THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (1)

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15

Victor M. Eskew

 

          Jesus is often called “the Master Teacher.”  His teachings caused His audiences to marvel.  Matthew records these words at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.  “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:  for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:28, 29).  One type of teaching Jesus used was the parable.  “And he spake many things unto them in parables…” (Matt. 13:3).

          The Greek word for parable is “parabole.”  The literal definition of the Greek word is “to lay along side of.”  Other definitions of the word are “similitude,” “comparison,” and “likeness.”  Jesus would take a “true to life” event and explain it in detail.  After telling the story, He would lay along side of it a spiritual application.  This has led to some to define a parable as “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.”

          The first parable spoken by Jesus involves a sower who when forth to sow.  Jesus Himself titles the parable in Matthew 13:18.  He tells His disciples:  “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”  Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the parable for us.  Let’s listen to the story as told by the Christ.

 

                   “…Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some                                          seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them                                        up:  and some fell upon stony places, where they had not much                                           earth:  and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deep-                                         ness of earth:  and when the sun was up, they were scorched;                                             and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some                                             fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up, and choked them:                                           but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit some a                                             hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.  Who hath ears to                                           hear, let him hear” (Matt. 13:3-9).

 

This was a “true to life” story.  When Spring came to the Holy Land, sowers could be seen on throughout the land casting their seeds on various types of soil.  The four mentioned by Jesus were the primary types that were found.

          As we study the parables, it is good to compare the accounts of the other writers of the gospels.  Let’s consider Mark’s gospel next. 

 

                   “Hearken, Behold, there went out a sower to sow.  And it came to                                         pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the                                         air came and devoured it up.  And some fell on stony ground,                                              where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, be-                                          cause it had no depth of earth:  but when the sun was up, it was                                         scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.  And some                                       fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it                                          yielded no fruit.  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit                                       that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and                                       some sixty, and some a hundred.  And he said unto them, He that                                       hath hears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:3-9).

 

Luke reveals the parable with these words:

 

                   “A sower went out to sow his seed:  and as he sowed, some fell by                                        the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air de-                                       voured it.  And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung                                     up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.  And some fell                                           among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.                                           And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit a                                            hundred fold.  And when he had said these things, he cried, He                                           that hath hears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:5-8).

 

          There are slight differences in the wording of the parable in each of the gospel accounts.  Some believe that this is a poor reflection on the Holy Spirit.  They argue that if Jesus spoke the words, they must have been spoken only one way.  The reality, however, is that this parable may have been spoken several times by Jesus during His earthly ministry.  This could account for differences.  Too, just because one writer fails to include all of the details that another writer includes does not indicate flaws or contradictions.  When eyewitnesses today present their side of a story, there will be some difference in the two accounts.  The basic facts are there in every account:  a sower sows seed, the way side soil, the stony soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.  Too, all note that it is the good soil that produces fruit.