Matthew 13:1-23
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In 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.' 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men 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: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Jesus' disciples came and ask Him why He taught in parables...Jesus could have taught His disciples in simple easy speech...He knows all things...He could have simple explained about creation in a way only He can speak, and all over theories on creation would not longer exist...He could have answered why there is evil, and why we have to have it....That would have cleared that up...He could have taught them why we have pain and suffering, and that would have cleared up...St. John could have wrote about it and everyone would have understood it...He could have given us the greatest answers to our greatest problems and questions, but He did not...
It seems He deliberately hid His message from many, unless they would take the time for Him and His message...He did not want His teachings to be a fad...He wanted His message to be built on a solid foundation...He does not want us as believers to be here today and gone tomorrow...He does not want His message to be so powerful to us today, and mean so little to us next week...This is like the seed sown on the path, and the birds quickly eat it...He does not want His message able to be forgotten when we get busy in life, with family, job, house, car, and the material things we have...This is like the seed sown in the thorns...The shallow thorn roots choke His message...He wants us to have a foundation that is deep rooted and will withstand the test of this earth, its problems, and be strong over time...
In these verses, He mentions the heart, the ear, and the eye...
Jesus told His disciples that He has given them the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to them...The "them" is important here...People who did not understand did not see or hear Him...God gives us just enough knowledge of the secrets for us to find God, if we seek Him, but He give us just enough knowledge of the secrets not to find Him if we do not seek Him...God made our hearts to be receptive...If the heart wants to receive Him we will receive Him...Jesus quotes Isaiah and tells us that we can always be listening, but never understand...For this people's heart has become calloused...If one opens their ears, they will hear...Those that have ears will hear Him...Though seeing Him, they did not see Him..Those that have eyes will see Him...Those that have ears, should hear and those that have eyes, should see...Jesus did not want everyone to understand, this is one of the reasons He spoke in parables...
Jesus knows that by answering all the questions of life He would have taken away some if not much of our free will...He tells us He is the truth, but we have to believe this...Jesus wants us to seek Him...If He would have explained to us in a way we would understand about the truth, then we would no longer need to seek the answer to truth...All would have had the truth, the seeking would not be needed...
If He gave us the answers to all things, what would we seek?...Let us seek Him...