The Parables (Part 8 of 0)

Parable of the Sower – The Quality of the Soil – Part Eight

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying Behold a sower went forth to sow (Matt. 13:3).

The Pharisees and Scribes were eager missionaries! We are told that they: “travel[ed] over land and sea to win a single con­vert” (Matt 23:15 NIV). By the time of Christ, the Pharisees had sowed the word of God and the Talmud1 to vir­tually every corner of the Roman Empire.

Judaism attractive to thoughtful people

The persecutions during the era of Antiochus IV, surnamed Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.), had dispersed many Jews from the land of Palestine. The results of this migration were the establishment of numerous colonies and synagogues throughout the gen­tile world. Judaism became ex­tremely popular among the educated classes in heathen lands. The read­ing of the Torah2 revealed to many gentiles high ethical principles and a reasoned, logical description of the workings of one God with humanity. This was in sharp contrast to the vast multiplicity of gods and debauched practices of practically all heathen religions.

The Jews distinguished two prin­cipal categories of converts, or proselytes. The first was the “proselyte of righteousness:” in this case the gentile convert completely accepted and practiced the law of Moses in all its ritual aspects, including circumcision. No doubt Nicolas of Antioch (Acts 6:5) was such a convert. An­other type of convert was called a “proselyte of the gate” – the term ap­plying to them standing at the “door,” as it were, but not allowed to sit in complete fellowship with the congre­gation within the synagogue. These kept only certain parts of the law, sub­scribed principally to the Noahic covenant (Gen. 9:1-7), and would not submit themselves to circumcision. Cornelius (Acts 10) was most likely a “proselyte of the gate.”

The attraction of the Jewish religion to a largely paganized Roman world had encouraged the Pharisees and scribes to greatly expand their missionary efforts. This was facili­tated by Pax Romans whereby the power of Rome had created, by the time of Christ, an era of peace, safety and mobility of travel that allowed missionary work to thrive. In a sense the missionary work of Paul and the other apostles was built on the foundation laid by these earlier Jewish missionaries. The synagogues throughout the Roman world were often the first places Paul visited on coming to a new city and the “proselytes of the gate” were probably his most eager converts.

The “multitudes” who heard the parables of the sower (Matt. 13:3, 24) were probably familiar with the preaching methods of the Pharisees and scribes. Now they were to learn some very powerful principles from these two parables, given by our Lord Jesus Christ, on how the word of God was to be preached.

The multitudes expected a Messiah who would liberate them from Roman dominion and make them once more a free nation. They expected the nation and children of Is­rael to be exalted and glorified by their anticipated Messiah. Their hope had become a political, rather than a spiritual, expectation. The last thing they expected was that a long process lasting many generations would transpire while the Lord gathered out of every nation, kindred and tongue a people for his name. The parable of the sower details the nature of the calling of our Lord and the range of response to it by man­kind.

Random sowing of the word

In the KJV of Matthew 13:3, the article is given as “a” sower, but the Emphatic Diaglott and most modern language versions render this as “the” sower. The gospel word has come, first and foremost, from “the” Lord Jesus Christ. It is he above all others who instructed the multitudes on how that word was to be preached. “The” sower spreads the seed in what seems like a haphazard fashion, such that it falls onto every imaginable type of soil. The picture was true to life. At the time of our Lord, a farmer would simply carry a bag of seed slung over one shoulder and with the opposite hand he would reach in the sack and cast seed about. A richer farmer might sling sacks, filled with seed and with small holes in the bottom, over the rump of an ox and sim­ply let the animal wander aimlessly over the length and breadth of a plowed field.

Selective sowing by the Jews

The Pharisees and scribes were much more selective in sowing their seed, as we might imagine from our previous discussion on the parable of the good Samaritan. One could hardly imagine a Pharisee on a missionary effort to Samaria!

In this day and age of highly mechanized agriculture we might not appreciate the message of spreading the word in such an apparently hap­hazard fashion. One would expect a modern farmer to plant seed row by row, in carefully tilled soil with little, if any waste on the roadside or on stony infertile fields. Seed would be carefully placed and nurtured, wa­tered, protected from insects and parasites so that a maximum crop yield would be achieved. However, such was not the case in the first century at the time of our Lord and the imagery drawn by this parable would have been a picture that was familiar to his audi­ence. Indeed, the seed represents the word of God (Luke 8:11, Matt.13:19) and it was (is) to be scattered indis­criminately over the whole field of the world.

In these days of market strategies and cost benefit analysis, this seems positively wasteful. Nevertheless, this interpretation is certain since it is given directly by our Lord Jesus Christ. Historical evidence points to an entirely different approach by the scribes and Pharisees. We are told that “in Rabbinic opinion, revelation of God’s mysteries would only be granted to those who were righteous or learned.”3. A story was told by the Hebrew sages which illustrates further the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes with regard to who should be the recipient of their preaching efforts. “A matron is asked, to which of two that would borrow she would lend money – a rich or a poor man. And she answers: To a rich man, since even if he lost it, he would be able to repay, she is told that similarly God gives not wisdom to fools, who would employ it for theaters and baths, etc., but to sages, who would make use of it in the academies.”4A. Edersheim, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,” MacDonald Pub­lishing Co., McLean, VA, (Reprint of Third Edition 1886), pg. 597.

