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Parable of the Sower

Again, Jesus started teaching by the lake, but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it on the water, while the crowd stood on the shore.

He taught them many things through parables. In his teaching, he said:

“Listen! The sower went out to sow. 

 As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path, and the birds came and ate it. 

 Some of the seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil; it sprouted quickly because it lacked depth; 

 but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered because it had no roots. 

 Another seed fell among thorn bushes, and the thorns grew and choked it; so it didn’t produce any grain. 

But some seed fell on good soil, grew, increased, and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.” 

He added:

“Listen then, if you have ears.”

Purpose of the Parables

When the crowd dispersed, some of those present with the Twelve asked about the parables.

He answered them:

“The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables,

so, that:

the more they see, they don’t perceive;

the more they hear, they don’t understand;

otherwise they would be converted

and pardoned.”

Explanation of the Parable of the Sower

Jesus said to them:

“Don’t you get this parable? So, how will you understand any of the others?

 What the sower is sowing is the word. 

 Those along the path where the seed fell are people who hear the word, but as soon as they listen to it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Other people hear the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear it, they accept it with joy. 

But they have no roots, so it lasts only a short time. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word than they fall away. 

Others receive the seed as seed among thorns. After hearing the word, 

they get caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches, and other desires. All of these come in and choke the word so that it finally produces nothing. 

And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart, and produce: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”