The Parable of the Soils 080706AM@TBC

INTRODUCTION

Setting the tone

            Have a you ever had a Peter moment? One where you catch yourself saying or thinking something that is the exact opposite of what the Lord said or really intends?  I had one choosing the title of this sermon about this parable in Matthew 13.

            It seemed to me that calling it “The Parable of the Soils” would make more sense seeing that most of the parable talked about the different soils.

            But Why did Jesus call it “The Parable of the Sower”?  I have given the question some thought and want you to have it in the back of your mind as we look at this passage today.

2. Review Context

 A. Parable Interpretation:

In his classic All the Parables of the Bible, Dr. Herbert Lockyer, says that a parable is “a common aspect of life employed for the illustration of higher truth.”  “...an essential feature of the parable lay in the bringing together of two different things so that the one helped to explain and to emphasize the other.”

If Jesus were here teaching with parables today, they would all be different because the culture is different.” —Allen Ross

However, the incarnation, in God’s sovereign wisdom, took place in the time and culture that made the types of parables he wanted to record for all time the best choice.

  Parables have been described as   

“an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”             

“an illustration” 

“revelation by illustration”

Two dangers in interpreting a parable are

1) to over-interpret the details to teach truths that are independent of the main point,

2) to completely ignore the details of a parable all together.  An example of how to interpret the parables is seen in Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower.    “The typical parable … presents one single point of comparison.  The details are not intended to have independent significance.”  C.H.Dodd

Special attention should be given to

the situation, question or context that the parable speaks to

and

to the conclusion or application that is given at the end of the story.

B. Matthew 13 setting

Pharisees accuse Jesus of acting in Satan’s power

Pharisees demand a sign and Jesus “lets them have it.”

Matthew 12

²² Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. ²³ And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" ²⁴ Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." ³⁹ But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

This parable is one of a series of 8-10 or more parables. We probably shouldn’t make too big of a deal of the fact that Matthew groups seven of them together since Jesus (when you consider Luke and Mark) told more than that.

3. Stand, read text, and pray.

You will see that there are four parts to our passage for this morning:

the first three verses give the immediate setting for the telling of the parable(s),

the next 100+ words tell the actual parable story,

verses 10-17 speak to Christ’s purpose of parables, &

verses 12-23 give the Lord’s  interpretaion of the parable.

MATTHEW 13

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

4. Sermon Overview

Topic Statement: We will answer the question...

Why did Jesus call this story

“The Parable of the Sower?”

Outline

I. The Sower

II. The Seeing

III. The Soils

I. The Sower

MATTHEW 13

            1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

            3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; ^a and the birds came and devoured them.

^a Luke adds “and it was trampled down” 

5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ^a

^a Luke gives the reason “because it lacked moisture.”

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

“Are you listening?”

Luke 8.11 adds this explanation… “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

n Principle 1— “The sower went...”   v. 3

Evangelism is expected and is not an Option. It’s “what we do” as Christians.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20  “. . . we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us. . .” 

Lacking the gift does not give an excuse.

nPrinciple 2— “The Sower went out to sow . . .”  v. 3

Evangelism must be intentional. The very first verb Jesus uses in this parable is that the sower     “WENT OUT.”

Good things rarely happen by accident.  We must be intentional during our day. 

Do we go out to shop, to go to school, to go to work, or to sow?

nPrinciple 3— “hears the Word...”  v. 18

It’s not the method, but the Scripture that has the power.

Romans 10.17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

While we use this parable to emphasize evangelism, it applies to any teaching of the Word.

Isaiah 55.10-11  ¹⁰ "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, ¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

nPrinciple 4— “wayside . . stony places . . thorns”  v. 4-7

Evangelism must be Pervasive . . . Everywhere. What seems stupid in a human sense becomes a necessity in a spiritual sense.

The sower through the seed everywhere.

nPrinciple 5— “ate it . . scorched it . . choked it”  v. 4-7

Evangelism is sometimes Discouraging . . . Not always joyous. After the emotion of fear, comes the emotion of frustration.

