SET 1:Seasons of Elijah-Cross-Moses
Second Sunday of Elijah: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
INTRODUCTION
Taking an example from the experience of farmers, Jesus taught the impact of preaching the Word of God depending upon the listeners’ disposition. Jesus came as a sower of the Word of God. He selected the disciples to continue his role as sowers. The negativity of the listeners or the challenges and persecutions that the church would face should not discourage them. The good hearts would produce grains in abundance and even a hundredfold. Our call as Christians is to prepare our hearts to be fertile soil for the Word of God to germinate and bear outstanding results. The hurdles of spiritual growth should not disappoint us.
BIBLE TEXT
The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:1) That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. (2) So great a crowd gathered around him, that he got in a boat. There he sat while the whole crowd stood on the shore, (3) and he spoke to them in parables about many things. (4) Jesus said, “Listen! A sower went out to sow and, as he sowed, some of the seeds fell along the footpath and the birds came and ate them up. (5) Other seeds fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. (6) When the sun rose the plants were scorched and withered because they had no roots. (7) Again other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. (8) Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop; some a hundred times, others sixty times, others thirty times what was sown. (9) If you have ears, then hear!”
The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower
(18) Now listen to the parable of the sower. (19) When a person hears the message of the kingdom but refuses to understand it, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath. (20) The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. (21) But it has no roots in him and lasts only for a short time. When he is harassed or persecuted because of the word, he soon gives up. (22) The seed that fell among the thistles stands for the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit. (23) But the seed that fell on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”
INTERPRETATION
(Mt 13:1) That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. (2) So great a crowd gathered around him, that he got in a boat. There he sat while the whole crowd stood on the shore
Jesus was teaching at Peter’s house in Capernaum, where people showed up as a crowd to listen to him (Mt 12:46-50). By the time Jesus spoke to Peter’s family and friends, more people had arrived. Since the crowd kept coming in, he found a better way to communicate by sitting down by the Sea of Galilee on a boat while the crowd could stand on the shore. While on the boat, the crowd would not press on to Jesus and he could manage with enough visibility and breathing space. That was also a natural sound-amplifying system to address a large assembly. People could hear Jesus better as he was facing from the sea to the valley where the people stood. Though there was an enormous crowd, Jesus taught sitting because the Rabbi sitting and the listeners standing or sitting was the custom of the Jewish teaching.
(3) And he spoke to them in parables about many things
Jesus used parables to illustrate spiritual truths for ordinary people. They were excellent teaching aids because the people could remember them. The synoptic gospels contain 35 parables. The literal meaning of the parable is “cast alongside.” Jesus used the parables to illustrate a spiritual truth by casting it alongside an earthly model that his followers could remember and hand over to all nations and future generations. It can be a comparison or similitude of a spiritual fact to characters and situations of everyday life. Parables are also expanded Proverbs because they are condensed similitudes serving a similar purpose.
In the early part of his ministry, Jesus taught without parables. Later, when the Pharisees confronted Jesus, he taught in parables. The higher-class Jews who were against Jesus were close- minded. So, Jesus wanted to conceal the truth from them, while he continued communicating the truth to his disciples. He even explained the meaning of some parables to his disciples as he did in this case. There was a time when he said everything in parables (Mk 4:34, Mt 13:10). They served also as a secret way of communication during the crisis.
(4) Jesus said, “Listen! A sower went out to sow and, as he sowed, some of the seeds fell along the footpath and the birds came and ate them up
(18) Now listen to the parable of the sower. (19) When a person hears the message of the kingdom but refuses to understand it, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath
A sower went out to sow
In an allegorical sense, the sower is Jesus and later his representatives who preach the Word of God. The sower went out from his residence to the field to sow. Jesus came out from his home in heaven to the world, which is the field that has a variety of soil or listeners. The seed is the Word of God and the soil represents the hearts of the people. But the hearts are different, like the soil that can be a pathway, rocky ground, soil with thorns, or fertile soil of distinct qualities. The sower will sow the seeds in every soil. The receptivity of the soil or the hearts of the listeners will determine the result. All the hearers would not accept the Word of God in the same sense.
Jesus used the example of a farmer’s experience to illustrate the future growth of the church he would establish. The seed came from a former plant of the same species. Jesus based the Word of God on the original teachings of Moses to the Israelites. The late Jewish teachers had manipulated them and thus made them less fruitful. So, Jesus cleaned up the seeds and replanted them in the world that has a variety of people.
We should understand the farming that Jesus presented from the background of the sowing method of the time. Farmers sow the seeds abundantly without separating the path, the rocky area, or the thorny ground. They symbolize different people’s receptivity to the Word of God.
