The Parable of The Sower, The Seed and The Soils
Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8: 18-23; Mt. 13:1-9
Green, Psalter Week III
Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap
Introduction: The first recorded parable of Jesus most probably was “The Parable of the Sower and the seed”. It is a foundation parable of the Kingdom of God. Interpretations of most of Jesus’ parables are not recorded, but in this case, we have it spelt out clearly so we don’t need to speculate. The aim of the parables was to draw out from the crowds the few who would grasp what Jesus was driving at. These fascinating parables would be the window of understanding, the filter, to separate those who believed in Jesus and those who rejected Him. The classic definition of a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” It tells us in familiar human terms something about God’s reign in human life and His terms for the salvation of humankind. Let’s consider the constituents of the parable.
WHO IS THE SOWER?
There can be no doubt that it’s Jesus! He was sowing seed as He travelled the country preaching the good news of the Kingdom. He was fulfilling what had been prophesied by Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor …”. He was clearing up the misunderstandings of God’s message over the centuries. His Kingdom was coming in with seeds, not swords; with God’s revelation of His mysteries, not human wisdom; with changed lives through redemption, not Satan’s domination. The Sower symbolizes not only Jesus Christ, but also all who are engaged in preaching the Gospel. In every age God has called men and women to be His messengers. Paul tells the believers in Corinth: “For we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor 3:9).
WHAT IS THE SEED?
Jesus Himself gives the key to understanding how the Kingdom of God is to be found: The seed is the word of God” (Lk 8:11). The Word of God is a life-giving seed waiting to be implanted in the receiving hearts. It has the power to transform human hearts. Paul said, “It is the power of God for salvation” (Rom 1:16).
WHAT ARE THE SOILS?
It’s obvious that the soil is the human heart. Jesus describes one sowing but four different soils which explains why people respond as they do. Neither the Sower nor the seed can change the soil. The same Sower and seed produced no crop, some crop, or much crop, depending on the soil. Jesus began His explanation of the Parable by describing three categories of “bad-soil” hearers. There’s:
Seed along the Path: Fields in Palestine were small and separated from one another by paths where the soil was beaten flat under human feet and the summer sun. As the sower walked down the field, some landed on this impenetrable soil and “birds came and ate it up” – in other words “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown.” These are people who clearly say “NO” to the Gospel. Sadly, the Word of God enters in their one ear and passes through the other ear. This can happen to any professing Christians.
Seed on the Rock: There was a thin layer of soil on the rock, allowing seeds to germinate but the plants could never get good roots. When the sun beat down, they withered and died. Jesus said it portrayed “the man who hears the word … with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.” It’s possible to make an enthusiastic initial response but it doesn’t last. It’s all emotion. The cost of being a Christian hasn’t been counted. These are people who respond uncertainly to the seed of the Word – it’s “YES AND NO” – they want to keep a foot in both camps, but it does not work that way.
Seed among Thorns: Jesus refers to the soil of the heart where a person “hears the word but worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.” This person answers to the call of God by saying “YES BUT”. Their life becomes clogged with materialism and worldliness.
Good-Soil: The good-soil person, “is the man/woman who hears the word and understands it”. The reply to the call of the Word is an unequivocal “YES”. Jesus said that the qualification for good-soil is that it “produces a crop”. “Fruit” says Jesus, is “showing yourself to be my disciples” (Jn 15:8). It is “all goodness, righteousness and truth … what pleases the Lord” (Eph 5:9,10). It’s the “fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22). Perseverance is the hallmark of the truly converted person and will “produce a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” It results in the further production of seed – the Word of God being made available to another generation who need to hear the Gospel.
Jesus, as ever, ends the Parable on a note of challenge, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The Master Sower Himself is asking us: “What kind of hearer are you?” Is our hearing impaired by the secular noise level of our busy lives? One day, God is going to hold us accountable for our spiritual productivity.
