The Parable of,
and Describing,
the Sower
(Matt. 13:3-23; Lu. 8:11-15)
By Jonathan Mitchell
Mat. 13:3. And so he spoke many things to them, continuing in gathering thoughts and laying them in order, in parables(things cast down at the side for comparison; illustrations;
[note: used for Hebrew masal in the LXX, so = a variety of figures of speech: riddle; proverb; ethical maxim; by-word; allegory; fable; enigmatic saying that is meant to stimulate intense thinking):
4."Look and consider! The sower comes out (or: went out) to be progressively sowing (scattering seed [in a field]). Now in the midst of his continued sowing, some [seeds] on the one hand fell alongside the path - and with the birds coming, they ate them down (devoured them).
Now we skip down to read Jesus' interpretation of this situation:
19. "Concerning everyone constantly listening to and hearing the Word (Logos; Blueprint; Patterned, Meaning-bearing Information) of the sovereign reign and activities (or: the thought, idea and message of the kingdom) and yet continuing in not understanding (being unable to have things flow together unto comprehension): the worthless person or the disadvantageous circumstance (or: the one who brings pain and misery through hard labor; the malevolent and wicked man; the evil one; or: the difficult and wearisome situation) is repeatedly coming and is habitually snatching up what has been sown (scattered as seed) within his heart - this is the one sown alongside the path or road.
Now take note of what is sown: the Logos. This would be the Son, who will be incarnated in the plant (the people that receive His Logos, that is, Himself, into the depth of their beings). So we should conclude, here, that the Sower is really the Father, who sows His Son in our hearts, via His Spirit. But with this first soil condition, the birds represent the worthless person or the disadvantageous circumstance which snatches away the "Word of the kingdom" from the person who could not receive the word into his or her inner being. The Word, the Logos, must be able to enter within the heart of the soil in order to
"continue understanding and have these thoughts and ideas flow together unto comprehension."
This can be compared to Paul's affirmation in 1 Cor. 15:33,
"Worthless associations, conversations or interminglings in a crowd (or: Companionships of corrupt quality [note: this can refer to sexual encounters]; Bad company or communication) habitually and progressively corrupt, decay, spoil and ruin useful habits, kind customs and profitable characters."Let us move on to the next kind of soil:
5.On the other hand, other [seeds] fell upon the rocky places (or: shallow soil where layers of rock lie near the surface), where it continues having not much soil, and immediately, set for success, it shoots forth again, back up - because of the [situation of] not having a depth of soil.
6.Yet upon a rising back up again of [the] sun, it was scorched - and thus, because of the [situation of] not having [sufficient] root, it was dried up and withered.
We find Jesus' explanation of this situation in the following verses:
20. "Now [as to] the one being sown (scattered) upon the rocky places, this one is the person continuing in hearing the Word (Logos; thought; idea; message), and at once, set for success, progressively receiving it with joy!
21. "However, he is not continuing to have a root within himself, but is instead existing for [only] a season (is temporary, or lasts only for that particular situation or occasion), so with an occurring (happening; birthing) of pressure (tribulation; distress) or pursuit and persecution - because of the message (the Word; the idea) - though set for success, he is at once caught in a trap, as though these circumstances were a trap-stick, and so he is made to stumble, being offended.
In this sort of person, the Word enters into the person's inner being and it seems good, bringing joy and a promise of inner success in this life. However, this person's inner development is shallow, and there seems to be a hard heart, possibly from having experienced "rocky" relationships. The Logos has no place where it can "take root," and so the Message that was joyfully received only lasts for
"a season (is temporary, or lasts only for that particular situation or occasion)."
The pressures and trials that fill our lives cause the Noble Idea to dry up and dissipate in this person's shallow inner being. In Jesus' words:
"he is at once caught in a trap, as though these circumstances were a trap-stick, and so he is made to stumble, being offended."
In words of our day, "Following the Christ Life just did not work" for this kind of "soil," and this one falls away or simply wanders off, away from the Path.
Kaplan offers us insight about the "rocky places" of our hearts:
a) this could allude to folks keeping the "stone" of the Law as their hearts;
b) this could also be an allusion to Ezk. 11:19,
"I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them a heart of flesh"; cf Zech. 7:12a.
The third soil produces similar results, but for different reasons:
7.Now others fell upon the thornbushes (or: prickly weeds), and the thornbushes came up and choked them off (smothered them).
Jesus explained it this way:
22. "Now [as to] the one being sown (scattered) into the midst of the thorns, this one is the person continuing in hearing the Word (Logos; Blueprint; message; thought; idea), and yet the anxiety (care; worry; concern; distraction) of the age [other MSS: this age], and the seductiveness and deception of the riches and wealth [involved], together progressively choke the Word (or: message; idea) and it (or: he) progresses to become unfruitful.