Psalm 126 ⁵ Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. ⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

II. The Seeing

            10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries ^a of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

^a Young’s Literal, esv, niv, & nlt— “secrets”

musthvrion moos-tay'-ree-on  a truth that is hidden, sometimes because it has not been revealed and other times because it cannot be understood by the natural man.. Verses 11 & 17 hint at each of the meanings.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ^a

^a Mark and Luke wait until after the next parable in their narrative (lamp under a basket) to add this saying.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  ^a

^a an allusion to Isaiah 6.9

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. ^a Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal chem.'s

^a Young’s & KJV—”gross” / nasb, esv, nkjv— “dull” / niv & nlt “callous” pacuvnw  pakh-oo'-no  Lit.-to make thick or fat  Fig.-to make stupid and/or foolish

^b Mark and Luke do not include this full direct quotation of Isaiah 6.9-10 from the LXX  (good enough to pass an Awana section)

16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired ^a to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

^a  esv & niv & nlt “longed” / Wuest “passionately desired”

The seeing were those who had, by faith,  accepted Christ and His teaching

The “thick” or “dull” were those who, in unbelief, and rejected Christ

Why did Christ speak “to them” in parables?

Dr. Lou Barbieri, in the Bible Knowledge Commentary identifies three reasons in this section.

1. to show them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven  (v 11 & 16-17)

“The kingdom of heaven is equivalent to our term ‘Christendom.’ It is made up of all who profess allegiance to the King, whether in truth or pretense.”  —Warren Wiersbe

These were truths that the OT prophets and desired to understand and were now finally being explained. v. 17

2. to hide the truth from unbelievers (v 11b-13)

There are many who hear the gospel and it never reaches their hearts until God begins to work.   Matthew Henry

Pharisaism and their traditions had hardened their hearts and caused them to grow “thick” or “dull” to the truth so that they could not perceive or understand Jesus’ teachings. Lightfoot

3. to fulfill Isaiah 6.9-10  (v 14-15)

This means that people in Christ’s day were like those in Isaiah’s day.

Isaiah said, “Here am I” and God replied most won’t even understand what you are saying to them.

A.W. Pink commented in these verses from Isaiah and wrote...

“Oh, dear reader, be warned by this.  It is an unspeakably solemn thing to trifle with the overtures of God’s grace. It is written, How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2.3). Then Seek the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near (Isaiah 55.6).”  

III. The Soils

The teaching here is not that people’s hearts are permanently programmed to one response.

John Mark initially buckled under pressure (Acts 13.13), but Paul later found him to be useful in ministry (Col 4.10; 2 Tim 4.11).

The old testament prophets Jeremiah (4.3) and Hosea (10.12) both exhort the people to “Break up your fallow ground…”

People’s hearts can be cultivated and God can change people’s hearts. We should be careful about “giving up” on people.

Jeremiah 23.28-29

It is probably futile to speculate whether the stony places and the among the thorns represent saved or unsaved people. It is important to be admonished by their examples.

By the Wayside

          18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, ^a and does not understand it, then the wicked one ^b comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. ^c This is he ^d who received seed by the wayside.  

^a Mark just says “the Word” and Luke says “the Word of God”

^b Luke uses “Satan” (the Satana'ß—Advesary) and

Mark says “Devil”  (diavboloß—accuser/slanderer)   Apparently the specific name here is unimportant.

^c  Luke adds “lest they should believe and be saved”

^d  “one or he” —kjv, nasb, Wuest  “that or what”—Young’s esv niv.  nlt is ambiguous as is the account in Mark.

We generally think of these as being people with not interest in spiritual things at all. 

Martin Luther, in sermon on this parable, identifies these as “all heretics, fanatics, and sects … who understand the Gospel in a carnal way and explain it as they please, to suit their own ideas, all of whom hear the Gospel and yet they bear not fruit…”

2 Timothy 4.4 warns ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Timothy 3:1-9

¹ But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; ⁹ but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

“This person is self-sufficient, self-satisfied, and self-righteous.”  —Dallas Burdette

B. Stony Places

20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation ^a or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ^b

^a kjv, esv, nkjv—”tribulation” / nasb’’”affliction’ / niv—”trouble” / Wuest—”pressure of circumstances”

qli'yiß thlip'-sis  Lit. pressure  Fig. tribulation or distress

^b Young’s & nkjv—”stumbles” kjv—”offended” nasb, esv, niv & nlt—”fall away” All three are good choices.  Grk. skandalivzw  skan-dal-id'-zo looks like the Greek word for trap. 

“they may be pleased by the Word, and yet not changed and ruled by it…”   —Matthew Henry

There are good benefits to our trials and tribulations.

