The Parable of the Sower Mt. 13:1-23. Jesus frequently spoke to the people in parables. Why parables? Why could He not use plain language that could not be misunderstood? Bear in mind that there are two types of people listening to Jesus. Those who want to hear and understand and those who do not. Those who have accepted that Jesus is the Messiah are keen to hear more, to understand and want to apply the teaching to their own lives and situations. Those who don’t understand the parable are those whose hearts are ‘hardened’. They don’t understand because their hearts are already hardened, 2 Cor. 4:4. They are not ‘hardened’ because they don’t understand! Vs. 15 describes these people precisely. ‘Lest’ would be better translated ‘otherwise’. You see, hearing the Word of God and understanding it carries with it the responsibility of taking action! Gods Word is not just academic. It is a handbook for living in the real world. Hearing, understanding and doing nothing with that knowledge is a sin and God in his mercy was preventing people from going further into sin and increasing their guilt, 2 Pet. 2:21, also Jn. 8:43-45, [Hebrews 6 and 10 also have much to say about those who hear and understand and then turn away; much better not to have heard at all!] Which group of hearers do you belong to? If you haven’t said ‘Yes’ to God and accept that this is his word then you will not understand and all the arguing in the world will not make you understand! If you have said ‘yes’ to God then be prepared to act on what you learn! Thankfully, in this case, Jesus also explains the parable: The sower represents anyone who communicates the good news of salvation, the gospel, to others. The seed is that good news, the word. The soil is those who hear. Vs.19. Group 1. Satan, represented here and elsewhere in the scriptures, by the birds prevents people understanding the word so they cannot respond, 2 Cor. 4:4. These people are not beyond salvation. They need not be lost. It just takes persistence. Vs. 20,21. Group 2. Trials and troubles [stress?] cause those who have received the word as truth to fall away. Pressure can have opposite effects! Contrast 2 Thess. 1:4 with Heb. 6 and 10. Those in this group need not be lost. They need to obey 2 Pet. 1:10, and Rom. 10:9,10 and confirm publicly their conversion to Christ. Vs. 22. Group 3. The thorns represent the cares and the ‘delight in riches’. We need to remember that we will all have ‘care’ in this life! We all have responsibilities and duties that are right and proper. The problem arises when they over power us and consume our lives altogether. We must not allow this to happen. Likewise with riches. Again, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with wealth. When ‘delight in riches’ takes over our lives then the trouble begins. It is the ‘love’ of money that is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6:10. Those in this group need not be lost. Believers need to be sensitive and caring. We need to recognise the circumstances and act accordingly. Vs. 23. Group 4. The fertile soil represents those who hear, understand and produce fruit! If we are to hear then we must listen. [Think about that]! If we are to understand then we must make an effort, at least to stay awake! If we are to bear fruit then we must obey and act. It seems the presence of fruit indicates new life. No fruit, no evidence; no evidence, no…..? As believers we all communicate one way or another. It is useful to remember that there are five components in successful communication. 1. The transmitter. That is you and I. We preach, we teach, we witness. 2. The message. That is the gospel, the teaching of the word. 3. The medium. Verbal, literature, TV, text, internet etc etc. 4. The receiver. The person we are talking to, the congregation the audience or whatever. 5. The required result. If the communication has been successful then the required results will follow. If they don’t what went wrong? The wrong message, message not understood, wrong medium, transmitter not working properly, receiver not turned on…….!