The Parable of the Sower

(Matthew 13:1-23)

Why Jesus uses parables?

In Matthew 13:1-8, we will notice that Jesus teaches using parables that the crowd can’t fully understand. Therefore, the first question is why did Jesus uses parables to teach when in fact people won’t understand Him completely? When asked by His disciples in Matthew 13:10, He says that “do not understand” for Him is the one who does not believe, it means that the crowd was listening to Jesus but they had already rejected His Words (Matthew 13:14). The fact that they have already rejected Jesus, the consequences is enforced in Matthew 13:15 that simply means that those who receive Him will be given more. Those who reject Him will be given less. They had rejected Him; therefore, the explanation of the parables would not be revealed to them. But if they truly have the desire in their heart to be able to see, hear and understand, all they have to do is ask and God will heal them and reveal it to them (Matthew 13:15).

What does the Parable of the Sower wants to reveal to us?

Sower- Jesus- through the Christians God uses to teach and share His Word to people all over the world (Preachers, Pastors, Sunday School Teachers, etc.)

Seeds- The Word of God

Soils- The condition of the hearts of the receiver of the Word of God. Their spiritual maturity.

What do we do with Jesus’s teachings in our lives? How do we accept it?

• Seeds that fell along the path (Matthew 13:4)- They are spiritually blind. These are the people who fails to understand how the Scripture applies to them because they are blinded by the ways of the world. They are hardened by sin that’s why satan plucks the message away, keeping their heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. They just put it in their mind but not in their heart that’s why the “bird ate it” means that it doesn’t have an impact in their lives because “pumasok sa kaliwang tenga, lumabas sa kanang tenga”.

• Seeds that fell on the rocky ground (Matthew 13:5-6)- They are spiritually shallow. They are the people who accepts the Word with joy but they truly didn’t understand the implication. They have not been truly rooted in Christ that when problems, trials comes they eventually give up and lose their faith in God. They only have faith when times are good but when the heat comes just like the sun on the hot day, it will eventually die for lack of soil and water.

• Seeds that fell among thorn bushes (Matthew 13:7)- They are distracted by the things in this world. They hear, know and teach the Word but they don’t apply it in their lives. They are not solemnly studying the Word of God therefore they are easily distracted. Their source of satisfaction is the things that the world can offer; prosperity, richness, pleasures that even though the seed was planted in a good soil and they grew, they are eaten by the thorns just like these things can distract us from seeking God and depending on Him.

• Seeds that fell in good soil (Matthew 13:8) – These are the people who receives the Word of God, understands it in their mind, keeps it in their hearts and applies it in their lives. They took the Word of God seriously. These are the people whom not just receives it quickly and gullibly but they study it, criticize it and examines it biblically. They didn’t just settles their selves to what they hear but solemnly and eagerly studies the Bible so that they will also be prepared to defend their beliefs against unbelievers who persecutes them. They also bears much fruit because they are rooted in Christ.

APPLICATION:

God is looking in the condition of our hearts. We should not be the “path” who is hardened by sin that when we hear the Gospel, it just went away suddenly. Also not the “rocky ground” that when problems, tribulations and trials comes we lose our faith in God. Definitely not the “thorn bushes” that we will be easily distracted by the things that this world can offer because it is just temporary. May our faith and lives be the “good soil” who receives, understands, keeps the Word to their hearts and applies it to our lives and share it to other people. As Colossians 2:7 says “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” We should be rooted in God, we should have Him as our foundation so that we will bear much fruit for God’s name to be Glorify.

(NOTE: THIS IS MY OWN INTERPRETATION OF THIS PARABLE)

#sower #parable #fruit #christianliving