Luke 8:4 – 15 The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:4 – 15 The Parable of the Sower

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."

Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, "Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that 'they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.'

"This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of trial. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.

This is one of the best loved parables in Luke. Before I get to the parable and its meaning, let me first deal with some externals. What is a parable and why does Jesus use it? A parable (in my understanding) is a story used to teach something. It is not a theory or a lecture, it is a homely story told in simple language with common understanding. It goes around the meaning instead of stating its point directly. At the same time it is open and easy to understand (a simple, straightforwardly told story) it is also closed and hard to understand (it must be thought through and at best discussed to reveal its meaning.). Most of the parables follow the format of being both open and closed, but the Parable of the Sower is the exception in that Jesus, after telling the parable, gives a full and complete explanation of the parables meaning – a great gift and guide for us. I wonder how you (if you were a witness on the day the storey was told) heard and understood this parable’s meaning.

The Parable of the Sower was even more indirect than some, it doesn’t start our “the kingdom of God is like . . .” It starts out humbly, saying “A farmer went out . . . “ Most of the people who went out to see Jesus went out to see a miracle maker, a spectacular figure. Except for his disciples and a few men and women followers who steadily sought out his company and lived with him, the vast majority of people that heard him and interacted with him are merely part of the background story. Jesus and his followers are the key players. They are steeped in him, his ways of prayer and solitude, his deeds of compassion and mercy, his attitude of humility and gentleness. He taught them in word and in deed and they drank it all in and recorded it in the form of the gospels, giving us the same opportunity to be a close companion of Christ, a witness to his words and deeds, his thoughts and attitudes. We are the most fortunate of men and women and owe a debt of gratitude to those early followers of Christ.