RETURN TO
SYLLABUS
THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #26
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED (MAT 13:3-23)
- MEMORY VERSE: GAL 5:22-23
- EXPLANATION OF MAT 13 PARABLES:
- THERE ARE EITHER 7 OR 8 PARABLES IN MAT 13 DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO LIST THEM. SOME
THEOLOGIANS DIVIDE THEM INTO 7 AND SOME INTO 8. THEY ARE ALL ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON
EARTH IN THE DAY IN WHICH JESUS LIVED, UP UNTIL THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. THEY GIVE US
A GOOD PICTURE OF HOW GOD’S KINGDOM WORKS IN OUR PRESENT DAY. THE FIRST FOUR PARABLES
WERE SPOKEN TO THE MIXED MULTITUDE, WHILE THE LAST FOUR WERE SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES
PRIVATELY.
- THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED (MAT 13:3-23)
- READ MAT 13:1-23 (LUK 8:4-15)
- THERE ARE THREE BASIC ELEMENTS IN THIS PARABLE:
- THE SOWER
- THE SEED
- THE VARIOUS SOILS
- THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING PARABLE OBJECTS:
- THE SOWER:
- THE SOWER IS A GENERIC TERM, MEANING THAT DOES NOT REFER TO A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL, BUT
TO A CLASS OF PERSONS.
- THE SOWER IS GOD IN JER 31:27
- THE SOWER IS CHRIST IN MAT 13:37
- THE SOWER IS EVERY BELIEVING CHRISTIAN IN 1COR 9:11
- THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SOWER IS TO SOW THE SEED. HE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER THE SEED HITS THE GROUND. HE CANNOT MAKE IT GROW.
- THE SEED:
- THE SEED REPRESENTS THE WORD OF GOD’S KINGDOM. (MAT 13:19)
- ALL THE SEED MUST BE SOWN. THE WHOLE GOSPEL OF GOD MUST BE PRESENTED.
- FOR EXAMPLE: YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE
RESURRECTION.
- THE NATURE OF THE SEED:
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND INCORRUPTIBLE. (1PET 1:22-25)
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD IS POWERFUL AND SOUL SAVING (ROM 1:16 ROM 10:17)
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD IS HEAVENLY AND DIVINE. (ISA 55:10-11)
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD IS IMMUTABLE AND EVERLASTING (ISA 40:8)
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD IS ABLE TO SAVE. (JAM 1:17,18,21)
- BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST IS THE WORD IN JOH 1:1, HE IS ALSO THE SEED AS WELL AS THE SOWER.
(LUK 4:16-22)
- THE DIFFERENT SOILS:
- THE EMPHASIS IN THE PARABLE IS ON THE DIFFERENT SOILS AND THEIR REACTION TO THE SEED.
- THEREFORE, THE SOILS REPRESENT THE HUMAN HEART AND HOW THE HEART RESPONDS TO THE WORD OF
GOD.
- GROUND #1, THE WAYSIDE (4)
- THE WAYSIDE SOIL REPRESENTS THE HEARER WITH A CLOSED HEART AND MIND, LACKING ANY
SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION. (PSA 14:1)
- THE SEED FALLS ON THE SURFACE OF THE SOIL BUT DOES NOT PENETRATE INSIDE THE SOIL.
- THE FOULS:
- THE BIRDS REPRESENT SATAN AND HIS DEMONS WHO DESTROY THE SEED SO THAT IT DOES NOT
PENETRATE THE SOIL.
- GROUND #2, THE STONY PLACES (5)
- THE STONY SOIL REPRESENTS THE EMOTIONAL HEARER WHO IS SUPERFICIAL AND HAS NO DEPTH OF
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING.
- THE SEED FALLS ON THE SURFACE AND ENTERS INTO THE SOIL BUT DOES NOT GO DEEP ENOUGH TO
ESTABLISH ROOTS. THE HEART IS A HARD ROCK UNDERNEATH THE SEED.
