(Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:5-15)
This is probably the best known of all Jesus’ parables. It appears that He told it early in His period of ministry, and it was presented by the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum.
The figure of a “sower” (farmer) would have been very familiar to those who heard this parable. Farms in Judea were small, divided by pathways between the fields rather than by fences. The soil of these paths tended to become compacted (almost concrete-like) by many years of traffic, so these areas offered little receptivity to a seed. This was also where “unsavory” salt would be disposed of, effectively creating a sort of “pavement” from field to field and house to house. As Jesus unfolds the tale of the sower, the hardships he encountered would also be very familiar to most of the hearers. “Rocky” ground was not dirt filled with stones, but shallow soil hiding hard limestone ledges. Such soil would be nearly impossible to “plow.” The “thorny” ground was not already overgrown with weeds or briars (a farmer wouldn’t “throw away” precious seed by scattering it among weeds!), but was ground that contained an abundance of weed seeds that would grow up to compete with the good seed.
It is possible that opposition to Jesus was already mounting at this point; this parable seems to acknowledge that much of His work would appear to go for nothing. Despite the (seemingly) “wasted” seed, however, He emphasizes that a plentiful harvest will occur in the end.
Making some practical applications:
The sower represents the Bible class teacher, gospel preacher, elder, or saint who shares and spreads God’s Word (Luke 8:11 says the “seed” is the Word). The parable hinges on the four types of ground presented to us:
The “wayside” or pathway ground is hardened by the constant passing of feet over the years. The hearts here belong to those who won’t listen properly; their minds wander, or they are arrogant (like the Pharisees) and seared in heart by sin, so that the soul is “unusable” in its current condition (Hebrews 3:13). A good modern analogy would compare this heart to a piece of pavement: Each refusal to obey God acts like hundreds of steps on the “ground,” each packing it down and making it harder.
The “rocky ground” heart follows the Lord impulsively, having only shallow faith. When the heat of trial comes, these hearts “bake” and dry up, leaving only impenetrable “stone” beneath. These make a start at following Jesus, but don’t follow through.
“Thorny ground” hearts let work and worldly activities crowd out the gospel. Jesus calls the thorns “the cares of the world” in Mark 4:19. Note that Jesus never said that earthly things are all inherently bad; but misaligned priorities are. No matter how strong we are, it is still impossible to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
“Good ground” hearts are those who hear and understand (Matthew 13:23), receiving the Word with joy (Mark 4:16, AND with meekness, James 1:21); who “keep” the Word (Luke 8:15), and have patience. Jesus did not explain most of His parables (He used them to separate those who were serious about holiness from those who were not, Mark 4:10-12, and Luke 8:8), but in this instance He gave a clear and very detailed explanation: He did NOT leave us to “make of it what you will!” To seek some other interpretation or application beyond His it is to indict His truthfulness!
-Dave Rogers
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