Parable of the Sower

Introduction: Jesus begins teaching the people through parables. 1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a

boat out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: "Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. The seed grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

When he was alone, Jesus told the disciples, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. "Don't you understand this parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path,

where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in the people’s heart. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a

hundred times what was sown." With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to the people, as much as they could understand.