Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.
Question 1
How many different ways can people respond to Jesus?
Question 2
Why do you think Jesus tells this parables?
Jesus says there are four types of people. The first kind is so hard that the good news has no effect at all and they forget it completely. The second kind is like rocky ground that seems like fruit is coming, but it’s a total emotional response. Since there is no depth to their faith, when difficult times come, they immediately turn their back. The next type resembles a land full of thorns. Yet, it’s as if the word has an impact. But before he can accomplish his work, love of this world kills the fruit. The last type is different – they’re like good ground. The word comes to them, they accept it, and are completely changed.
Did you notice the grim truth of the parable? Out of the four types of person, only one has truly believed. The rest have either refused from the start or haven’t lasted to the end. This parable warns us to be sure that we have welcomed God’s word into our hearts, that we are grounded in Him, and to make sure that we are not taken away by anything the world offers.
But the parable also tells us something important about the true Christian. First every person who believes in Jesus Christ is going to show that in the way they live. But also, as a plant, how much fruit comes, and how fast it grows, is going to vary from person to person, and so there’s no need to be sad or jealous when looking at someone else’s life, if we’re growing ourselves.
Question 3
What kind of soil best describes you? Do you think change is possible?
Question 4
Are you looking for fruit in your life? What kind?
Pray
that the gospel will be faithfully announced, that God will prepare people’s hearts for acceptance, and that it will bear much fruit.