Here, the soil is good, and it produces vegetation, but that vegetation is already grown and developed so as to be too much competition for the Seed that was sown into it. This field needed to be plowed, or burned off, in order for the Seed to have a chance to produce a crop for harvest. What will God do, in order to turn this field into "good soil"? We have a parable that gives us one answer, in Heb. 6:
8. but when repeatedly and progressively bearing forth thorns and thistles [it is] disqualified (worthless; unable to stand the test [for planting a new crop]) and [is] close to (or: near) [the] curse (or: a down-prayer and a corresponding wish against [the situation] is at hand), the end (the resultant situation) of which [the thorns, briars, thistles and the field is] into [a time of] burning (or: = the field ends up being burned off).
This is still a time-honored agricultural practice for preparing a field for planting a crop - it removes the competition and the ash of the burned thorns and thistles actually enriches the soil.
Sometimes "the Lake of Fire and Deity" (Rev. 20:10) is the best solution for removing what is unwanted in our lives (cf Mal. 3:2-3, the prophecy about "refining" the sons of Levi, for another illustration).
There is another aspect to be considered: the competition in this soil was not just "weeds" of the more harmless sorts (like Malva weeds, which are actually edible, but they can take up a lot of space in a garden). These were specifically "thornbushes." Working around thorny or sticker plants can be irritating, to say the least. Dan Kaplan "pointed out" how some folks can be stickery to be around, due to thorny aspects of their personalities. Or, he said, they can sometimes want to just "stick" you with the "points" of their doctrines or "viewpoints."
Before investigating the "ideal soil" of the parable (vs. 8), let us look at the section which Jesus inserted before giving His explanation of the parable. The disciples asked Jesus why He was "continuing to speak to them in parables" (vs. 10). The "them" was "the entire crowd stood on the beach" (13:2). In answer to the disciples' question, He responds (vs. 11),
"To (or: For; With) you folks it has been given to intimately experience and insightfully know the secrets (mysteries) of the reign and dominion of the heavens (or: the kingdom which is the heavens; the royal rule, influences and activities which pertains to and has its origin in the heavens, and which emanates from the atmospheres), yet it has not been given to those people."
The "secrets" were reserved for His disciples, not for the general public. Well, Matthew's Gospel sort of lets the cat out of the bag. Now everyone who reads this can know the explanations that Jesus gave to them. But, we suggest, the reason for keeping these things from the general public, at that time, was that they were apocalyptic teachings that were pointing to the soon-coming (within that generation) demise of Second Temple Judaism, which resulted from the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, in AD 70. Later generations would read about this, and understand that He had predicted this via many of His prophetic parables. But at that time, Jesus was not yet revealing God's plans to everyone - and especially not to the scribes, the priests and the Pharisees. But let us continue with Jesus' explanation, in the next verses...
Verses 12-15 are not just an aside, but are key to our understanding the parables of the kingdom. In vs. 12, the disciples were the ones who "presently and habitually possessed" (present tense); the Jewish leadership, culture and religion did not possess or currently hold "the Word of the Reign" (vs. 19), and since this leadership did not have or hold this,
"whoever does not continue possessing (habitually holding; repeatedly having), even what he does have will be progressively taken away from him" (vs. 12b),
meaning that the kingdom would be taken away from the Judean leadership (21:43, below). And then vs. 13 underscores His reasoning:
"Therefore I continue speaking in parables (with illustrations) to them, because while seeing (or: observing) they continue not seeing, and during listening (or: hearing) they are not hearing (or: listening) - neither are they comprehending or understanding (having things flow together so as to get the picture or see the relationships)."
Then, He gives an OT passage that spoke to their current situation:
15. For the heart of this people was made thick and fat, and thus has become impervious, dull and insensitive, and with the ears they hear heavily, and are thus hard of hearing, and they shut (or: closed) their eyes (or: they squint their eyes), lest at some time they might see with [their] eyes and should then be listening and hearing with [their] ears, and with the heart they could make things flow together so as to comprehend - and they might turn about! And so, I will cure and heal them!'" [Isa. 6:9-10]
Now the question logically arises, why did Jesus then quote Isa. 6:9-10 in reference to these folks (here, in vs. 14-15), saying that this same prophecy was being filled up in these folks to whom He had just spoken the parable? If we read Isa. 6:11-13 we see that Isaiah was speaking about the Jews going into the Babylonian captivity. Here, I suggest that Jesus is speaking of the soon coming overthrow of Jerusalem by the Romans, which was completed in AD 70.
