The Parables of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Luke contains 24 Parables of Jesus, The Gospel of Matthew contains 23, and the Gospel of Mark contains 8 Parables. The Gospel of John contains no parables of Jesus Christ. 

• What is a Parable – “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”.

The Parables of Jesus: Insight into the Mysteries Of The Kingdom Of Heaven by Mark A. Copeland

The Parable of the Sower / The Parable of the Four Soils / The parable of the Seed / FOUR reactions to the gospel message.

Matthew 13:3-9;18-23 (Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:4-8)

WHAT KIND OF AUDIENCE AM I?

Introduction: 

There are 4 types of people in Jesus’s audience.

1. Unrepentant audience – this audience would not repent no matter what Jesus did – Matthew 11:20
2. The oppositional audience – this audience seeks to trap Jesus in order to accuse Him – Matthew 22:18
3. Stomach infrastructure (Stomach Politics) audience – A term that refers to the use of gifts and promises of food to win support from voters. This audience follows Jesus because of what Jesus would do for them – John 6:26
4. Life-seeking audience (receptive audience) – This audience genuinely seeks Jesus because Jesus offers life – John 6:68

• There are THREE entities in this Parable:

(1) The sower  (the farmer)             (2) The seed                                         (3) The soil

(a) the Roadside soil  (b) Rocky soil  (c) Thorny soil   (d) the Good soil

 Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful…” Unlike the words of men, the Word of God has life in it, and that life can be imparted to those who will believe. There are two details to pay attention to here: 1. This parable is one of the few parables in which we actually have Jesus’ own interpretation of the parable. 2. The significance of this particular parable is enhanced by the words of Jesus recorded in Mark 4:13 “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all parables?” 

“The value of this parable becomes clearer in the light of Jesus’ explanation, for by it we can see ourselves as we really are in regards to how we have received the Word into our lives”.

1. Explanation of the Parable

(WHAT KIND OF AUDIENCE AM I? WHAT KIND OF AUDIENCE ARE YOU?)

1. the Sower is Jesus according to Mathew 13:37 “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”
2. the Seed is the message about the kingdom of God. Matthew 13:19
3. the Soil is our hearts. Matthew 13:18-23

(a) The Roadside soil – Matthew 13:19a. This soil represents one who “hears….and does not understand” 

WHY? Unrepentant audience – An unrepentant person knows that he or she has sinned and refuses to ask God for forgiveness or turn away from the sin. The unrepentant shows no remorse for their wrongdoing and doesn’t feel the need to change. Unrepentance is the sin of willfully remaining sinful. Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

(b) The Rocky soil – Matthew 13:20-21. This soil represents the one who… “Hears… immediately receives it with joy …. Yet he has no root in himself … but when tribulation or persecution arises … immediately he stumbles” 

WHY? The oppositional audience – Matthew 22:29 “Jesus replied, ‘You … do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” Here we learn that an emotional reception without a strong foundation based upon the Word will not enable one to stand against tribulation and persecution. 

(c) Thorny soil – Matthew 13:22. This soil represents the one who… “Hears the word … But whose ability to bear fruit is choked by “the cares of this world”, “the deceitfulness of riches” and “pleasures of life – Luke 8:14”. 

WHY? Stomach infrastructure (stomach politics) audience – John 6:26 “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” Are life’s worries, riches and pleasures choking you? This is not to say we can avoid everything that causes worry. Nor is it that we should try to live without money. Neither is it that we cannot enjoy some of the things this life has to offer. The point is, not to allow life’s worries, riches and pleasures to rob us of an intimate relationship with Christ. Luke 12:30-31 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

(d) The Good soil – Matthew 13:23. This soil represents the one who… “Hears the word and understands it”, “indeed bears fruit and produces”. According to Luke 8:15 he hears “the word with a noble and good heart”, and then “keeps it and bears fruit with patience”. An important observation is that NOT ALL will bear the same amount of fruits… “Some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty”, but the main idea is that “they bear fruit”

WHY? Life-seeking audience (receptive audience) 

2. Application of the Parable 

(WHAT KIND OF SOIL AM I? WHAT KIND OF SOIL ARE YOU?)

(a) Are you a Roadside soil? Have you given your life to Jesus or you still believe that you are a good person and you do not need Jesus to forgive you of any sins because you have no sins? Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” 1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

(b) Are you a Rocky soil? Still debating if Jesus is the ONLY way? Still not allowing yourself to go deep into the word of God? John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

(c) Are you a Thorny soil? Still practicing stomach politics with Jesus? As long as Jesus keeps giving you all you ask for then you are cool with Jesus? You only seek Jesus for what you can get? John 6:27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”

(d) Are you the Good soil? Seeking Jesus because you love Him and you are bearing fruit? 

Jesus said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” – Matthew 13:9. If you are anything other than that like “the good soil”, you need to repent today!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, please help us to truly have a good and noble heart. Help us to hear, examine, understand, and accept Your Gospel and the Gospel of Your kingdom. Amen.