The Sower

Jesus had a beautiful way with words. He could tell a story using the simplest of objects to teach something deeply meaningful and powerful enough to change lives eternally. The parables He spoke throughout His ministry on earth are a loving demonstration of His desire  for people to be saved. By that, I mean, Jesus wants us to understand spiritual things; and He shared truths about Heaven, the church, the Gospel, salvation, and much more, using objects that we, as humans, can see and touch. In other words, He taught in way that people could understand–at least, the people who truly had a desire to understand. Some people who lived during Jesus’ time would not hear what He had to say; they hardened their hearts to His message; and sadly, there are people who do the same today. Read the parables of Jesus with a tender and open heart, be willing to seek out the truth, because it’s there for the finding!

With that being said, I believe the best place to start when studying the parables of Jesus, is in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter thirteen…The Parable of the Sower. If you’re not familiar with this text, grab a Bible and read Matthew 13:1-23; and if you ARE familiar with this text, grab a Bible and read Matthew 13:1-23 again! This parable is also recorded in Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15 (you should read those too!).

Jesus told a story about a sower who went out to sow. Some of the seeds fell by the wayside where they were eaten by birds, some fell on rocky places where they couldn’t take root and were scorched by the sun, some fell into a thorny area where they were overgrown and choked out by the thorns; and some fell onto good ground where the result was a bountiful crop!

What was Jesus telling the crowd? What important spiritual principle was hidden close to the side of this story about a sower? This parable is one of the easiest to understand because Jesus, Himself, explains the meaning a few verses later!

The seed is the Word of God and the soil is the heart of the one who hears it. The parable describes different ways people receive the truth that is found in the Bible. Some hear what the Bible says but don’t understand it and the devil is able to quickly snatch away what was planted. Some people have a shallow understanding of the Word, they receive it joyfully but then don’t really allow for the truth to take root in their hearts, so when trouble comes, or persecution, they stumble easily and aren’t able to endure. Others listen to the Word, but they let the cares of the world and the lure of riches choke out the truth. Then, there are those who hear the Word, and they receive it with a good and honest heart. They have a sincere desire to know the truth and they plant the Word deeply, with love and care. The presence of the Word is evident in how they live their lives and in the fruit that they bear because of strong roots and continued growth–growth that occurs within their own hearts as well as growth that results from spreading the Word to others!

It comes down to this question: What type of soil describes your heart?

Is it hardened? Shallow? Crowded? Or is it good, fertile, and ready to receive the Word? Are the conditions right to plant the seed within you and for its roots to extend deep into every corner of your heart? When that happens…be ready!….because your heart–the very center of who you are–will be so entwined with the Word that your life will bear the fruit of the Spirit and that fruit will begin to affect the world around you!

Have an open heart: tender and passionate for the truth. Receive the Word of God, nurture it through careful attention and study, live it out in your life obediently, and share it compassionately with others. This was so important to Jesus that He shared it in a story that you and I can easily understand. When He told told His followers the parable of the sower nearly 2000 years ago, He pleaded with them saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Those words continue to ring out from the pages of our Bibles today. I pray that we would all hear the words of our Savior, Jesus Christ!