Matthew 13:18-23

Jacob Whitaker

Matthew • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

Matthew 13:18–23

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Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 13

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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. 22 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. 23 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.”

Two weeks ago we looked at the purpose of Jesus’ parables, we examined largely verses 10-16, where Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And Jesus responds to them in a somewhat surprising fashion. He indicates to them that his use of parables from this point on will be a form of judgement against those who have been unwilling to heed his message concerning the kingdom of heaven. So rather than speaking to the crowds plainly he’ll spend the rest of his earthly ministry speaking to them in parables. As Mark records in his Gospel,

English Standard Version Chapter 4

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Parables require explanation

So the implication here, of course, is that a parable, by definition, requires explanation. It isn’t that a parable is intended to confuse or to deceive those who hear it, it’s just that a parable typically requires interpretation. And when an explanation is given, the truth it intends to communicate becomes quite vivid because of the picture that the parable paints.

This is why it’s important that we remember that a parable is not only meant to conceal the truth from those whose hearts have grown dull, but Jesus will also use his parables to reveal truths concerning God’s kingdom to his disciples that were previously hidden. Look at what Matthew says just a few verses later, starting in verse 34,

“I will open my mouth in parables;

I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

English Standard Version Chapter 13

34 All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables;

I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 13:34–35). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

However, biblically speaking, attempting to define the word translated parable in both the OT and NT is notoriously difficult. In fact, it seems that the Bible’s definition of parable is much wider than how we would define parable today in English. For instance, in the Greek translation of the OT (known as the Septuagint) the Greek word from which we get our word ‘parable’ is also used to describe Solomon’s proverbs. The word parable also seems to include things like fables, prophetic utterances, and even riddles (R.T France, Matthew, p. 502).

So while many who are in the crowd will be confused and frustrated by Jesus’ use of parables, Jesus will deliberately explain many of these parables to his disciples. He still intends to communicate the message of God’s kingdom to those who have hears to hear, to those who are genuinely seeking to understand and obey his message of the kingdom.

Parables defined

Now, biblically speaking, attempting to define the word translated ‘parable’ in both the OT and NT is notoriously difficult. In fact, it seems that the Bible’s definition of parable is much wider than how we would define parable today in English. For instance, in the Greek translation of the OT (known as the Septuagint) the Greek word from which we get our word ‘parable’ is also used to describe Solomon’s proverbs. The word parable also seems to include things like fables, prophetic utterances, and even riddles (R.T France, Matthew, p. 502).

However, the bottom line here, is that the kind of parable that Jesus will use here in chapter 13, is one that will typically require explanation. He’ll use what some have called story-parables. These parables will usually contain an illustration in order to make a comparison, with their ultimate intent to tech a spiritual lesson. For instance, in verse 24, in Jesus’ parable of the weeds he begins by saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” Frequently, Jesus makes clear the intended comparison within the parable. And then Jesus uses that comparison to teach a spiritual lesson.

Interpreting parables

I also want to mention a word of caution as we spend the next few months studying these parables. Jesus’ parables are typically very simple in the truth that they intend to communicate. Rarely are his parables thickly layered or multi-dimensional in their meaning (MacArthur, Parables, p. xxvii). What I mean is that not every element of Jesus’ stories is meant to convey some kind of hidden meaning. Often times certain details depicted within the stories are simply there to fill the canvas of the picture Jesus is painting. The danger is that if we’re not careful we’ll try to find meaning in all sorts of things that Jesus did not intend.

The danger is that if we’re not careful we’ll try to find meaning in all sorts of things that Jesus did not intend. we’ll over spiritualize the parable. I’ve seen this often done with the parable of the ten virgins in , where many have associated the Holy Spirit with the oil carried in their lamps, thereby turning the person of the Holy Spirit into some kind fuel like commodity, where the parable is simply meant to teach us to keep watch, to not delay in responding to Jesus’ message.

