as Jesus would call them.
Note that most of the Old Testament prophets, including John the Baptist the greatest of all, were murdered.
Who were those people who hated Jesus? They were the high ranking religious experts and leaders who maintained command and control over the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, albeit while under subjection to the Roman government. It was the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees that continually tried to find fault with Jesus in order to have some pretext to arrest and defame Him, and who eventually became obsessed with the desire to put Him to death!
This second precept is also extremely important because it can apply to every one of us when we become new converts. At first we do not understand much at all, but are attracted to the simple promises offered in The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and allow ourselves to place our trust in God, The Father. But a new disciple must quickly become dedicated to daily study of God’s Word, or else will never obtain any deep conviction based on a rational understanding provided therein.
God’s Word is very logical, line after line, precept after precept. The Scriptures teach us about hidden mysteries, kept secret from the world, but revealed to the Disciples of Christ.
It takes time and effort to study and think and to let the full meaning sink into our minds. It requires endurance of some heart ache and even personal suffering. But once one understands the truth in logical detail, he can endure anything, even death.
True Christians are not men worshipers and never believe by rote, but are deep thinkers who search the Scriptures to determine the truth of every matter. So the new convert is under time pressure for quick understanding, and if there are too many obstacles and interruptions, caused by emotional, mental, or physical attacks by other people, the odds are he or she will not continue in God’s Word very long.
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Whenever a new convert is constantly distracted by worry and fear, it becomes almost impossible for him to gain much understanding. Preoccupation with family, friends, enemies, or work can become emotionally and mentally overwhelming. Also the material things of the world can be major distractions causing a new convert to soon stop studying God’s Word altogether for long periods of time.
So the “thorns” in this third case represent all the various things in this world that can distract someone from dedicated daily study of the Scriptures. They can appear as a personal crisis, which occurs without warning, and just as that one is resolved, another one occurs. Time passes by while the convert is busy with other things instead of what is truly most important for Christians to be focused on every day.
Such people may remain believers, at least on the surface, all of their lives but never progress beyond an amateurish level of understanding, thus never develop a mature degree of mastery of God’s Word and remain unable to provide much service to our Father.
Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
So we see that the deeper meaning of this Parable of the Sower is about the challenge of teaching God’s Word to the different types of people in this world, and regarding their various mindsets, the challenges they will face as new believers if they do listen for a while, and how they will likely respond over time. Teaching a large crowd of people is like broadcasting seed, and so is writing a book and making it available to the public.
Unless God’s Word is taught to someone with self-humility, the willingness to learn, and the self-discipline to continue diligent life-long study, we cannot expect any lasting or effective result. But when we do teach one of these, they will continue to learn with an insatiable desire for more knowledge and understanding, and eventually develop their own mastery appropriate for whatever service God has for him or her to provide.
We can perceive that the “good ground” or “suitable student” is determined by God through predestination, or Election, and indeed it is. We can also see that to a large extent the unsuitability of most people is due to their own poor attitudes and the circumstances of their daily lives, so that regardless what we say to them or how much we encourage them it will not matter much; they are not going to change their attitudes; they are not going to leave or adjust their personal circumstances to allow for daily study; they are going to keep on going their own way living in their little worlds until the day they die.
We can perceive in this teaching of our Lord that out of all of the people who are introduced to The Word of God few will ever gain true wisdom and knowledge. The shocking truth is that we cannot go out and save the whole world, but instead can only succeed to bear much fruit by seeking out those individuals who “have ears to hear.”
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
A teacher must find his or her “Timothy,” and find as many of those as possible, just as the Apostle Paul did. And that fact brings us to the conclusion of this matter.
Jesus would frequently call out to those special people mixed in the crowds with this coded commandment: “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”