- THE SUN:
- THE SUN REPRESENTS TEMPTATIONS OR HARD TIMES THAT PREVENT THE SEED FROM GROWING.
- GROUND #3, AMONG THORNS (7)
- THE THORNY GROUND REPRESENTS THE HEARER WITH A WANDERING MIND. THE SEED TAKES ROOT BUT
THE PLANT DOES NOT BEAR ANY FRUIT.
- THE SEED FALLS ON THE SURFACE AND ENTERS INTO THE SOIL. IT EVEN GOES DOWN DEEP ENOUGH
INTO THE SOIL TO GERMINATE. HOWEVER, THE PLANT DOES NOT COME UP BECAUSE IT IS CHOKED BY
WEEDS.
- THE THORNS:
- THE THORNS REPRESENT DAILY CHORES, DESIRES OF THE WORLD, PLEASURES, AND RICHES. FORCES
IN OPPOSITION TO THE NATURE OF THE SEED ARE ALLOWED TO EXIST AND ENTER A PERSON’S
LIFE SO AS TO CHOKE OUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GROWING SEED.
- A GARDEN HAS WEEDS BECAUSE OF NEGLECT.
- DISCUSSION: WHAT ARE THE WEEDS IN A PERSON’S LIFE THAT THE BELIEVER NEGLECTS
TO PULL?
- THE BELIEVER CAN GET OVERBURDENED BY A NUMBER OF DISTRACTIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE
LEGITIMATE WITHIN THEMSELVES. FOR EXAMPLE, WORK OR FAMILY CAN BE A LEGITIMATE DISTRACTION
THAT CAN BECOME A WEED IF GOD IS NOT THE TOP PRIORITY OF YOUR LIFE.
- NOTICE THAT THE BIBLE CALLS THESE "THORNS" AND NOT JUST SIMPLE
"WEEDS". THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE BELIEVER GETS "CAUGHT" ON THEM.
- GROUND #4, GOOD GROUND (8)
- THE GOOD GROUND REPRESENTS THE SPIRITUALLY PERCEPTIVE HEART.
- THE SEED FALLS ON THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT ENTERS INTO THE SOIL AND PENETRATES
DEEPLY ENOUGH TO GERMINATE. THEN THE PLANT GROWS UP AND PRODUCES FRUIT.
- THE SEED OF THE WORD OF GOD BECOMES WELL ESTABLISHED, FILLING THE SOUL, MIND, HEART,
CONSCIENCE, AND WILL. THE PLANT PRODUCES FRUIT BECAUSE THE WORD HAS TOP PRIORITY IN THE
PERSON’S LIFE.
- THE FRUIT:
- THE FRUIT REPRESENTS ANY DEED YOU HAVE DONE FOR CHRIST THAT WAS INITIATED, MOTIVATED,
AND EMPOWERED BY CHRIST.
- THE FRUIT IS PRODUCED FOR THE SOWER, CHRIST, AND BENEFITS OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL.
- THE SEED BEARS FRUIT IN THE SAME PROPORTION AS IT IS ALLOWED TO POSSESS THE HEART. (LUK
8:15)
- THE 30, 60, AND 100-FOLD IN VERSE 23 REPRESENT THE FACT THAT ALL CHRISTIANS DO NOT
PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THEREFORE, ALL CHRISTIANS DO NOT
REAP THE SAME REWARDS IN GOD’S ETERNAL KINGDOM. (1COR 3:12-15)
- THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE:
- HUMAN HEARTS ARE NOT EQUALLY RECEPTIVE TO CHRIST AND THE WORD OF GOD. INSTEAD THE HEART
ALLOWS OTHER THINGS TO TAKE PRIORITY. GOD WANTS US TO BE SPIRITUALLY PERCEPTIVE:
- WE NEED TO HEAR AND PERCEIVE HIS COMMAND OF WHAT HE WANTS US TO DO WITH OUR LIVES.
- WE NEED TO BE COMMITTED TO CHRIST SO THAT WE OBEY HIS CALLING.
