In the Fulness of Time/Part 89

Previous Article

The Parable of the Sower Explained – Matthew 13:18-23

The Seed by the Wayside. 13:18-19

Mt.13:18-19 “Hear, therefore, the parable of the sower. When anyone 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 that received seed by the wayside.”

In this parable, attention is centered on four types of response to the message of the kingdom. Though the sower is not identified, since the message is “the word of the kingdom,” it must refer to Christ, since this is His messianic message. Nothing is said of the time element; the message of the kingdom is still being preached, and in each verse “the word” is emphasized. The “mystery” (the new revelation) is that there will not be universal acceptance of Christ as the Messiah/King, and thus the kingdom will not be established as soon as the disciples expected. As a matter of fact, when Jesus spoke in Luke 18:8 of His return, He said: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, will he find the faith on the earth?” Some years later, after the Messiah left the earth, the “mystery of iniquity” (2 Thessalonians 2:8) was revealed to show that the evil influence of satanic forces was at work in the days of the Apostles.

The interpretation Jesus gave of the seed sown by the wayside clearly indicated to His disciples that the kingdom message would be directly opposed by Satan. Jesus interprets the “fowls” of 13:4 as “the wicked one” (13:19). Further, in Mark 4:15 this one is called “Satan,” and in Luke 8:12 he is “the Devil,” who takes the word out of their hearts “lest they believe and be saved.”

The Seed in Stony Places. 13:20-21

Mt.13:20-21 “But he that received the seed in stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, immediately he is offended.”

Because of the thin layer of soil on the stony ridge, the seed sown there had an immediate outward growth, but just as immediate a withering. In His interpretation Jesus says that it is the heat of tribulation and persecution which belies the lack of depth of that man’s faith, and he is “offended” from skandalidzetai; “he is trapped,” or “he falls away.” This type of response has enthusiasm and even joy connected with it, but it is proven to be shallow and false when testing comes “because of the word;” in this case the word of the kingdom. Following Jesus as Messiah without a firm rooting would be insufficient when the Jewish officials exerted their persecution, or other adversaries began to cause tribulation. Such responders are akin to those of 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” They were not “Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:7).

The Seed Among Thorns. 13:22

Mt. 13:22 “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”

Three enemies tempt the true believer in every age, and these same enemies also plague those unbelievers who hear the word at any time: the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus deals with these three in reverse order as He interprets the parable of the sower. The adversary of the wayside seed is the Devil; the enemy of the seed in stony ground is the flesh, shrinking from tribulation and persecution; and the rival of the seed sown among thorns is the world of worries and wealth.

The worries which choke commitment to the cause of Christ often have a relation to riches. The word “cares” is from merimna, signifying a divided mind, one stretched in opposite directions. This immediately takes us back to Matthew 6:24­33 where Jesus makes it clear: “You cannot serve God and money,” after which He demonstrates that God’s care for His own makes it unnecessary to have the anxiety of a divided mind. Therefore, anyone who responded to the Messiah in such a way could not bear fruit because the thorns of worry and wealth subtly and deceitfully turned his heart away from Christ before fruit could germinate and develop.

The Seed in Good Ground. 13:23

Mt. 13:23 “But he that received seed in the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it, who also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Throughout this parable there is an identification of the soil with the heart where the seed was sown; but then in verse 21 “he,” the person, is described as the “seed” having “no root in himself.” Compare Colossians 1:6 concerning the Gospel “Which is come unto you… and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you.” The important factor is that the word of the kingdom produces good fruit in good soil. We need only to interpret the differing amounts by saying that God has always ministered to individuals, and each true disciple will produce according as God “giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7). Nothing in the parable demands that percentages of people are intended; rather, the main thrust is that there are four types of responses to the word of the kingdom and therefore the disciples are not to expect the kingdom to be established immediately, now that the Messiah has been rejected.

If the good ground teaches anything it is this: it will always be true that among the Jews, “a remnant shall be saved” (Romans 9:27). Yet, “in the fulness of time” when the Messiah/King comes and purges Israel: “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodli­ness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26).

Read Part 90