THIS is the reason why it was not given to THEM (the Judean leaders of that generation) to know the secrets of His reign and sovereign activity. Their religious system was going to be torn down (cf Matt. 24, the destruction of the temple; Lu. 21:20); the next covenant would have these characteristics:
"an hour is progressively coming - and now exists (or: is; is being) - when the true (real; genuine) worshipers will worship (or: will give worship to) the Father within spirit and Truth (or: in breath and reality; within the midst of [the] Spirit and a Fact; in union with attitude and genuineness, or actuality), for the Father is also constantly seeking after such folks (habitually searching out such ones as this; continuously looking for and trying to find lost ones to be this kind) - ones presently by habit worshiping Him!" (John 4: 23)
He had just made another significant statement to the Samaritan woman,
21. Jesus then says to her, "Be constantly trusting in Me (or: by and with Me; or: Continue believing Me), O woman (= dear lady), because an hour is progressively coming when neither within this mountain nor within Jerusalem will you folks give worship to the Father."
By saying this, He was predicting the end of both the Jewish system of religion and that of the Samaritans - as well as the end of religion in general. You see, the phrases "this mountain" and "within Jerusalem" were representing both places and forms of religion.
Taking up the parable, again, verse 8 describes the fourth soil condition:
"But others fell upon the ideal soil, and it began and kept on yielding fruit - this one, on the one hand, a hundred; that one, on the other hand, sixty; yet some, thirty."
We find His explanation, in vs. 23,
"As for the one sown (scattered) upon the ideal soil (earth), this is the person continuing in hearing the Word (or: message; idea) and progressively allowing things to flow together unto comprehension and understanding - who in reality does progressively bear fruit, and is continuing producing: this one, on the one hand, a hundred, that one, on the other hand, sixty, yet another one thirty [times what was sown]."
Even ideal soil will produce differing quantities, from different plants. The idea is primarily that it takes ideal soil in order to produce a crop. The masses of humanity were not yet ready to be productive. To be productive of kingdom results we must be prepared by the work of the Spirit in our lives - whether it be:
a Plow to open up our lives to Him ("Zion shall be plowed like a field" - Jer. 26:18; cf Isa. 28:24),
Dynamite to blast away the bedrock of a hard heart ("Jerusalem shall become heaps" - Jer. 26:18; Mic. 3:12),
or a Fire to burn off the competition from cultural or religious involvements (Heb. 6:8).
But there is also something that is often missed about "the masses of humanity." The last clause of the quote from Isa. 6, above:
"And so, I will progressively cure and heal them! (or: I will continue healing them!)."Grace and mercy always have the last word.
Another thought on "ideal soil" has been offered by Dan Kaplan: Ps. 51:17,
"The sacrifices to God are a broken spirit; a broken [plowed up] and crushed heart, O God, You will not despise. You will build up the walls of Jerusalem." (brackets, mine)
The three levels of crop production have been metaphorically thought of as parallel to the three realms of the Temple: the outer court (with its level of activities), the holy place (where the priests perform their functions) and then the realm of completeness (100 %) which is the holy of holies, where no work is done but there is only communion in the presence of the One on the throne. Logion 9 of the Gospel of Thomas offers this same parable with two small variations:
1) some of the seeds that fell among the weeds and thorns were eaten by insects;
2) there were only two levels of yields: "sixty per measure and one hundred twenty per measure."
Luke 8 gives us another version of this parable, where Jesus give the following explanations:
12. "Yet those beside the path (road; way) are the folks [who] upon hearing [have] the adversary (or: the person thrusting something through folks) repeatedly coming, and it (or: he; or: [that person]) is constantly (or: habitually) picking up and removing the Word (thought; message; information; Logos) from their hearts so that they would not - upon (or: in) trusting and believing - be delivered (rescued; made healthy and whole; saved; kept safe).
13. "Now those upon the rock-mass [are] those who - whenever they should hear - continue welcoming and receiving the Word (thought; message; information) with joy. And yet, these do not continue having a root. They are folks who continue trusting and believing for a season, and then, during a season (or: within a situation) of testing and trial, they progressively stand off and position themselves away, continuing to be withdrawn.
14. "And now the [handful] falling into the midst of thorns: these are the folks [that] are at one point listening and hearing. And then, under anxieties (cares; worries; concerns) and by wealth and through pleasures (enjoyments; gratifications) of life (= the daily functions of living and making a living, and the things that crowd our lives), in continuing in going their way they are being progressively choked together and stifled - and then they are not continuing on to the goal of bearing mature fruit (or: are not progressing to bear the finished product).
15. "But the [handful] within the ideal soil - these are those folks who, at one point listening to and hearing the Word (the thought; the idea; the message; the information; the Logos) within an ideal (beautiful) and good (virtuous) heart, continue holding [it] down within and retaining [it] - and so they continue bearing fruit (producing a harvest) within the midst of a remaining-under, and in union with endurance (or: centered in a persistent endurance which remains under [the task, burden or testing/trials] to give support)."
Notice that Luke's version describes the ideal soil (vs. 15) as having "an ideal (beautiful) heart," while Matthew's version (vs. 23) speaks of their hearing the Word, and, "progressively allowing things to flow together unto comprehension and understanding." We need not focus on the contrast, but see the fullness of Jesus' words by conflating these two versions, likely spoken by Jesus upon different occasions.
Jonathan
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