When we are trying to teach a lesson, we often use stories to help those who are listening to us understand it. We tell children the story of The Tortoise and the Hare to teach them to never give up. We tell them the story of The Ants and the Grasshopper to teach them the importance of hard work. Or perhaps we share with them the story of The Lion and the Mouse to teach them to be kind to everyone they meet.[1] But we don’t just use stories to teach children. Pastors use illustrations in their sermons. Professors insert stories into their lectures. And motivational speakers share the tales of their own personal successes.
Jesus also used stories when teaching people during His ministry, which are usually labeled as parables. One of my favorite parables of Jesus is His Parable of the Sower.
In Matthew 13, Jesus was sitting near the sea when a large crowd gathered near Him. He went into a boat and sat down while the people stood on the beach, and He began teaching them using parables. His first parable began with a sower who went out to sow some seeds. Some of the seeds fell on the path, and birds flew down and ate them. Some of the seeds fell on some rocky soil. The plants quickly sprang up, but they got scorched by the sun because they had no roots. Some of the seeds fell in some thorns, which choked the seeds and prevented them from growing. But the remaining seeds fell on good soil and produced a lot of good grain. Jesus finished His parable by saying,
“He who has ears, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9, ESV
If you are unsure of the meaning of this parable, you are not alone! Jesus’ own disciples did not fully understand the parable, so He went on to explain the parable’s meaning to them-
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.” Matthew 13:19
The “seeds” in the Parable of the Sower refers to the gospel message, and the four different types of soils refer to people’s different responses to the gospel message. The path symbolizes people who do not understand the gospel or their need for it. They don’t believe they needed a Creator. They don’t believe they need a Savior. Satan snatches whatever was sown in their hearts, and they completely reject the gospel with a hardened heart.
“As for what was sown on the rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” Matthew 13:20-21
The rocky ground symbolizes people who joyfully receive the message of the gospel, yet eventually fall away. Perhaps these people grew up going to church or they first heard the gospel at a seeker-friendly church with a great worship team, a dynamic pastor, and cool lighting. They were taught about a God who loves them and cares for them, and they wanted some of that! But as soon as they are persecuted for their beliefs or they read something in the Bible that doesn’t seem to line up with their personal worldview, they fall away from the faith because they never study the Bible on their own, and they have no root in the Word of God.
“As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” Matthew 13:22
The thorns symbolize people who understand the implications of the gospel yet still choose to reject it in pursuit of worldly things. They truly understand what the gospel and following Jesus would cost them, and they are not willing to pay the price. They are not willing to deny themselves and take up their crosses. They would rather go out and party, make a bunch of money, sleep with whomever they want to whenever they want to, and put themselves first rather than submitting to the gospel.
“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13:23
The good soil represents people who hear the gospel, understand the gospel, and recognize their desperate need for the gospel. These are the true Christians who are rooted in God’s Word, who are unswayed by persecution or the things of this world, and who produce spiritual fruit in their lives.
We’d all like to assume that we are the good soil, but are we really? Are we spending time in God’s Word on a daily basis? Are we producing fruit in our lives? Are we living as if the gospel truly matters to us? Or are we chasing after worldly things? Are we hiding our faith in fear of persecution? Are we living as if we don’t need a Savior? Marshall Segal writes,
“don’t assume you’re in good soil, but look carefully at how you receive the word of God. Relentlessly plead with God to water the seed he has given you, to send your roots ever deeper, and to protect you from the temptations and distractions around you.”[2]
As you look carefully at how you receive God’s Word this week, I encourage you to do three things. 1. Hear. Make time every day to hear God and read the Bible, even if it’s only five minutes, even if you have toddlers playing nearby, even if you have to listen to it on your way to work. It’s not too late to start a Bible reading plan! Find a plan that works with you and stick with it.
2. Understand. When we read our Bibles, we can often zone out, not pay attention to what we are reading, and leave our time in God’s Word having no idea what we just read. As you are reading, ask questions of the text and investigate! If you’re confused by a verse or an idea, don’t be afraid to look at a commentary, study Bible notes, or an online article. Gotquestions.org is a fantastic resource for questions you have about the Bible.
And 3. Pray. Pray that God would speak to you through His Word and pray that He would help you to understand what you are reading. Pray that you would be rooted in Scripture and pray that you will grow in your knowledge of Him. Pray that you would not become distracted in your pursuit of God and His Word. Pray with the psalmist-
“I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” Psalm 119:15-16
[1] Marty, “12 Life Lessons from Aesop’s Fables,” Imagine Forest, published May 22, 2017, accessed December 9, 2020, https://www.imagineforest.com/blog/life-lessons-aesops-fables/.
[2] Marshal Segal, “Take Care How Your Hear: How to Receive God’s Word,” Desiring God, published November 4, 2019, accessed December 11, 2020, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/take-care-how-you-hear.