Some seed fell on the path
While sowing with hand or using carts with holes for seeds to fall scattered on the ground, some seeds fell on the path where the seeds lay exposed without germination. Jesus compared the path where the seeds fell to those who are not open to the Word of God or do not understand it. They were like the Pharisees and other elites who listened to the Word of God directly from Jesus. However, Jesus told about them: “In them the words of the Prophet Isaiah come true: ‘Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive’” (Isa 6:9; Mt 13:14). God punished the Israelites and made them wander in the desert for 40 years before they entered into the promised land because they hardened their hearts to the voice of God (Ps 95:7-11). Those who live in sin or whose minds are only in material benefits will be deaf to the Word of God. Though they listen to the Word of God or attend church services, their other interests would harden their hearts.
The farmers had the experience of birds like pigeons eating the seeds lying exposed on the path. Besides, the people walking across the field also crushed the seed underfoot. Jesus’ enemies could manipulate the indifferent listeners and those who do not assimilate it. For example, the people who had appreciated Jesus or even might have benefitted from him would have cried out to Pilate, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Lk 23:20-23).
The birds that ate the seeds correspond to the evil one that steals the seed. In Mark, Jesus’ interpretation is: “Those along the path where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they do, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them” (Mk 4:15). The same thing happened with Eve. Though she had heard from Adam, God’s commandment not to eat from the two trees in the middle of the Paradise, Satan stole that Word of God from her heart through his disinformation. In our lives, the evil one can deviate us from the church by working through our friends or people who propagate false views in gatherings and social media.
(5) Other seeds fell on rocky ground where there was not much soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. (6) When the sun rose the plants were scorched and withered because they had no roots
(20) The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. (21) But it has no roots in him and lasts only for an abbreviated time. When he is harassed or persecuted because of the word, he soon gives up
The rock with a thin layer of soil above it would contribute to the sudden germination and growth of the seed. However, it cannot grow further because of the rock underneath and the tropical sun above. If the plants had more grip in the soil, they could withstand the heat of the sun with the moisture from the soil. Some people are enthusiastic to listen to the Word of God and respond to it. However, when they face challenges in faith, they will withdraw.
Many people, who had seen Jesus’ miracles and inspired by his teaching, had followed him. However, when Jesus preached about giving his flesh to eat and blood to drink, they murmured among themselves. “After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed him” (Jn 6:66). During the triumphant entry of Jesus into the Temple on the feast of his last Passover, the crowd welcomed him singing “Hosanna in the Highest!” and acknowledged him as the “Son of David.” However, almost the same crowd, under the influence of the Jewish rivals of Jesus, denied him in front of Pilate and preferred Barabbas in the place of Jesus and pressurised Pilate to crucify Jesus.
When the evangelists were finishing their gospels, the Jews and the Romans were persecuting Christians making many of them martyrs. Some gave up their faith. This parable was a warning for those who were wavering in their faith. It also gave hope of future glory for the persisting Christians. In the modern world, some people give up faith when they face a crisis in life like a sudden death in the family, economic crisis, or terminal illness. Some others leave the church because of clergy scandals. Our faith should not collapse in the failure of any apostle like Judas Iscariot. Instead, we should learn from their failures and sanctify ourselves and the church.
(7) Again other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants
(22) The seed that fell among the thistles stands for the one who hears the word, but then the worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit
Here is another scenario of how some seeds that germinated did not survive. Though the farmer prepared the land, there were seeds and roots of weeds invisible under the ground. They grew up along with the good seed and chocked them. God is intolerant of preserving the bad along with the good. Before the entry of Israelites to Canaan, God had commanded them through Moses that they should mercilessly destroy the evil inhabitants of Canaan. God was using Israelites as a tool to destroy the sinners there. He commanded that the Israelites should not make any treaty with them and show any mercy to them. They should not intermarry with the Canaanites “because they would seduce your children to abandon me and adore other gods for which the anger of the LORD would blaze out against you, and he would quickly exterminate you” (Deut 7:4).
Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters; for he will either hate one and love the other, or he will be loyal to one and neglect the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Mt 6:24). The Bible has several examples of people who failed because of their interest in worldly matters more than God.
God blessed Solomon with wisdom and prosperity of every kind. However, he violated God’s commandments and married many foreign women. “He had seven hundred wives of noble blood and three hundred concubines, and they turned his heart away. In Solomon’s old age, his wives led him astray to serve other gods, and, unlike his father David, his heart was no longer wholly given to the LORD his God” (1 Kgs 11:3-4). His wives introduced idol worship that choked Solomon’s fidelity to God.
Judas Iscariot followed Jesus, who selected him as one of the 12 apostles. However, along with his apostolic calling, Judas held on to his love for money. Saint John the Evangelist reports about Judas: “he was a thief and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to what was put into it” (Jn 12:6). The devil entered the heart of Judas to prompt him to betray his master for money (Jn 13:2). Judas had not bargained for Jesus to get the death penalty. The shock verdict sent him into a downward spiral of despair which ended in suicide. Thus, the greed for money choked the holy apostolic calling of Judas Iscariot.