- WE NEED TO PERCEIVE THE ANOINTING OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO ENABLES US TO
COMPLETE HIS WILL.
- SUMMARY:
- NOTICE THAT THE ENEMY IN THE FIRST 3 SOWINGS IS:
- THE FOWLS = THE DEVIL
- THE SUN = THE FLESH
- THE THORNS = THE WORLD
- ALL THE THINGS THAT KEEP US FROM DOING GOD’S WILL AND PRODUCING FRUIT FOR
GOD’S KINGDOM FALL INTO THESE SAME THREE CATEGORIES.
- A QUESTION TO PONDER:
- WHICH OF THE FOUR HEARTS REPRESENTED BY THE FOUR SOILS ARE SAVED?
- GROUND #1 THE WAYSIDE:
- BECAUSE THE DEVIL STOLE THE WORD BEFORE IT GOT DOWN INSIDE THE HEART, THE PERSON IS
OBVIOUSLY NOT SAVED.
- GROUND #2 THE STONY SOIL:
- BECAUSE THE WORD DID GET DOWN INSIDE THE HEART, THE PERSON IS SAVED BUT HE IS LIVING A
CARNAL LIFE STYLE.
- THE SAME PARABLE IS IN LUK 8:4-15. IN LUK 8:13 IT SAYS, "FOR AWHILE BELIEVED".
- THE WORD, "BELIEVE", IS USED FOR A FAITH THAT SAVES.
- THE ORIGINAL GREEK INDICATES THEY HAVE NO FIRM ROOT. IT DOES NOT INDICATE THAT
THERE IS NO ROOT.
- ANYTIME THERE IS GERMINATION AND SOME GROWTH, THERE IS SOME ROOT IN A PLANT.
- GROUND #3 THE THORNY SOIL:
- BECAUSE THE WORD DID GET DOWN INSIDE THE HEART, THE PERSON IS SAVED BUT WILL HAVE NO
REWARDS.
- LUK 8:14 SAYS THAT THERE IS NO FRUIT, BUT IT DOES NOT SAY THERE IS NO BELIEF.
- GROUND #4 THE GOOD SOIL:
- BECAUSE THE WORD DID GET DOWN INSIDE THE HEART, AND THE PERSON’S LIFE AND
PRIORITIES ARE COMMITTED TO DOING GOD’S WILL, THE PERSON IS OBVIOUSLY SAVED AND
PRODUCES FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AND THE WHEAT (MAT 13:24-30, 36-43)
THIS IS A SELF STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED (MAT 13:3-23)
- EXAMINE YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL RECEPTIVITY TO CHRIST AND HIS WORD.
- HAVE YOU RECEIVED CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART SO THAT HE IS IN YOU JUST AS THE SEED IS
IN THE GROUND?
- IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST, HAS THE SEED OF CHRIST’S WORD GROWN TO PRODUCE FRUIT
IN YOUR LIFE SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN SEE CHRIST IN YOU?
- DESCRIBE THE FRUIT THAT IS PRODUCED IN YOUR LIFE?
- PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE TARES AND THE WHEAT (MAT 13:24-30, 36-43)
- THIS PARABLE IS SPOKEN TO THE MIXED MULTITUDE OF BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS.
- READ MAT 13:24-30, 36-43
- WHO IS THE MAN WHO SOWED GOOD SEED? (24)
- WHAT IS THE GOOD SEED?
- WHAT IS THE FIELD?
- WHO IS THE ENEMY THAT ALSO SOWS? (25)
- WHAT IS THE WHEAT PLANT THAT SPRINGS UP IN VERSE 26?
- WHAT DO THE "TARES" REPRESENT? (26)
- WHO ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER? (27)
- WHAT DOES THE HARVEST REPRESENT? (30)
- WHO ARE THE REAPERS? (REV 14:14-20)
- WHAT DOES THE BARN REPRESENT?
- WHAT IS MEANT BY BURNING THE TARES?
- WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
- MEMORY VERSE: LEARN AS MUCH OF PSALM 1 AS YOU CAN.