The Seed and the Sower
Some people know, some people think they know, some people have never heard of, and some people have no idea as to the purpose or meaning of the word PARABLE.Therefore, let's start with the definition of the word, so there will be clear understanding of its meaning and approach as used by Jesus in His story telling lessons to convey spiritual truths of thought in His teachings during His earthly ministry when He walk among us.
The dictionary defines a Parable as being as follows...
Parable: a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson; especially, one of the stories told by Jesus Christ and recorded in the Bible
In this particular parable Jesus uses an agricultural context to get His message across to the crowd of people who followed Him, and to us.
The Parable of the Sower
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower (a person planting crops) went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some seed fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. The person who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables
And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the people it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to the people in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’
"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
The Parable of the Sower Explained...
“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one(the devil) comes and snatches away what was sown in the person's heart. This is the person who received seed (the Word of God) by the wayside (path). But the person who received the seed on stony places, this is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet the person has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately the person stumbles. Now the person who received seed among the thorns is the person who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But the person who received seed (the Word) on the good ground is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew Chapter 13
Those who have hears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit of the Lord speaks.
Comments (7)
Amen! Hallelujah! To You.....
Bless are those who hear the word. And receive the word! And sow the words of the Lord, in his/ her daily life. In thy heart!.....
Nice blog!
"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Amen sister!
In reading the Parable of the Sower, I believe that the soil (ground) represents the human heart. And that those who are sincerely open to truth, will allow the truth of God's Word to take root in their heart and in their life, therefore, producing good fruit (Matthew 13:23).
Thanks for sharing. Good read!
God bless!
It is a true blessing from the Lord when a person willingly hears and receives God's word in their minds, hearts, souls, and spirits, and become doers of His word in our daily lives, and not just hearers... its very easy for a person to say, I know the Word, but the Word doesn't know them because their behavior does not exemplify God's teachings in what he/she says or do. Being a good person and nice means nothing, if the word does not shine from within the heart for others to see daily in all manner of things
Thank you for your welled express comment
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours...
"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."
Blessed are YOU!
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours!
What you speak is so very true. And as God has proclaimed to all of us in order that we might produce (be rewarded with) good fruit unto Him for the kingdom. And it all starts with repentance of sins and a broken heart to receive Christ, which brings about spiritual vitality and a changed life and life/style.
As the Lord called Jeremiah to tell Israel before He judged them, to break up their fallow ground (soften their hearts to receive the truth), and do not sow (plant) among thorns. The breaking must be from the hearts of men, not just an outward show.
May your Christmas be MERRY AND BRIGHT for you and yours...
Merry Christmas to you and your family!