And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. (Mark 4:1-3; Matthew 13:1-3; Luke 8:4)
As we studied in the previous lesson, Jesus begins teaching the multitude in parables, in order to separate the sincere followers from the "hanger ons", the ones just coming around for the "miracle show". (see THE GOSPEL: Jesus Teaches in Parables! Why?) The first parable He teaches is about a sower, a person who scatters seed over the ground for growing. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because 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 seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mark 4:4-9; Matthew 13:4-9; Luke 8:5-8)
Notice the sower just drops the seed; he does not work the ground and fertilize it; he just drops the seed, maybe add a little water later, if something starts sprouting, and leaves the results to Someone else. And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan [the devil] comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts [lest they should believe and be saved]. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful [bring no fruit to maturity]. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word [with a noble and good heart], accept it, and bear fruit [with patience]: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15)
Each of us who profess and call ourselves Christians are sowers, and the seed is the Word of God. Our responsibility is to sow the word, nothing more, nothing less! We cannot make anyone believe the Word of God. If someone shows interest in the Word, then we can follow-up with some watering, help explain the Word to them more. But God reserves the job of being a vinedresser for Himself; as we will study in a future lesson, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." (John 15:1) A vinedresser is a person who tends to and cultivates vines and their branches and the soil. Paul makes it very clear what our repsonsibility is: I planted, [another] watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. (I Corinthians 3:6-8) Depending on the person's ground, their heart, will determine if the seed, the Word of God, falls by the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns or on good ground.
As for the different types of ground, by the wayside represents athiests and agnostics. Athiests don't believe there is a God, but if there is one, they refuse to believe in Him. Agnostics are uncertain whether God exists or not, but they won't allow themselves to believe in the possibility. The stony ground are very similar to the Pharisees. They are the one's who usually believe in someone or something, but can't bring themselves to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. The world is full of many faiths and religions, but most are not what God would accept as teaching The Truth. God warns through Jude that ...certain men have crept in unnoticed, ... ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 1:4-5; see Word Faiths and Religions)
Finally we get to the among thorns and on good ground people, both of which are believers and Christians, but have very different characteristics. The among thorns are ...those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (Luke 8:14) We all know people who profess to be Christians, and there's no reason to doubt that they are, but they are like babes in Christ. The Apostle Paul says to these kinds of Christians, I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (I Corinthians 3:2-3) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:12-13) Yes, they are Christians, but none of us should want to remain as babes, always needing someone to take care of us, provide for us, teach us the same things over and over again.
Instead, let's be the good ground Christians! But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14) We are to be fruitful! How? Jesus says that after we become Christians, we are to share the Word of God with all people: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT) We may not be able to travel all over the world, but as the old saying goes, "Each one, reach one, teach one!" Then we will bear fruit [with patience]: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred, because the Word of God will spread. Behold, a sower went out to sow. We are the "sowers", so let's go out and "sow"!
Notice the sower just drops the seed; he does not work the ground and fertilize it; he just drops the seed, maybe add a little water later, if something starts sprouting, and leaves the results to Someone else. And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan [the devil] comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts [lest they should believe and be saved]. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful [bring no fruit to maturity]. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word [with a noble and good heart], accept it, and bear fruit [with patience]: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15)
Each of us who profess and call ourselves Christians are sowers, and the seed is the Word of God. Our responsibility is to sow the word, nothing more, nothing less! We cannot make anyone believe the Word of God. If someone shows interest in the Word, then we can follow-up with some watering, help explain the Word to them more. But God reserves the job of being a vinedresser for Himself; as we will study in a future lesson, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." (John 15:1) A vinedresser is a person who tends to and cultivates vines and their branches and the soil. Paul makes it very clear what our repsonsibility is: I planted, [another] watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. (I Corinthians 3:6-8) Depending on the person's ground, their heart, will determine if the seed, the Word of God, falls by the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns or on good ground.
As for the different types of ground, by the wayside represents athiests and agnostics. Athiests don't believe there is a God, but if there is one, they refuse to believe in Him. Agnostics are uncertain whether God exists or not, but they won't allow themselves to believe in the possibility. The stony ground are very similar to the Pharisees. They are the one's who usually believe in someone or something, but can't bring themselves to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. The world is full of many faiths and religions, but most are not what God would accept as teaching The Truth. God warns through Jude that ...certain men have crept in unnoticed, ... ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. (Jude 1:4-5; see Word Faiths and Religions)
Finally we get to the among thorns and on good ground people, both of which are believers and Christians, but have very different characteristics. The among thorns are ...those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (Luke 8:14) We all know people who profess to be Christians, and there's no reason to doubt that they are, but they are like babes in Christ. The Apostle Paul says to these kinds of Christians, I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (I Corinthians 3:2-3) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:12-13) Yes, they are Christians, but none of us should want to remain as babes, always needing someone to take care of us, provide for us, teach us the same things over and over again.
Instead, let's be the good ground Christians! But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14) We are to be fruitful! How? Jesus says that after we become Christians, we are to share the Word of God with all people: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT) We may not be able to travel all over the world, but as the old saying goes, "Each one, reach one, teach one!" Then we will bear fruit [with patience]: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred, because the Word of God will spread. Behold, a sower went out to sow. We are the "sowers", so let's go out and "sow"!
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