Understand what Yeshua meant in the story of the parable of the sower.
Matthew 13:3-9 – The Parable of the Sower
And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 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, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”
When we jump down to verses: 18-23, Yeshua explains the parable:
The Parable of the Sower Explained
“Hear then the parable of the sower: 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. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 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. 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. 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.”
I don’t know about you but I am so grateful that our Messiah went ahead and broke it down for us to understand what He meant in this story. He has already explained it, so I will just point out a few things.
Yeshua is the sower in this story.
He refers to the evil one snatching away the seed along the path on the rocky ground. That doesn’t insinuate that the enemy has control over YHWH’s word. The enemy aims for the ministry, not Adonai himself. How easy can the enemy snatch the truth away from you?
You can read in:
Luke 2:51 and Job 28:28 to see how Mary and Job kept YHWH’s word in their hearts. Those who have a relationship with our Heavenly Father and Yeshua the Messiah, will hear and see YHWH’s truth and hold it close to their heart. YHWH will protect His word in their hearts.
It’s easy to lose “seed” (YHWH’s word) that we don’t let sink in, or that we aren’t really looking or listening for.
1. Seed falls on the footpath and the evil one snatches the seed away that was planted in their hearts.
2. Seed falls on rocky soil – they immediately receive the word with joy but then fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing YHWH’s word.
3. Seed among thorns- those who hear YHWH’s word but the message is quickly crowded out by the worries of this life and lure of wealth- so no fruit is produced.
4. Seed on fertile soil- they truly hear and understand and produce much fruit, even more than has been planted. Letting YHWH’s word multiply.
Which are you?
This parable should also encourage those who teach, preach, and seek to lead others to the lord. The farmer sowed good seed, but not all the seed sprouted, and even the plants that grew had varying yields.
Don’t be discouraged if you do not always see the fruits of your labor. YHWH’s word (the seeds) are all good- but the results will be different based on the condition of our hearts. We have the power to choose which soil we want to be.
Isaiah said that there will be those who keep on hearing but never understand, and keep on seeing but never perceive as referenced in verses 14 & 15 above.
You can also find further references to Isaiah’s prophetic word in:
Luke 8:10,
John 12:40,
Acts 28:26, &
Romans 11:8.
Let’s dig a little deeper…
The Parable of the Sower
The Parable of the Sower is a timeless message of hope and encouragement that God’s word is for all. A farmer, known as the sower, scatters seed far and wide. It falls on four different types of soil: some on a path where it is quickly eaten by birds, some on rocky soil with no depth of earth to take root in, some among thorns, and some in good soil. The parable tells us that the seed is our faith in Yeshua our Messiah and the soils represent the hearts of men. All can receive His grace, but only those with receptive hearts will be able to understand and retain it come judgement day. Today, let us open our hearts to the Lord and ask Him to give us fertile soil in which His word can take root and bear much fruit for His glory.
What is the meaning of the parable of the sower
The parable of the sower found in the Bible is an important reminder that faith, like a seed, needs to be nourished and cultivated for it to grow. At times we may face tests and challenges in life, but these are just opportunities to nurture our faith – create soil for those seeds with plentiful amounts of love and dedication. In the storms, we must give our faith time to grow. Then as we continue through life with tests and storms, our faith will be stronger and we will naturally trust Him and not worry. Our focus should remain firmly set on putting faith into action; by nourishing our beliefs with actions that bear good fruit, we will see God’s heavenly blessings sprout forth and bring us true joy and fulfillment. Even if the path takes unexpected turns, our journeys will continue as long as we have faith in God.
The Parable of the Sower is a great example of Yeshua’s love and concern for humanity.
God Bless you.