The Parable of The Sower
Some Of My Thoughts
I came across this parable earlier today, then went to write a Note about it, only to realize that I had much more to say on the subject than a Note could hold, and so, it has now become a Post. Lol.
First, the Parable
‘And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, 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: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness 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 sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’
Matthew 13:3-9 (KJV)
I remember as a child, how I was fascinated by this parable, and when I could read I would read it over and over, pondering upon it. So when I came across it earlier I felt nostalgic. But it also gave me food for thought.
This parable holds a lot, once you go into detail with it, and it also serves as a good reminder to examine ourselves. To make sure we are in the good soil, and shooting down strong, deep roots. And Jesus tells us how to make sure of that.
He went on the explain the parable to his confused disciples,
Second, the Explanation
‘When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.’
Mat. 13:19-23 (KJV)
In order to make sure we are the seed in the good soil, we must hear the word, understand it, and bear fruit. And He also says, some will bring a hundred fold, others sixty fold, and some only thirty fold. We are not all equal, and if we are blessed with the ability to bring in sixty or a hundred fold, we have no authority to criticize, demean, or judge those who are only able to bring thirty fold.
The task assigned to each of us is to do our best. What others do is between them and God. And some people are just given a crappier hand than others, and to try to compare apples to oranges is not what God has assigned any of us to do.
For a long time I have constantly been reminding myself that I should focus on my own flaws first, and not on others’. That doesn’t mean they don’t have flaws too. But what is the point in dwelling upon others’ flaws when there isn’t anything I can do about them anyway? Each person should examine themselves, and do with God’s Word what they can.
Ask yourself, did you perhaps hear the Word of God and though it brought you joy for a moment, did you continue on in your sinful life? This is a question I ask myself.
Or perhaps more relatable, did you, did we, hear the word of God, but then the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches came and choked it out of us? This is something we must constantly be on guard of. And I know that I personally must fight tooth and nail to not let the worries, pleasures, and distractions of this world swoop me down a path devoid of God.
This parable truly has gone from an interesting story to brutal reality for me this last decade. Now I must fight to be the strong and fruitful seed. To be constantly fighting to make and keep God at the center of my life. As my guiding light.
Something I have been thinking about a lot lately is how you see entire families strive for God for years only to give up and compromise, slowly at first, and then more and more. At first they seem happy, being in the world and popular. Having ‘fun’. And then one day they just seem to fall apart. Couples divorce and children become estranged. And we are left to mourn the destruction of what was once a good thing. Like a broken cup, it can be glued back together, and a glued together cup is much better than a still broken one, but it will never the the same as the cup which was never broken.
The fight to stay with God might be a hard one, but it is so worth it. It makes people better. Humble. Close. And keeps them focused on what really matters. And my prayer is that God doesn’t let anything come our way that will make us so comfortable that we lose what really and truly matters.
And this is a war we are all part of. And the only thing we can do is fight, because to give in or to run away means to lose everything. And no amount of temporary pleasure is worth losing everything important for forever.
Thank you for reading today’s Post and I hope you have a blessed weekend and week ahead! If you have any thoughts, feel free to drop them in the comments section below!