The Sower and the Seed: How it can apply to your life
Nick Adams
GBST 163: Survey of the New Testament 1
March 6, 2017
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The parable of the sower is one of the more well-known parables of Jesus. This parable
can be found in Matthew 13:3-9 and 18-23, Mark 4:3-8 and 13-20, and Luke 8:5-8 and 11-15.
This parable gives valuable understanding of the different types of people in the world and how
they receive the message. In this paper, I would like to better explain this parable and these
different types of people as compared to the different types of soil the seeds in the parable were
scattered across. I also would like to show how this parable can be applied to life today in more
ways than one.
First let’s understand what a parable is. A parable compares something familiar with
something unfamiliar. It helps to understand spiritual truths by using relatable things that people
use or see every day. The parable of the sower was taught by a lake in Galilee. Jesus went and sat
down by the lake people began crowding around him so much that he got into a boat so everyone
could see and hear him. All the people then stood on the shore of the lake. Then Jesus began to
tell them many things in parables. The first of these was of the sower, how he scatters seed, and
the different types of soil he scatters it on. The chapter before this Matthew 12 shows us how
strong the opposition towards Jesus has grown. Religious leaders accuse Jesus of wrongdoing
and ask him to perform miracles as a sign him being the messiah. Jesus starts teaching to people
in parables so they will understand and can apply these principles to their daily lives. Jesus
knows that the oppression and ridicule towards him will only get worse from hear so the more
people know the better.
In the parable of the sower Jesus speaks of four different kinds of soil: a footpath, shallow
rocky soil, thorn/weed infested soil, and last fertile soil. I like would to break down these
different types of soil as they compare to different types of people.
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The footpath in that time was known as a well beaten path that most people and their
livestock traveled down. This path most likely was a dividing line between two fields. Imagine a
path that has been traveled down so many times, that the gravel and dirt is so compact it looks
like an asphalt paved road. When the sower scatters seed across this type or soil, the ground is so
hard that the seed will not take. You could compare this type of soil to a person that totally
rejects the word of God. There heart is hard like the soil and does not let anything in.
The second type of soil the sower throws seed out on is the shallow rocky soil. Plants in
this type of soil would take root and spring up, but soon shrivel up and dry out quickly because
of the little amount of moisture the soil can hold because of the rock. People like this type of soil
are new to the word. They can hear it but do nothing with it and eventually let go of it.
Weed and thorn infested is the third type of soil. This soil can look good on the surface,
but have underlying infestations of thorns and weeds which will cause problems later. A weed or
thorn bushes roots are deeper than that of a plant. Meaning they can go deeper in the soil for
water and can last longer. They will eventually over take the field and destroy the crop if you do
not get rid of them. If you don’t dig a weed or thorn up by the roots it will always come back.
People like this type of soil can be looked upon as good and strong on the surface, but in their
heart, they have other things that they worship or spend too much time on. Things like sports,
their careers, drugs, alcohol, or money. They are not willing to give these things up completely,
or kill them at the root and fully rely on God. In return the problem or weed always comes back.
The last soil described is fertile soil. Image rich, black, damp soil with nothing else in it.
Plants in this type of soil grow healthy and vibrant, bearing beautiful fruit. People like this type
of soil make God number one in their lives. They are servants and think of others before
themselves. The help and teach others about God inside and outside of the church.
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Jesus described these different types of soil to the people at the lake shore because they
could relate to them. Back in those days in Galilee farming was a common job by the people.
They probably dealt with those same types of soil as they were trying to produce crops for their
families to eat. Fertile soil was probably scarce around the land during that time. If it was found
it was probably over used and exhausted. People could relate to this because they had to manage
whatever type of soil they had around them to get a plant or crop to produce. You can get another
meaning out of this parable that we as believers need to work our soil (community) that is not
good to make it prosper. The Greek word for parable literally means a throwing or placing
alongside of each other for the purpose of comparison (The Parable Of The Sower And The
Seed, 2017). Jesus compared something the people could relate to such as farming and soil to
help them see how to make their spiritual lives better.
Some people think that Jesus’ parables cannot relate to problems people face today
because the time was different back then than it is now. There is some truth in that, but it can be
easily pointed out that this parable can relate to many different types of people today. Farmers of
today could relate to the constant working of the soil as to constantly working on your spirit and
relationship with God. People with addictions or obsessions can relate to the thorn and weed
infested soil. People that do not believe at all could compare themselves to the footpath that
produces nothing verses the fertile soil that produces over and over beautiful fruit. Why wouldn’t
you want something out of more out of life than to just get through it.
This parable has spoken to me in two different ways. First my soil was thorn and weed
infested. I was not willing to let go of certain habits which kept causing problems in my life. It
was not until I gave up those habits (killed the roots) and fully relied on God that I began to get
more out of life. It has also taught me that you must be a sold-out full time believer if you want
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to keep your soil fertile. You must continue to work on your soil and ask for God’s help to keep it
producing. Unfortunately, I used to be what I like to call a recreational Christian. I would go to
church to make myself feel better and make people see me as a good person, but I didn’t want
the work or relationships that went along with that. God kept tugging at me to do more and if I
was going to fully submit I had to get rid of the weeds.
Secondly, I get something out of this parable that I don’t think many see. That is to keep
scattering your seeds no matter what type of soil/people it is on. People need to hear the word
and see Christians as compassionate caring people. We should spread God’s word and teachings
everywhere even if it is not accepted. As 2 Corinthians 9:6 says: But this I say, he which sows
sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he which sows abundantly shall also reap abundantly. It is
amazing how you can get multiple meanings out of God’s word.
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Bibliography
Van Eck, E., 2014, 'The harvest and the kingdom: An interpretation of the Sower (Mk 4:3b-8) as
a parable of Jesus the Galilean', HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 70(1), Art.
#2715, 10 pages. http:// dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts. v70i1.2715
Willmington, Harold. Life of Christ: tell me the story of Jesus. United States: Willmington Press,
2008.
Fisher, W. George, “Symbiosis, partnership, and restoration in Mark’s parable of the sower”,
Johns Hopkins University Theology Today Vol 73, Issue 4, pp. 378-387 First published date:
January 03, 2017 10.1177/0040573616669560
"20. The Parable Of The Sower And The Seed (Matthew 13:1-23)." Bible.org. Accessed March
06, 2017. https://bible.org/seriespage/20-parable-sower-and-seed-matthew-131-23.
"Grasping God Homepage: Free Bible Study Lessons for Christian Growth." Grasping God
Homepage: Free Bible Study Lessons for Christian Growth. Accessed March 06, 2017.
http://www.graspinggod.com/support-files/Lesson_4.06.pdf.
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