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    Matthew 13:1-23  Lesson 25

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:  
     
    The action in lesson twenty-four continues. 
     
    The parable of the four soils, also known as the parable of the sower. 
    Jesus delivered this parable on the same day that the Pharisees asked Him for a "sign" 
    (Matthew 12:38) and His mother Mary came to visit (12:46).  It is often referred to as "the busy day." 

    Study Tip:
     
    Repetition is an old tool writers use to emphasize key points.  Whenever you see themes repeated in the Bible, it is telling you that God considers them essential.  Hover over these passages a little longer to fully grasp their meaning.​​
    Stained glass depicting
    the parable of the four soils.

    The Gospel According to St. Matthew

    The King James Bible    ​

    Matthew 13:1-23
    Parable of the four soils

    1The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

    2And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
     
    3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
     
    4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
     
    5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
     
    6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
     
    7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
     
    8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
     
    9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
     
    10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
     
    11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
     
    12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
     
    13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
     
    14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
     
    15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
     
    16But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
     
    17For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
     
    18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
     
    19When 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.
     
    20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
     
    21Yet 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.
     
    22He 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.
     
    23But 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.​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "He went into a ship." (13:2) - Probably the same fishing boat Jesus borrowed in Matthew 8:23 (lesson 15).
     
    "Parables." (13:3) - See question one below.
     
    "Seeds." (13:4) - In this parable, seeds symbolize the word of God (Mark 4:14; Luke 8:11).
     
    "The fowls came and devoured them." (13:4) - The birds represent Satan (13:19; Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12).
     
    "Forthwith they sprung up." (13:5) - "Soon they sprang up."
     
    "Because they had no root, they withered away." (13:6) - These are believers, but weak believers with shallow roots (13:21-21; Mark 4:16-17; Luke 8:13).
     
    "The thorns sprung up, and choked them." (13:7) - The thorns symbolize the cares of this world (13:22; Mark 4:18-19; Luke 8:14).
     
    "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (13:9) - Jesus repeats this message from verse 11:15 (reading 21).  He will reinforce it again in verse 13:43.  See study tip above.
     
    "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" (13:10) - "Why do you speak to them (the people) in parables?"  
      
    "The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." (13:11) - Refers to the truth of God's grace (1 Timothy 3:9), which up until the time of Christ had been hidden from mankind (1 Corinthians 2:7).  It is revealed to us in the New Testament (Ephesians 3:4-5; 6:19).
     
    "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given." (13:12) - Means, whoever has faith will be given more spiritual wisdom.  A version of this message appears first in Proverbs 9:9.  Jesus repeats it here and in Matthew 25:29, Mark 4:25 and again in Luke 8:18.  
     
    "Fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias." (13:14) - The prophecy Jesus refers to is found in Isaiah 6:9-10.  See also Ezekiel 12:2.
     
    "This people's heart is waxed gross." (13:15) - "These people's (sinners) hearts became hard."
     
    "Blessed are your eyes, for they see." (13:16) - Jesus repeats this to His disciples (and us) in Luke 10:23.
     
    "Verily." (13:17) - "Truly."
     
    "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower." (13:18) - "Therefore, learn the meaning of the parable of the sower."
     
    "Then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart." (13:19) - The "wicked one" is Satan, preventing people from understanding the word of God.
     
    "And anon with joy receiveth it." (13:20) - "And immediately received it, joyfully."
     
    "Dureth for a while." (13:21) - "Endures for a while."
     
    "By and by he is offended." (13:21) - "Soon he falls away."
    You can read Mark's report on the parable of the sower in Mark 4:1-20.  Luke's account can be found in Luke 8:4-18.
                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Matthew 13:1-23           
    Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
     
    1 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.

    2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.

    3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
     
      "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.

    4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.

    5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.

    6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died.

    7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.

    8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

    9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."
     
    10 His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"
     
    11 He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.

    12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.

    13 That is why I use these parables,
     
      For they look, but they don't really see.
          They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.
     
    14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
     
      'When you hear what I say,
          you will not understand.
       When you see what I do,
          you will not comprehend.
       
    15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
          and their ears cannot hear,
       and they have closed their eyes-
          so their eyes cannot see,
       and their ears cannot hear,
          and their hearts cannot understand,
       and they cannot turn to me
          and let me heal them.'
     
    16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

    17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it.
     
    18 "Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:

    19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

    20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

    21 But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.

    22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

    ​23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

    ​Today's questions:
     
    1. What is a parable?
     
    2. What can we learn from the parable of the four soils? (13:3-23) 
                                                                            

    If you have any questions, let me know.  I'll do my best to answer them. ​​    ​


    ​Answers: (Do you agree?) ​
    ​
    1. A parable is a short, simple allegorical story, broad metaphor or comparison meant to convey a religious or moral lesson.  Jesus' primary audience on this day were Jews.  Jews were familiar with parables as they had long been used in Judaism as a teaching tool.  These down to earth stories make profound spiritual truths easier to understand for those
    willing to open their hearts and take the time to study their meaning.  To scoffers and non-believers, parables seem like confusing riddles (13:13; Mark 4:11-12). 
     
     2. The parable of the four soils teaches us that the same sower (Jesus) can spread the same seed (message) and get totally different results.  Three things can prevent seeds from growing, a sinful life that keeps people from listening to the word of God (seeds "by the way side"), persecution, peer pressure, or a weak commitment that leads some who heard and initially believed to fade away ("stony places"), and worldly desires ("thorns").  But for the seeds that do take root ("into good ground"), God's message will yield fruit.  What type of soil best describes you?  Are you sowing new seeds for Christ?     ​
    Application thought for the day:  
     
    "It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" (13:11). 
    How are you using the truth that has been given to you? ​
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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