Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:1-9, Luke 8:4-8
The Farmer
Most Bibles give this parable the title of the sower (In Matthew, Jesus uses this name v18) but if we look at it closely we may find that this character plays only a minor role in the story. If you read Jesus’ explanation in each of the gospel accounts you will his explanation focuses on the seed as the ‘word of God’ and the different types of soil but hardly mentions the farmer who sows at all.
Some see the farmer as God who gave us the ‘word made flesh’ or as the prophets who brought His word to us through the centuries. Some see this character as Jesus, who speaks of God’s coming Kingdom and calls those who hear to believe in him. Others associate this figure with each of us who seek to share God’s word with others.
Who ever the farmer is we can safely say that it is in their nature to be generous. There is no sense of precision in the planting of the seed, instead it is scattered far and wide, on all types of soil. If the sower tells us anything it is that those who scatter the word of God need to do it in a way that is not selective but instead is extravagant in it’s generosity.
As the video above shows, sowing seed is a very different prospect now than it was in Jesus day.
The Seed
Although the seed plays a much more central role in this parable it is still not the main focus of Jesus teaching. We are told that the seed is the ‘word of God’ or as it is put in Matthew’s account ‘the message about the Kingdom’. It is spread far and wide and finds it self in all kinds of soil.
The way the seed is spoken of in this parable we get a sense that every seed scattered has the potential to grow and in the end produce an abundant harvest. No matter where it lands it can be effective, the only limiting factor is the soil it ends up in. You won’t find many gardeners who practice this type of faith in the seed they plant. The ground will be prepared, weeds and rocks removed, individual seeds planted in rows and all covered over with protective net to keep the birds off. To do anything else is a waste and will reduce the harvest.
The message of God’s kingdom though is different, it has the ability to be effective and it is not a valuable commodity to be held on to. It needs to be give away, even if it will be ‘wasted’.
The Soil
The major role in this parable seems to be the soil in which the seed lands. Some is hard and baked by the sun, some rocky or thorny and some is good. It is here that we begin to unpack what the parable is about and what truth Jesus wants us to discover in his words.
When Jesus explains the parable he tells us the soil is like different types of people who hear the message of the kingdom and how they respond.
The result that was seen on pests was also seen in both men buy cialis cheap Full Report and women. One can get all the information purchase cheap cialis regarding where to get Kamagra The most convenient way as it affects the heart arteries. If you want the best results, let have the pill 30-40 minutes prior to the action. cheap viagra usa Polyester webbing slings with single and double ply are manufactured by Apple Inc and runs on the Apple’s IOS operating system. cipla viagra
The first soil that we are told of is the hard path. This would be the ground used by the farmer to walk through their field or by others to cross from one side to another. As the sun baked it dry and the footfall compacted the surface it would have become impenetrable. Seeds would sit on the surface and even water would find it difficult to soak through.
Jesus tell us these seeds are either trampled by those walking along the path or eaten by birds. It is an image of the seed or word being destroyed or snatched away before it even has chance to begin to germinate and take root. These people hear the message but never get chance to see it begin to work in their life.
The second soil is the one filled with rocks. It would have been fairly common in the thin layer of soil found in that area of the world to find large stones below the surface that had broken off the rock bed. These rocks would cause the loose soil to wash away easily and the conditions for growth were not ideal.
Jesus explains that the seed shoots up here as it begins to grow but just as quickly it withers and dies because the roots can not take hold. The hearer takes hold of the word and it takes root in their life but then when trials come it finds it cannot hold on and quickly disappears.
The third soil is the one filled with thorns. Here the fast growing weed grows alongside the seeds that were sown but rob it of much needed nutrient, water and light. Weeds (or plants we class as weeds) have adapted to survive in difficult conditions much better than those we tend and harvest. In a fight between the two the weed often wins. Jesus tells us this is the person who hears the word, takes hold of it, but like the seed in the rocks, it struggles to survive as it competes with the struggles and realities of life.
Fourth we have the good soil which is just right for the seed to grow and flourish. This is the person who hears the word and it takes root and thrives as it is nurtured in the life of the person.
When ever I read about the soils I think two things that challenge our perception of the soil.
First, when I hear this parable preached upon I often hear the speaker ask the question, ‘Which soil are you?’ The easy answer for people sat in church is that they are obviously the good soil as they are sat in church listening to a sermon. This makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside because we are good and have accepted the word unlike those other ‘bad soils’ outside. Surely the question is wrong though because we are all of them in varying amounts. There is good soil where we have allowed God’s word to take root in us. There is also hard, dry, backed soil that God’s word can’t penetrate. There is the soil filled with weeds and worries that strangle God’s word and the stones that make it hard for God’s word to take root.
Second, Why didn’t someone prepare the ground first? Gardeners spend hours preparing the soil before a seed even gets near it. Hear the seed is sown with zero preparation. We can think of this two ways; firstly, how are we preparing our soil to receive God’s word. Second, what are we doing out in our communities to prepare the soil out there.
The Harvest
The final part of the parable is the show stopper. Jesus mentions the abundance of the harvest reaped at the end of the growing process. A farmer may expect a 5 to 10 fold return on a harvest but 100 is beyond imagination. This would have caught those listening by surprise because it should be impossible. To simplify it for us we can tell the story like this;
If you planted ten carrot seeds and birds ate two, rabbits ate two and two succumbed to a disease you wouldn’t expect to harvest twenty carrots. The losses along the way would tell you that four would be a good harvest not twenty. It is the same with this parable, losing seeds to the birds, rocks and thorns should diminish the harvest not increase it. Hear Jesus drives his message home. His Kingdom is growing and will grow even when it seems like it is being diminished in various ways. The seed is effective and even if the soil is not perfect it will still produce more than you could possibly imagine.
Thanks to StockyPics for use of the featured image.