Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Jesus often taught in parables...Many times after I read again one of His parables, I think about something new and something different...Sometimes I find more Truth in what He said...And maybe sometimes I may have misinterpreted His parable...When I study His parables and teachings, I must constantly keep in mind that even though He speaks to me, He is speaking to everyone...That is one of the reasons He came...He came to teach the world...
Jesus once got into a boat and just started talking about a farmer sowing seed...It is a parable...The parable is a little confusing and has different interpretations...And this parable as well as others caused some division among people...Jesus told His Disciples this about His parables, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them...Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance...Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them...This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”...Some would understand and follow Him, while others would not...The Disciples had the advantage of being with Jesus and He could explain the meaning of any of His parables...But there would be others who heard His parables and His teachings and the knowledge of these secrets of the kingdom of heaven and this interpretation and knowledge would not be given to them...They did not get the interpretation of His teaching...They would hear His teaching, but would not understand what He was teaching...And they would see Him, and not see the Messiah...The seeds of His teachings would fall in many different places, and not take root...The seeds of His goodness would fall in many places and not take root...Only those who believed in Him could produce the good crop, the good faith...
We can see Jesus as the Man that God personally appointed for us...We can see Him as Son of God...We can see Jesus as a Great Teacher, as a Man of Great morals, as a Man who spoke the Absolute Truth...We can see Him as our Messiah -a Man to preach to the whole world about His Father in Heaven...We can see Him as a Man, who has been resurrected from the dead and still lives...But even today all of His seeds do not take root...They get choked off and He becomes just a good Man, a good Teacher, and only a Prophet...Some people can read His parables and the Four Gospels and walk away from them -seeing only a Man, who lived and died two thousand years ago...