Tending To The Spiritual Garden Of Your Life Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

CrossWay Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. (Matthew 13:1-3)

This morning we are embarking on a new series in the life of our church. For the next several months, we are going to spend our Sundays covering the many parables used by Jesus to teach us the truths of the Kingdom of God. Jesus was a master teacher. One of the ways he communicated the mysteries of the Kingdom of God was to use word imagery through parables. Through parables, we find fantastic images describing God’s kingdom for us.

In fact, Mark 4:34 says, “He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.”

Parable literally means “cast alongside.” Meaning that the parable is meant to be put beside a truth in order to illustrate that truth in a way we can understand. A parable is a fictitious example of something that is real. There is usually one truth to be drawn from the parable. In other words, we can look at a parable and find the one truth. So a parable is not an allegory, like C.S. Lewis’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia.’ Nor are parables a fable in that they are meant to convey a moral, like Aesop’s fables.

So we must learn to properly interpret parables. Not every detail in a parable is meant to have a specific meaning, but instead they will point to the truth being conveyed. Parables are stories that are easily relatable to real life in order to help us visualize the truth of the Kingdom. For instance, we can all relate to the prodigal son’s situation or visualize the seed being cast by a farmer or a widow sweeping a house and finding a pearl.

What we must understand in our study of the parables is that they are revealing something about us in relationship to the Kingdom of Heaven. Without the help of the Holy Spirit and the openness of the heart to hear the truth from Jesus, we will miss the point of what Jesus was teaching. I think one of the critical parts of studying the parables of Jesus is that they are related to us directly. We are here to learn, to grow, and to transform our hearts from the kingdom of this world to the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we should take these stories to heart personally and not dismiss them as pertaining to someone else. At the end of each message, we should be asking ourselves, “How should I respond to this in order to live as a Kingdom Citizen?”

So with that, I have decided to open our series with that exact question with the Parable of the Soils, also known as the Parable of the Sower. Next to the Prodigal Son, this may be one of the most familiar of all the parables.

And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.” 10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “ ‘ “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:3–23)