Stories: The Parables of Jesus - Week 1 (Matthew 13:1-23)
Matthew 13:1-23
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Matthew 13:1-23 〰️
The Parables of Jesus
Welcome to our first week in our new sermon series, Stories: The Parables of Jesus! We’re super excited for this series, as we’ll spend five weeks on five parables that Jesus taught in the Gospels. A series like this is always fun for me because pretty much the entire passage is in red letters: Jesus’ words. There are so many layers and so much richness in passages like this, so I’m excited to jump in! A parable is a “practical story, often framed as a simile (a comparison using “like” or “as”), that illustrates spiritual truth.”¹ So as we read through these parables, it’s important to note that they are fictional stories that reflect real spiritual truths. Jesus explains His purpose for using parables in v9 and 11: to teach those who were willing to hear and hide it from those who are not.²
For the purpose of clarity, most of these five parables can be found in the synoptic Gospels, with this week’s passage found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. We’ll be in the book of Matthew for each of these weeks, but we encourage you to read the parables found in the other Gospel accounts as well to see overlap and connections!
The Parable of the Sower
Our first parable for this week is that of the sower in Matthew 13. In this short parable, Jesus tells of a sower (someone who scatters seed to be planted) who scatters seed. In this parable, the Sower is Jesus, the Son of Man, whose seed is the message of salvation. In this parable, the seed lands in four locations, representing the different heart postures of man: a path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil. The seed that landed on the path was consumed by birds; the seed on the rocky ground sprang up quickly but died soon after because it was not able to take root. The seed that landed in the thorns was choked up by the thorns, and finally, the seed that fell on the good soil produced fruit in great numbers. Jesus concluded this parable by saying, “Let anyone who has ears listen” (v9).
So what does it mean for “anyone who has ears”? Of course, Jesus isn’t saying that this is only for those who actually have ears, but as he explains to the disciples in v11, “the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given to you to know, but it has not been given to them.” Jesus then references the prophet Isaiah here in v14-15. If you read it again, but start in v13, you’ll see that Jesus is speaking to His disciples, not to the crowd. I can only imagine the crowd would have been confused by His quoting Isaiah, and a select few would have taken offense at these words. If word got back to the religious leaders that Jesus was calling those who didn’t understand His parables “callous” in their hearts, it probably would have fast-tracked their plot to kill Him even more.
After sharing this parable and its explanation, Jesus reminds His disciples of the gift it is to see, hear, and understand, reminding them that many desire to see the Messiah come but miss it. Jesus then dives into the explanation of the parable, making it clear that His rejection is not an issue with the seed (the message) or the Sower (He Himself), but with the soil it lands on (the hearts of those listening). This, again, is why He concluded the parable, saying, “Let anyone who has ears listen” (v9). David Platt’s commentary on this passage is excellent in defining the heart posture of the four kinds of soil,
“The first kind of soil on which the seed fell was the hard heart. Verse 4 describes seed that had fallen “along the path” and had been eaten up by birds. This kind of soil represents those who hear the message of the kingdom but reject it, and thus the Devil comes and snatches the good news of the kingdom away. The second kind of soil Jesus mentions is the superficial heart, and this is represented by the “rocky ground” (v. 5). This kind of heart receives the message and responds to it, but there’s no root enabling it to grow and develop. When pressure and persecution come, the person falls away.
“Third, Jesus alerts us to the divided heart. The divided heart hears the Word, but there is no room for it because the cares and wealth of this world are too consuming.
“Finally, there is a fourth kind of soil that Jesus refers to as “good ground” (vv. 8, 23). This is the fruitful heart that hears the word and understands it and then bears fruit. The measure of that fruit may be different from person to person—notice the 30-, 60-, and 100-fold increases in verse 23—but there is fruit nonetheless. The fruit of the Word will be evident in people’s life in the world.”³
When translating these kinds of soil, it is clear that Jesus was on to something. I imagine most, if not all, of us can read this and place our own hearts or the hearts of those around us. To be very clear, this parable is not meant to be a tool to judge or condemn others, but a method for self-reflection and, Lord willing, conviction from the Holy Spirit. What kind of ground has the seed of the Gospel fallen on? Is my heart good soil, producing fruit in abundance? In this parable, Jesus makes it clear that there is no in-between or “alright soil.” The message of Jesus will either die in your heart, or it will thrive and produce fruit.
It’s a little uncomfortable for us to speak and talk in absolutes, but that is the nature of God and His kingdom. There is no “sort of” being in right standing before God. There is no “a little in debt” to the author of all creation. We are either part of God’s kingdom, or we are not.
So what can/do we do with this passage, practically? It’s one of two things. First, if you are one of the first three kinds of soil, this is the Lord speaking through His Word in Matthew: repent and believe (Mark 1:15). Secondly, if we’re able to self-identify as the good soil, then we are called to scatter seed as well! The title “Christian” is not one that’s used in the bible, as it was a word used later. The followers of The Way of Jesus were first called this in what’s believed to be a derogatory way. The original language for the word is Christianos, which means “little Christ.” I can just imagine someone calling a follower of Jesus this name in a mocking tone. All that to say, if we are to be “little Christs,” then we must imitate our Savior, obeying His command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), scattering the seed of the Gospel to all who can hear, even if we believe them to be a trodden path, rocky ground, or thorns. Only the Father knows the heart of man (1 Kings 8:39).
Discussion Questions
Could a few people read Matthew 13:1-23 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
Why did Jesus teach in parables rather than being upfront and clear?
How are the different kinds of soil described in this passage?
What is the “good soil”?
How does this passage make a distinction between “good soil” and “bad soil”?
For those who follow Jesus, how can we imitate Him by scattering seed? (Ephesians 5:1)
1. David Platt, Exalting Jesus in Matthew, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2013), 172.
2. Charles L. Quarles, CSB Study Bible: Notes - Matthew (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1522.
3. David Platt, Exalting Jesus in Matthew, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2013), 178-179.