This story of lending only to a rich man seems like parody, but it has been accepted in our generation as sound fiscal policy. Anyone who has tried to buy his or her first house, or first large credit purchase, would be thoroughly familiar with this philoso­phy. You first have to prove you don’t need the money in order to get the loan! With the Word of God it is not so; it must be given unconditionally to all alike, rich or poor, regardless of race or ethnic heritage; nor is God concerned with age or gender (Gal. 3:26-29; James 2:9). We must always remember it is God who gives the increase (I Cor. 3:6,7).

The soil is critical

Once the seed is planted everything depends on the quality of the soil. “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” These words must be said of us too or the word has not taken root. Let them continue to be said as long as we are privileged to live. (Note that the concept Jesus is teaching does away completely with any notion of predestination.) The soil that re­ceives the seed of the word is the “heart and mind” of the recipient.

This soil must be fertile and remain fruitful throughout our lives. A diffi­cult task, but as with any planting, we need a farmer to nurture us and to tend to our spiritual needs. “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor.15:57). We cannot do it on our own anymore than a seed could grow into a healthy plant if it were neglected by a farmer. But we must do our part.

Seed by the wayside

The seed by the wayside is analo­gous to ideas that enter our mind but don’t really penetrate our being. The ideas may be interesting and we may even be persuaded for a time, but the things of the world are more important to us. We don’t give the word a chance to take root and the wicked things of the world entice us away from the things of God. Our friends in the world are more important to us than the ecclesia and by and by we wither away. One cannot be a friend of the world and also a brother of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 6:24).

Seed in stony places

Seed that falls in stony places may spring up very rapidly since crev­ices between rocks hold water very well. But the quick early growth soon turns to withering since there are few nutrients in such barren soil. Such is the person who can not bear tribula­tion and persecution for the sake of the word. In ages past such pressures were stumbling blocks of the highest order. Many have suffered horrible tortures and miserable deaths for the sake of our Lord. Even in the world today not all brothers and sisters are free from such trials. Yet we are as­sured, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame” (Rev. 3:21).

Let us be fed daily by the word so that we are deeply rooted. When trials and tribulations come (as they will), we will then remain steadfast and immovable, enduring until the end.

Seed among thorns

The seed that fell among the thorns comes to a tragic, ironic fate. Most people (assuredly the Pharisees and scribes) would consider riches as a sign of blessing not cursing. Yet riches are deceitful. Not inherently in themselves, but rather what a per­son will do to earn them and what he will do with them if he acquires their bounty. If riches distract us from the work and service of the Lord, they have enslaved us and become our master. Let one be our master, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

Seed on good ground

The seed that falls on good, fer­tile ground brings forth fruit. The se­quence of the response is crucial: hearing, understanding, and fruitful­ness. First we must listen to the word of God, not the traditions of men. We must study the word and absorb its meaning. Then we must put it to use and yield good fruit.

The amount of fruit is variable. As in the parable of the talents, God expects each of us to bear in proportion to whatever abilities He has given . us. Only God knows if we have met His expectations. Let each of us do our very best according to our abili­ties and not be discouraged, for only the unfruitful vines are destroyed in the vineyard (cp. Isa 5:1-7, Gal. 6:4). The Galatians 6 passage is particu­larly helpful.

We can always find someone in the ecclesia more productive than ourselves and become discouraged, just as we can find someone weaker and become proud. Neither of these attitudes fulfills the point of fruitful­ness that our Lord is conveying in this parable. We must prove our own work. The apt comparison is to a run­ner in training who tries to improve by running better and better lap times with each successive practice session. Comparing ourselves to others is not wise. Such comparisons can only lead either to pride, envy, discourage­ment or disappointment. There can be only one standard of comparison and that is to our Lord Jesus Christ. Before him we are all humbled and yet, at the same time, we are all en­couraged for he both sets the standard of righteousness and provides the means for us to overcome our failings through our faith in him. Let each of us strive to bear fruit to the full measure of the grace God has given us.

  1. The Talmud is a written compilation of the Jewish oral law and rabbinical teach­ings going back to the Babylonian cap­tivity in 5th Century B.C. The Talmud consists of two parts: the Mishnah, which is the oral law transcribed and the Gemara, which is a commentary on the Mishnah. Both existed to a large extent at the time of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it wasn’t until approximately the 6th Century A.D. that it became inscribed fully in written form.
  2. “Torah” is the Hebrew designation for the first five books of the Old Testament by Moses.
  3. Midrash commentaries on Ecclesiastes 1:7 and Daniel 2:21.