The Parable about Parables
It is no secret that Jesus heavily taught in parables, but have you ever wondered why that is? His twelve disciples were curious as to why He preferred to teach using parables. In fact, on one occasion, after sharing a parable by a lake, His disciples asked Jesus why He favored teaching in parables.
Jesus questioned His disciples:
Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
Mark 4:13
So, what then was the parable Jesus taught by the lake that day?
The Parable of the Sower
The Gospels of Matthew (13:3-23), Mark (4:3-20), and Luke (8:5-15) provide corresponding accounts of the Parable of the Sower.
In this parable, Jesus unfolds a story about a farmer who went to sow his seed. As the farmer sprinkled the seed along the soil, some of the seed fell on soil on the path, soil in rocky areas, soil in thorny areas, and on good soil.
Consequently, hungry birds flew in and ate up the seed that fell on the path. The seeds that fell in rocky areas sprouted quickly, but the soil was shallow and the rocks prevented the plants from taking a deep root; ultimately blocking sufficient nutrients and water. Because of this, the plants died because the heat of the sun was too much to bear. The seed that fell among thorns was obstructed by the piercing bristles. This rendered the plant incapable of bearing grain. Fortunately, the seed that fell among the good soil had all of the right conditions to amply grow and prosper. The bountiful crop multiplied a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times what was sown.
Jesus ended the parable with:
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:9
Symbolism
+The Farmer depicts God
+The Seed depicts the Word of God
+The Soil on the Path depicts people who have heard the Word of God, but as soon as they have, Satan sneaks in and turns them away.
+The Soil on Rock depicts people who have heard the Word of God. They believe and accept His Word. However, they are not able to take root in His Word. So in times of persecution and testing, they fall away.
The Soil among Thorns depicts people who have heard the Word of God, but as life progresses, they become enamored by worldly pleasures, worries, and gains. They took root, but the thorns got in the way and inhibited them from maturing.
+The Good Soil depicts people who have heard the Word of God and understand it. They continue to live by His Word and produce a prolific crop.
How Can The Parable of the Sower Be Considered The Parable About Parables?
This is the point where His disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables.
This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”
Matthew 13:13
Here, Jesus is reiterating Isaiah.
“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10
All three accounts of the Parable of the Sower indicate that those who have the Word of God rooted within them are privy to understanding God’s messages. We see this in the scriptures below:
“Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
Matthew 13:11-12
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“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Matthew 13:16-17
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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”
Mark 4:11
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He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others, I speak in parables”
Luke 8:10
God has extended His Word and Grace to everyone- those planted on the path, among the rocks, intertwined with thorns, and in the good soil. However, only those who have cultivated their hearts with good soil are receptive to the messages and meaning of His Word. They are the ones who will truly understand. All others are on the outside. All they hear is a parable- a little story about a farmer. The Parable of the Sower reflects Jesus’ purpose of teaching with parables.
Summing It All Up
The Parable of the Sower illustrates the inner workings of the parables Christ used throughout His ministry. Those who are close to Him, who haven’t hardened their hearts to His messages, are privileged to receive the powerful and transformative proclamations of the Word of God.
Now, the only question that remains is what soil are you?
