In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches us the Parable of the Sower. This Parable is not left open to every individual's personal interpretation, for Jesus reveals the meanings of the symbols later in the Chapter.
Matthew 13:
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
We will soon see that Jesus is the Sower, the Seed is the Gospel, and the Soil is the heart of the hearer. My interest at the moment is to discuss the different ways the Gospel is received by the hearer.
v.4 Not understood.
v.5,6 Heard (even with initial joy) but did not take root.
v.7 Heard, initially accepted, but later rejected the Gospel because of the cares of this world.
v.8 Accepted, cherished, and nourished unto fruit by a glad and thankful heart.
Now let's check this against what Jesus says later in the Chapter:
Matthew 13:
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Now we are armed with a solid scriptural basis upon which to discuss the nature of salvation and do not have to rely on heritage, tradition, and denominational distinctives anymore.
Matthew 13:
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
We will soon see that Jesus is the Sower, the Seed is the Gospel, and the Soil is the heart of the hearer. My interest at the moment is to discuss the different ways the Gospel is received by the hearer.
v.4 Not understood.
v.5,6 Heard (even with initial joy) but did not take root.
v.7 Heard, initially accepted, but later rejected the Gospel because of the cares of this world.
v.8 Accepted, cherished, and nourished unto fruit by a glad and thankful heart.
Now let's check this against what Jesus says later in the Chapter:
Matthew 13:
18Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Now we are armed with a solid scriptural basis upon which to discuss the nature of salvation and do not have to rely on heritage, tradition, and denominational distinctives anymore.
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