We’re also at risk of over-spiritualizing Jesus’ parables. I’ve seen this often done with the parable of the ten virgins in , where many have associated the Holy Spirit with the oil carried in their lamps, thereby turning the person of the Holy Spirit into some kind fuel like commodity that we have get more of or keep on hand, where the parable is simply meant to teach us to keep watch, to not delay in responding to Jesus’ message of repentance.

So we want to proceed with caution as we study Jesus’ parables, our desire should be to do our best to rightly understand what Jesus means to communicate, rather than looking for deeper meanings that tickle our curiosities or satisfy some other agenda we may have. Thankfully, Matthew records for us many of the first hand interpretations Jesus gave to his disciples that we can gain clarity from.

The Parable of the Sower

And it’s with these considerations that we look at Jesus’ parable of the sower. We read there starting in verse 1,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

It’s important that we realize this parable is an illustration of why some people receive Jesus’ message, and why some do not. What Jesus is doing with this parable is explaining why people respond to the Gospel in different ways. In chapters 11-12 we saw a whole host of responses to Jesus’ message and Jesus intends to explain why with this parable.

Sower’s Cove

The text tells us that Jesus spoke to the crowds from the shore of Galilee, presumably in or near Capernaum where Jesus was living. In fact, there’s an area near Capernaum known as Sower’s Cove, where it’s believed that Jesus may have actually delivered these parables. It’s a small cove that actually resembles the shape of an outdoor amphitheater with the banks of the lake slowly rising from the shoreline almost like tiered seating. Matthew tells us that the crowd was large enough that Jesus was forced to get into a boat with his disciples in order to speak to them. He sits down in the boat, as was a rabbi’s custom when he taught, and he gives them this parable of the sower.

He describes a very familiar scene to them. He tells of a farmer who heads out into the field to plant his crop (probably wheat or barley), and while he spreads the seed across the field some of the seed falls along the path, while some falls on rocky ground, and others on good soil. This is a picture of how farmers planted their crops in the region of Galilee at this time. They would use their hands to even distribute the seed across their fields, but it was inevitable that some of that seed would fall on varying kinds of soil. And Jesus uses this as an analogy of how his words are received by the hearts of men. This is a parable about hearts, and of how those hearts respond to message of the Gospel.

Sown along the path

This is a parable about hearts, and of how those hearts respond to message of the Gospel.

He tells us there in verse 18,

Without any context this parable could mean a whole host of things, so Jesus’ gives his disciples an explanation, and he says there in verse 18,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

The Parable of the Sower Explained

The sowing is the preaching of the Gospel, and the seed is the message, the seed is the good news of God’s kingdom. And in this example some hearts are like that of a hard packed trail, when the seed of the Gospel falls onto the path the birds immediately devour it. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus says it this way, “that the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

The heart of this person is as hard as concrete. The soil is not plowed or tended to, rather it’s impenetrable. A person like this is often described as “stiff-necked” in the Scriptures. Solomon in the Book of Proverbs says in chapter 1, verse 7,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

and in chapter 18, verse 2,

English Standard Version Chapter 18

2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion.

This heart is so hard that it is at the complete mercy of the devil. We see this kind of hard heart on display in many of the scribes and Pharisees of Israel, and it seems that it’s this kind of hard heartedness that has prompted Jesus’ speaking in parables.

Sown on rocky ground

Continuing there in verse 20 we read,

And when it falls along the path it’s unable to penetrate the soil and is therefore carried away by the birds. Jesus tells us that this is representative of the hearts of some who

Jesus tells us that there will be those hear the message of the kingdom, yet do not understand it. This like seed of the sower

So as we look at this parable we’ll need to consider what group we fall into, what what illustration portrays our own lives. This parable is particularly cutting because it reveals our motivations for either rejecting or accepting Jesus’ message, and why we either accept or reject that message.

In this parable there are basically two groups, there are those who bear fruit and those who do not.

English Standard Version Chapter 13

20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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.

