V. 7. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. V. 8. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when He had said these things, He cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Still other seeds fell into the midst of the thorns, where the preparation of the soil had not succeeded in grubbing out the roots of the weeds. When the seed, therefore, had sprouted, and the blades grew up, the hardier thorns absorbed both sun and air and thus choked the tender plants.
Only the seed that fell upon the good soil fulfilled the farmer's hopes; it grew, not only into blades, but it formed heads which were filled with grain and matured with rich returns, up to an hundredfold.
After having told this parable, Jesus added a warning and pleading word that the people should hear in truth, not only with the ears of the body, but also with their spiritual ears, to get the full understanding of the lesson which He wished to convey to them.