Scripture Snapshots:
PARABLE
OF THE SOWER
Series 2 Lesson 6
Have you ever planted a garden? What did you expect to get when you planted a tomato seed? Tomatoes, right? What would happen if you took a tomato seed and laid it on the sidewalk? Would it grow? No, a seed needs soil to grow in. In our lesson today, we will learn how the Bible is like a seed, and our hearts are like soil.
No matter where Jesus went, crowds always followed Him. They liked hearing Him teach, but most came to see miracles or to be healed themselves. When He would walk down a street, people would crowd near Him and try to reach out and touch Him. This might make us impatient, but not Jesus. He was loving and kind to those in need. Jesus is loving and kind to you, too.
The Bible tells us that “But God commendeth (demonstrated) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ (Jesus) died for us. ”(Romans 5:8) Even if you have never before shown any interest in Jesus, He is patiently waiting for you to come to Him. You come to Jesus by admitting your sin and trusting Jesus alone to save you from the punishment of sin. After you come to Jesus, the Holy Spirit helps you to understand Jesus’ teachings.
The crowds of people often followed Jesus to listen to Him. Being crowded made it difficult to teach large groups. One day, when He was by the seashore, Jesus got into a boat and pushed out a little way into the water. From there, He taught the crowd of people on the hillside. Jesus often told stories called parables. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus would talk about everyday things and use them to explain a truth about God and Heaven. On this particular day, Jesus talked about a farmer.
“One day”, Jesus said, “a farmer went out to plant his fields. He had a bag full of good seed, and as he walked, he would gather a handful of seed and throw them in all directions. Some of the seed fell on hard ground. This was the path where everyone walked, and the soil had been packed down hard. The seed could not penetrate the surface, so it just laid on top. Soon, the birds came along and ate it. The seed never did grow into a plant, as intended, and it didn’t produce any fruit.
Some of the seed fell on soil that looked good on top, but just below the surface was a layer of rock. The seed sprouted and began to grow, but when the sun began to beat down on the tiny plant, it couldn’t send down roots to get the needed moisture. It tried, but it couldn’t get past the rock. Because it had no moisture, it soon died.
Some of the seed fell on soil that was filled with weeds and thorn bushes. It had difficulty growing because these strong plants took all the nourishment from the soil. They choked out the plant, and it never did produce any fruit. Some of the seed fell on good ground. They sank down into the rich soil and began to grow. Their roots went deep into the ground where they received moisture and nourishment. In time, these plants produced fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some even one hundred times as much as they began with.” Later on, Jesus took His disciples aside and explained what the parable meant.
While He did talk about earthly farming, He wasn’t trying to explain how to be a better farmer. His story was about how people respond to hearing God’s Word when it is being preached. In the story, Jesus said, the seed is compared to the Word of God. The Sower would be anyone who proclaimed or taught God’s Word. The four soils represent how people respond. There is nothing wrong with the seed or the Sower in the parable, but there were problems with the different types of soil.
The HARD SOIL represents those who are exposed to God’s Word, either in church or Sunday school, but it never gets past their ears. They don’t understand it, nor do they care to, because like the soil, their hearts are hardened. Jesus said that the birds represent Satan, who loves to come and snatch away God’s truth before it can get into a person’s heart. The people who respond this way have not received Jesus as Savior, and therefore are not saved.
The STONY SOIL stands for those who might say a prayer to receive Jesus, but they don’t really mean it in their hearts. They might “feel like they are saved and have a relationship with God,” but soon the heat of persecution comes along. People might make fun of them for saying that they love Jesus, or that trying to live the right way proves too hard. Then they quit and go back to the way they always were. They care about spiritual things for a short while, but it doesn’t last. These people, too, are not saved.
The THORNY SOIL represents the person who starts to live a Christian life, but then life’s pleasures and troubles keep him from doing anything for God. This person might get so caught up in sports, or making money, or in their problems. These things crowd out God, so that they have no time for Him. Jesus said that these people don’t produce fruit. They are saved, but are not living to please God.
The GOOD SOIL stands for the person who not only hears God’s Word, but it takes deep root in his life. As he reads God’s Word and prays, attends church and studies, he begins to produce good things: traits and behaviors that please God. This will show up in all areas of his life. If you are a Christian, you should examine your life to see what kind of a Christian you are.
Think about these four “C” words and see how your life measures up. First, you will have the fruit of CHARACTER – Who you are. God will begin to work on your inner person to help you become the person you should be as a Christian. Character has been described as what a person is when they are all alone. While we can never hide from God, we often do wrong things when we are alone because we don’t think that anyone will know or find out. Someone might not work when the boss isn’t around, or cheat on a test when the teacher leaves the room for a moment. A person with good character will do the right thing even when no one is looking. When the seed of God’s Word takes root in your heart, you will want to do the right thing.
Second, this fruit will show up in your CONDUCT – What you do. When God changes your heart, then you begin to act in the right way. The more time you spend with God, the more you’ll want to be like Him – loving, holy, honest, unselfish, kind, and patient.
Third, this fruit will show up in your COMMUNICATION – What you say. God’s Word will produce kind, encouraging, and loving words. You will also be filled with words of praise for our Savior. There is a phrase that says, “What’s in the well comes up in the bucket.” When God’s Word doesn’t rule in our hearts, then words of anger, meanness, or cursing come out. That’s not the kind of fruit God wants.
This fruit will also come out in your CONTRIBUTIONS – What you give. We all have time, talents, and treasures to use to serve and glorify God. When God’s Word is growing in us, we will use all three for God. Do you spend more time playing video games than you spend talking with God? Do you use the abilities you have to help others, or are you selfish, looking to get attention for yourself? Do you give some of the money you have for missionaries or God’s work, or have you ever thought of that?
We know that we are Christians when we produce godly fruit in our lives. You should examine your life to see what kind of Christian you are. The heavenly side of Jesus’ story tells us that if we are not producing godly fruit, we might not truly have received Him as our Savior. If there’s no fruit, there’s no root. The Bible says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17) If you are no different than you were before or no different than everyone else, maybe you have never really trusted Christ with genuine saving faith.
Ask God to show you right now if your heart is hard, stony, thorny, or good.