Parables Of The Kingdom – The First - The Sower Or Rather The Soil – Part 6 Of 7 Series

PARABLES OF THE KINGDOM – THE FIRST - THE SOWER OR RATHER THE SOIL – Part 6 of 7

This next message continues from the previous one. We begin by looking at why some seed produced 100, some 60, some 30.

[[EXAMINING THE HARVEST RATES FROM THE SOWING]]

One very primary application of this parable is that THE LORD IS THE SOWER in the first instance, and He sows today with the word and all reaping at harvest will be to His glory for He went before in preparation, breaking up the fallow ground and provided salvation for a lost world. No matter how we got saved, Jesus sowed the seed to US individually.

In continuing the fourth soil of this parable account of the Sower, there is another interesting observation I wish to insert, prompted by a question once from a brother overseas. It was asked why Matthew lists the productivity as 100 fold, 60 then 30, while Mark’s gospel reverses that order. Luke just holds to the hundredfold only. I wish to venture a possible reason.

[A]. LOOKING AT MATTHEW FIRST

{{Matthew 13:8 “and others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, SOME A HUNDREDFOLD, SOME SIXTY, AND SOME THIRTY.”}}

Matthew is the gospel highlighting the JEWISH ASPECTS as we mentioned early in this parable, and God always expected total fruitfulness from His national people. Messiah came looking for the fruits of righteousness but there were none. The Fig tree was not ripe; the vine had mutant grapes. Both the fig and vine are types of Israel. From God's viewpoint there should have been 100 then 60 then 30 but the decline and barrenness of the nation was not God's fault. It was theirs and today the responsibility is still ours but the failure is ours also.

The quality of the crop depended on the fertility and reception of the soil, which soil was Israel then, and us today. God planted Israel as a fruitful vine and as such, Israel was expected to produce fruit to the maximum capacity. It is a given that Israel was to be a fruitful vine. Isaiah addressed women and warns of the destruction to come in the land – {{Isaiah 32:11-13 “Tremble, you women who are at ease. Be troubled, you complacent daughters. Strip, undress, and put sackcloth on your waist. Beat your breasts for the pleasant fields, FOR THE FRUITFUL VINE, for the land of my people in which thorns and briars shall come up; yea, for all the joyful houses, and for the jubilant city.”}}

Israel failed but God expected a hundredfold from the people. The sad thing is that the results of the Sower’s preaching and teaching fell on deaf ears and barren paths, rocky ground and thorny ground.

Jesus cursed the fig tree because it was barren, probably as it was out of season, but the fig tree in type is Israel, and Israel for most of its history, has been “out of season” with God.

You remember in that touching account in John 21 where the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him, in verse 15, the Lord used "agape" - the deep God-like love when He asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter could only reply with "phileo" a less, more human/friendship type of love, something like a very warm affection. Again in verse 16, the same two words are used in the same way. Then in verse 17, the Lord reverted to Simon's lesser word and Peter again used it. It just seemed too hard for him to climb to the expectations that are God’s standard.

I wonder if that was the servant approach. We must not forget that we are never left stranded with our own resources but are fully equipped by God with His given power and enabling from on high. God ought to have these high expectations of us but I suppose like Peter we think we can't meet them.

[B]. LOOKING AT MARK NEXT

{{Mark 4:8 “and other seeds fell into the good soil and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced THIRTY, SIXTY, AND A HUNDREDFOLD.”}}

Mark's gospel is the gospel where the Servant (Christ is the Servant) is in view. When the servant role relates to us, we sometimes serve as careless servants and our fruitfulness is not that productive. We see only the achievement of gaining first base, of getting to 30 then maybe beyond that to 60 then 100. This is the frailty of our human vision, the limiting factor often evident in our work when subjected to honest scrutiny. The servant tries his best, but 30 may be all he is capable of. Servants are the workers, not considered to be the achievers.

[C]. LOOKING AT LUKE NEXT

{{Luke 8:8 Other seed fell into the good soil and grew up, and produced a crop A HUNDRED TIMES AS GREAT.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”}}