Romans 5

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have* peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 Peter 1.6-7

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

Paul speaks of the ...the offense of the cross… in Galatians 5.11

Persecution is to be expected. There is value in counting the cost before deciding to follow Jesus as he taught in

Luke 14

²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- ²⁹ lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰ saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

C. Among Thorns

22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares ^a of this world and the deceitfulness of riches ^b choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ^c

^a “cares” —kjv, nkjv, & esv  “worry”—nasb, niv  nlt

^b  Luke adds “pleasures of this life” as a third item.

^c  Luke says “bring no fruit to maturity” instead of “he becomes unfruitful.”

1. cares of this world

In Matthew 6.25-34 Jesus explains how an inordinate concern over the cares of this world can squeeze God out of our lives.

2. deceitfulness of riches

In Mathew 6.19-24 Jesus explains the foolishness of gathering earthly treasure and the danger it has to our loyalty.

Colossians 3.5 calls covetousness idolatry.

1 Timothy 6

⁶ Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

( Proverbs

Matthew 6

¹⁹ "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²² "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴ "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

²⁵ "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁸ So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; ²⁹ and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

3. pleasures of  this life (Luke)

2 Timothy 4.10 . . .for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica. . .

The pleasures of this life are distractions from what is of greater value.  Consider Moses

Hebrews 11.24-27

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in  Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

D. Good Ground

23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, ^a who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." ^b

^a Mark says “accept it” instead of “understands it” and Luke says “having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

^b Luke does not mention the 30, 60, & 100 fold, and Mark reverses the order.

The key to the good soil is the good fruit.

Notice that they “understood”, but that alone did not make it the good soil. It was what they did.

The Bible wasn’t written for readin’. It was written for doin’.

Note from Luke the part that patience has in bearing fruit.

REVIEW:

III. The Soils — What prohibits you from bearing fruit?

II. The Seeing — Those who by faith are able to receive the truth of Christ’s teaching.  Don’t reject Gods word lest you become hardened an unable to perceive and understand.

APPLICATION FOR THE UNSAVED:

2 Corinthians 6.2

¹ We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Isaiah 49.8

APPLICATION FOR THE SAVED:

I. The Sower — The central character of the parable who sows the seed, the Word of God everywhere.

Why did Jesus call this “The Parable of the Sower?”

We do not have a definitive answer in the interpretation of the parable.

My sense is the Jesus named the parable after the most important part.  The central object of the parable is the simple fact that we should be sowing the Word...

sowing intentionally

sowing the Word

sowing everywhere

sowing regardless of the responses

We sow the Word because it is worthy and deserving to be spread and communicated.

We sow because our Savior has commanded it and deserves it.

We sow because we share his desire to seek and to save the lost.

           While we are not moved by the misguided notion that we are God’s last hope for somebody, we should be move by the compassion that moved Christ.

————————————————————————-

     Philip Bliss wrote the song “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning” over a century ago. He was inspired by a sermon he heard D.L. Moody preach while he was living in Chicago. In that sermon, the Moody talked about a ship that was trying to find Cleveland harbor in the midst of a storm at night. The story went something like this.

     A few years ago, at the mouth of Cleveland harbor, there were two lights, one at each side of the bay, called the upper and lower lights; and to enter the harbor safely by night, vessels must sight both of the lighthouse and the lower lights that marked the shore.

     On a dark, stormy, night, when the waves rolled like mountains, and not a star was to be seen, a boat, rocking and plunging, neared the Cleveland harbor. “Are you sure this is Cleveland?” asked the captain, seeing only one light from the lighthouse.

     “Quite sure, sir,” replied the pilot.
     “Where are the lower lights?”    captain
     “Gone out, sir.”     pilot
     “Can you make the harbor?”        captain
     “We must, or perish, sir!”   pilot

     And with a strong hand and a brave heart, the old pilot turned the wheel. But alas, in the darkness he missed the channel, and with a crash upon the rocks the boat was shivered, and many a life lost in a watery grave.

     Brethren, Moody concluded, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse: let us keep the lower lights burning!

adapted from The Life and Work of Dwight Lyman Moody “Chapter 23 - His Best Illustrations”  By J. Wilbur Chapman, D.D.

Let The Lower Lights Be Burning

Philip P. Bliss, 1871

Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning,
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting struggling seaman,
You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning,
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting struggling seaman,
You may rescue, you may save.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor tempest tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

 

Let the lower lights be burning,
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting struggling seaman,
You may rescue, you may save.