I recently planted grass in my yard that was previously just bare rock. It’s amazing that the seed was able to germinate at all, within a few weeks of casting the seed around we began to see green. However, I’ve had to make sure the grass has stayed sufficiently watered, even in our wet climate up here. Since there is no depth of soil or deep roots the grass has almost no ability to sustain itself without artificial watering. If I leave it without watering for just a couple of days it begins to turn brown.

My parents live in Billings, Montana and it’s an extremely arid and almost desert like climate where they live, however, during the spring they receive, for a few short weeks, rain from passing thunderstorms. During that time the entire landscape becomes a brilliant green, but the green is short-lived. As the rainy season ends the greenery soon turns into kindling for annual fire season.

This is how Jesus describes the results of the seed being thrown onto rocky ground. This person hears the word and immediately receives it with enthusiasm, yet within a short time, after tribulation or persecution arises because of their faith they immediately fall away, their faith is shown to be superficial. This is why Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him in that,

English Standard Version Chapter 8

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

The writer of Hebrews also says that,

English Standard Version Chapter 3

we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

And the Apostle Paul said that you can know that you’ve been reconciled to God,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard,

The genuineness of our faith is evidenced by whether or not we continue in the faith.

While a person’s faith may seem genuine because of their enthusiasm, or because of a great moment of emotion, these things are not sure indicators of the genuineness of one’s faith. In fact, Jesus indicates that these can be a red herring. Unfortunately, most of us have a tendency to believe that such an emotive response is better evidence of one’s salvation than someone’s quiet conviction over sin. While joy is a good and appropriate response to the hearing of the Gospel, it is not a sure sign of the genuineness of one’s faith.

Sown among thorns

Continuing there in verse 22 we read,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

22 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.

After I had planted my grass a few months back a friend of mine stopped by and took notice that it was beginning to sprout. He indicated that in his former career he worked in the sod industry. He worked for a business that planted grass for homes and businesses. While he was noticing my new grass he asked what I was going to do with the rest of the yard. I asked him what he meant, and he asked whether I was going to replant my entire yard to get rid of the weeds in my existing grass. I asked why I would need to replant the yard to do that and he said that even if I were to till of my yard that the weeds would still be there under the soil, ready to sprout up with any new grass seed that I planted. He went on to indicate that I would have to completely remove the weeds before replanting my grass.

This is exactly what Jesus was getting at in this section of the parable. Even if the seed is planted on what appears to be good soil, if the seed is planted among thorns or weeds they’ll grow up together and eventually the thorns will choke out the wheat or barley plant. And in the same way if we are not careful the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches will strangle the Gospel in our lives.

This person is too in love with this world. They care too much for their careers, their prestige, their sinful pleasures, earthly ambitions, and their pursuit for riches. To such a degree that it eventually chokes the word, and causes it to be unfruitful.

Sown on good soil

Notice that word ‘unfruitful’ at the end of verse 22. This is word is particularly important for understanding this parable. There are four types of soil but essentially only two categories of which those soil types fit. The first category is unfruitfulness, this is what all three of the first soils have in common, none of them bear fruit, for one reason or another. The other category is fruitfulness which we see there in verse 23,

English Standard Version Chapter 13

23 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.”

Or as Luke records it in his Gospel, “those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience” (). This person not only hears the word, but he understands it, and bears fruit. There is genuine evidence of his faith in his works. This principle is throughout Jesus’ teachings, that a tree is known by its fruit. There may be many who profess Christ, but ultimately a tree is known by its fruit, or by what it produces.

Notice that word ‘unfruitful’ at the end of verse 22. This is word is particularly important for understanding this parable. Ther

Conclusion

And the fruit that Jesus illustrates most clearly in this parable is the fruit of endurance. In Luke’s record

Therefore, as you hear this parable and hear the words of Christ prepare your hearts to listen and to understand, and to “receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls.” And like David ask God to create in you a clean heart, and to renew a steadfast spirit within you” ().

Matthew 13:18-23

Introduction

Parables require explanation

Parables defined

Interpreting parables

The Parable of the Sower

Sower’s Cove

Sown along the path

Sown on rocky ground

Sown among thorns

Sown on good soil

Conclusion

Prayer