Ananias and Sapphira are other examples of greed choking faith. They sold their property and while presenting the proceeds to the apostles, quietly withheld a portion for themselves. Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart that you lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the proceeds of your land? …When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died” (Acts 5:3-5).
The worries of this life and the love of money choke the word, and it does not bear fruit.
The anxiety and greed for worldly riches, fame, or power can act like weeds in the spiritual life of a person. They can choke the spirituality and make a person more worldly and less God- centered. According to Jesus, when we are weary and burdened, we need to turn to Jesus who will give us rest (Mt 11:28-30). He said, “Do not be troubled; do not be afraid” (Jn 14:27). Psalm 55:22 says: “Unburden yourself on the LORD, and he will sustain you, for he never allows the upright to fall.” Saint Peter wrote: “Bow down, then, before the power of God so that he will raise you up at the appointed time. Place all your worries on him since he takes care of you. Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:6-8). The book of Hebrews advises us: “Keep yourselves free from the love of money, and be content with whatever you have, for God has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you, and so we shall confidently answer, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb 13:5-6)
(8) Still other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop; some a hundred times, others sixty times, others thirty times what was sown
(23) But the seed that fell on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it; this bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more
The produce from the good soil was outstanding and compensated for all the seeds wasted in non-fertile fields. The fertility of the soil was different and so the quantity of the crop varied. Hundred or sixty or thirty grains on one wheat plant is an outstanding result. The hundredfold was an extraordinary and maximum result that could be possible only with God’s intervention. For example, after a famine in Canaan, Isaac the son of Abraham had such a result in the land of Gerar, a Philistine town. Isaac sowed a crop in that region and reaped a hundredfold the same year because the LORD blessed him (Gen 26:12).
The seeds that fell on the good soil produced an outstanding result. It is not the seed but the soil that made the difference. Soil stands for the heart of the Christian. We must free ourselves from unchristian behaviour and overcome the worldly anxieties and greed. We also should be receptive to the Word of God, nurture it in our heart and produce manifold fruit through works of charity.
The Palestinian way of cultivation was to plough the soil before and after sowing the seed (http://www.middletownbiblechurch. org/biblecus/biblec6.htm). The farmers might waste some seed. However, the yield from good soil was amazing! So also, Jesus and his followers unrestrainedly preached the Word of God. Some people ignored it, several people received it but disregarded it later, and a few gave up the faith when they faced a crisis or achieved prosperity. However, the genuine disciples produced outstanding results because of their receptivity and positive approach to the Word of God.
(9) If you have ears, then hear!
Jesus used this phrase at the close of his serious teachings. It means that God has formed us with ears to hear and the ability to understand the commandments of the Lord by the working of the Holy Spirit. We must respond by obeying them. This hearing is not just an external one, but listening with a receptive heart to produce its fruit. Jesus used this phrase when the teaching was important, difficult to understand and to stir up the immediate attention of the listeners for action.
MESSAGE
1. Jesus went out of the house to a public place to preach. The people gathered around Jesus to listen to him attentively. This gives us a lesson. Besides our family prayers, Jesus expects us to go to our churches or retreat centres to listen to the Word of God. And we also need to go out and preach God’s Word through our words and actions.
2. The results of cultivation varied based on the condition of the soil where the seeds fell. The sower and the seed were the same for all areas. We must test what kind of soil is our heart and make it fertile for the Word of God.
3. The footpath, where the evil one stole the seeds, symbolizes our hardened heart with concerns contrary to God’s ways. Is our heart possessed with other interests when we hear the Word of God? Does the Word of God motivate us to act?
4. Do we have only a temporary impact from retreats and inspirational preaching that we attend? We should base our faith on Jesus, the rock. Any tribulation or persecution should not make us ruin our covenant with God. Abraham, Job, and the martyrs of the church should inspire us to keep up our faith firm in stormy situations.
5. Solomon married foreign wives against the commandment of God. His wives led him to idol worship that choked his fidelity to Yahweh. Judas and Ananias cultivated greed for money that choked their fidelity to Jesus. Is there anything
that is choking the Word of God in us?
6. The downfall of the church in any part of the world or failures of a few ministers of the Word of God should not make us give up our relationship with the church. The Church faced challenges throughout the past 20 centuries. However, let us remember, Jesus is its head, and he is in control. Trials should help us learn and act for the betterment of the church.
7. The good soil yielded plentifully because it was not a footpath, nor a stony area, and did not allow thorny bushes to grow. Are we free from hurdles of vices, worldly anxieties, and greed? Let us be receptive to the Word of God, nurture it in our heart, and produce its fruit through our actions of charity.
