The Parable of the Sower

Genesis 42:18-28
1 Corinthians 5:6-6:8
March 3, 2010

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered round him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. Then Jesus said, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' Then Jesus said to them, Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop— thirty, sixty even a hundred times what was sown. - Mark 4:1-20

In the parable of the sower Jesus tells of a man hat sowed some seed. Some of his seeds fell on the stony ground, soil that wasn’t good for growing. The seeds grew a little, but before long the sun scorched and killed them. These seeds could be a parallel ot people who hear God’s Word but whose faith isn’t very strong or have no faith at all. Their belief doesn’t last very long until something hard they’re going through (the sun) sways it or kills it.

In this parable though, some seeds were sown on good fround and grew. One fully grown, they were harvested. These are the people with strong faith who hear the Word of God and it grows in their hearts. Lord, give us such a faith as this.

Alyssa Strickler

O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength, keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect for Reminiscere Sunday The Lutheran Hymnal © 1940 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis