Getting the Kingdom, I: "The Sower, Good Soil Produces." (from July 15)

Matthew 13: 3-9

- Before we read our Scripture, I want to point out something we all need to remember about parables and that is parables almost always have more than one point. A parable has more than one level of meaning.

- So as we dig into this parable of Jesus, we need to remember that the take-home truth we find this week might be something a little different than what you'll find in your devotional reading next week or next month or in a sermon I or someone else preaches years from now. Parables have multiple levels of meaning.

3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9  He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“ ‘You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17  For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18  “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matt 13:3-23 (ESV)

- Can you hear the voice of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel? Is God speaking to you today through the gospel writer?

- As we unpack this parable today I want us to keep a question in our minds and that question is this: what did Matthew teach his readers about the growth of the kingdom of God by this parable of Jesus?

- In chapters 11 and 12, Matthew presents us with the developing controversy around Jesus.

- In the first century as today there was much disagreement about Jesus and the kingdom of God which Matthew calls the "kingdom of the heavens."

- Jesus told kingdom parables in order to guide and correct Jewish expectations.

- Jews in the first century thought that when Messiah came the kingdom of God would be fulfilled on Earth in the nation of Israel.

- But Jesus taught that this fulfillment was partial. The kingdom of the heavens was not to be embodied in Israel, but in a man.

- The kingdom of the heavens was not to be fulfilled in one nation, but in all nations.

- The kingdom of the heavens was not for the spiritual elite, but for everyone who would come to Jesus to find his rest and the joy of taking up his work.

- This parable that we have traditionally called the parable of the sower, many commentators dubbed it the parable of the soils because Jesus brings together three groups of people to represent four soils.

- The soil of the path represents the hard-packed-hardened hearts of the Jewish leaders.

- Seeing, they did not see. Hearing, they did not hear. Otherwise they would repent and believe.

- Jesus referred to the prophets using parables and he specifically mentioned Isaiah, while Jeremiah and Ezekiel also said similar things.

- Jesus came right out and told his disciples that he was speaking in parables so that the leadership would not get it.

- This is the turning point in Matthew's Gospel where Jesus reacts to the Jewish establishments radical rejection of him.

- They didn't want to listen to Jesus they didn't want to hear what he had to say because they didn't like it. It removed them from their seats of power so they chose to reject him.

- So by speaking in parables Jesus solidifies their rejection and opposes the ruling priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees with judgment.

- In the parable of the sower the seed that fell on the path is the hardened hearts of the Jewish leadership toward Jesus, his message, and his ministry.

- The excitable but uncommitted crowds represent both the rocky soil and the thorn filled soil.

- With the rocky soil, the seed is unable to endure because its roots cannot sink deeply into the soil, and with the thorny soil, the seed cannot endure as it is choked because of the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.

- Matthew's Gospel resembles Mark's whose Gospel tells us that the shallowness of the rocky soil resulted in the young plant being scorched by the heat of the sun.

- And Luke's Gospel tells us that the young plant could not retrieve necessary moisture from such shallow soil, and hence withered away agreeing with Matthew & Mark.

- Of the thorny soil, Matthew says that the seedlings grew up in the midst of thorns and were choked because of worldly cares and the deceitfulness of riches. And while Luke echoes Matthew, Mark tells us that because they were choked they were unable to reproduce grain.

- While these points reveal minor differences among the gospel writers' retelling of Jesus' parable, they point to the same things: seed that falls on rocky or thorny soil cannot sustain an enduring life because it cannot put down roots deep enough or receive sufficient nutrients that it may thrive.

- Can you hear the voice of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel this morning? Is God speaking to you today through the gospel writer?

- While Jesus spoke in parables so that some would not see and not understand the message of the kingdom of God, we need to make sure that we get it.

- That is why I called this series "getting the kingdom" because we need to get it. We need to see and to understand because the mystery, the secret of the kingdom of God is being revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

- We need to be sure that the soil of our hearts, our minds, and our lives is good soil because only good soil produces.

*- Just as Matthew recalls the voice of Jesus: "As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matt 13:23 (ESV)

- Now Matthew reverses the order in which Mark lists the crop yield (30, 60, 100), and Luke only mentions a yield of 100 fold, but each gospel writer makes the point that the good soil represents people who hear the good news understand it and bear abundant fruit.

- In other words, good soil represents people who learn to say and do the kinds of things Jesus would have them say and do.

-In the parallel account of Mark's Gospel, shortly after telling the parable of the sower Mark recounts Jesus' telling the parable of the growing seed in which the seed grows all by itself, automatically.

- And we understand because of the context this seed is able to grow all by itself in good soil. Automatic growth only happens in good soil.

*- To put it another way, only good soil produces automatic growth in sown seed.

- Luke, the doctor turned missionary and co-worker of Paul the apostle, wrote the following words about the early church in the book of Acts.

- "Each day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." Who added? The Lord added.

- The apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."

- Who gave the growth? God gave the growth.

*- Let's go back to our question for today. What did Matthew teach his readers about the growth of the kingdom of God by this parable of Jesus?

- One of the things that I believe Matthew was teaching his readers is that growth is a miracle of God which occurs in good soil and over which the sower has minimal control.

- The only soil that we as the body of Christ can manage is our own soil, the soil of our hearts and our minds.

- We sow the seed of the good news of the kingdom of the heavens through our words and our deeds, learning to say and do the kinds of things Jesus would have us say and do.

*- The church's job is in the sowing; God's job is in the growing.

- Whose job is it to sow? Anyone? The church's job is in the sowing.

- Now some of us think, "that's what we pay the pastor for," but that's not how Jesus has designed the church; we are his body.

- We are all called to be disciples and witnesses for Jesus Christ. So the church's job really is in the sowing.

*- Through our words and our deeds we are all called to sow seeds.

- The pastor is one among many and the whole church is called to sow.

- No one can walk alone to sow seed, the job is too great.

- When I say God's job is in the growing, I don't mean discipleship. I mean, seeing people to come to faith by the Holy Spirit renewing, reviving, regenerating power of their hearts, minds, and lives.

- Remember the words of Dr. Luke in Acts and the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Luke wrote, "Each day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." Who added? The Lord added. Paul wrote, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." Who gave the growth? God gave the growth.

- While we need to use discernment about where best to sow seed, we cannot possibly predict who will respond and when nor can we know the condition of the soil upon which the seed falls. Our job is to be faithful sowers.

*- The church's job is in the sowing; God's job is in the growing.

*- I want to tackle one last question: what does good soil look like?

- In answer to that question I want us to refer back to verse eight. "Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

- Good soil produces, plain and simple. Good soil produces.

- What kind of fruit does good soil produce? There are only two kinds of fruit that good soil produces.

-The first kind of fruit produced by good soil is the fruit of the Spirit, Christian character and that's love. Check out first Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5: 22 and 23.

- The fruit of the Spirit is the first kind of fruit good soil produces.

- The second kind of fruit produced by good soil is simply that the seed is reproduced sometimes 30, sometimes 60, sometimes 100 fold, so the second kind of fruit is new disciples.

*- The fruit of the Spirit and new disciples are the only lasting fruit good soil produces.

- Can you hear the voice of God today? Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you this morning? Listen to what he says and do it.

- Good soil produces.

*- The church's job is in the sowing; God's job is in the growing.

- I chose the image of the pierced hand of Christ sowing seed because Jesus set the example for us and he has sent us his Spirit to dwell within us making us his body; we are Christ’s body.

- Just as Jesus sowed so also the church's job is in the sowing; God's job is in the growing.