Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV): 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Depth and Growth Chart
The Parable of the Sower Depth and Growth Chart shows key dimensions of each soil type. One dimension is depth and the other is growth achieved. The Parable explains too little depth is insufficient. To increase our own depth requires learning & following & giving ourselves to Jesus Christ more fully, and eventually completely. (Deuteronomy 6:5 (ESV): You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.) Despite depth enough to grow, those who receive the message who fail to eliminate weeds present in their own life as scriptures require, later find the world’s demands detrimentally competing with their spiritual growth and impeding their fruitfulness. (Matthew 6:24 (ESV): “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”)
Exercise: Parable of the Sower Self-Assessment
Reflecting on your own journey, identify where you see yourself and those you know in The Parable of the Sower Meaning visual
This Parable of the Sower visual is based upon Mind Map’s (TM) techniques developed by Tony Buzan http://www.imindmap.com
The Parable of the Sower Self-Assessment Exercise has numbers on the mind map above, which maps to a position in the visual described in the following table.
Position | Definition | Here Now? Were Here? |
1. Pre-Sower | Going to learn God’s Word | |
2. Sown | Just Recently Heard God’s Word | |
3. Not Understand in Heart | Ignore lessons from God’s Word to continue as were | |
4. Evil One Snatches Away | Focus quickly shifted from God’s Word to other things | |
5. Recipient Hears | Recently Heard God’s Word | |
6. Receives Joyfully | Initial inner excitement hearing God’s Word is basis of confidence | |
7. Falls Away Quickly | Inclined to discontinue to follow God’s Word when face opposition / trouble / persecution | |
8. Worries of Life | Concerns in life cause focus to shift from God’s Word to worldly things like food, clothing, friends, etc. | |
9. Deceitfulness of Wealth | Obsessive desire to be wealthy shifts focus from God’s Word to career and business for money | |
10. Understands | Understanding that what learned is really God’s Word brings you closer to God | |
11. Yields Crop | Reaping Spiritual Fruits due to following God’s Word |
Next Steps
View the Parable of the Sower Slideshare Presentation.
You can also directly view the Parable of the Sower presentation at the Slideshare link http://www.slideshare.net/creationary/parable-of-the-sower-and-reapers-roadmap-slide-share
Continue your studies on the Parable of the Sower:
Invitation to Delve Deeply into the Parable of the Sower
https://bibleopia.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/invitation-to-delve-deeply-into-the-parable-of-the-sower
See related “Parable of the Sower” post at https://bibleopia.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/parable-of-the-sower-2
Parable of the Sower: Further Study
Numerous websites, books, and blogs on the Parable of the Sower each offer insights and perspectives on how to understand and apply it. The Reformer Martin Luther offers many insights, several of which apply for those who religious at http://homepage.mac.com/shanerosenthal/reformationink/mlsower.htm . Insights from the well-respected preacher and teacher Charles H. Spurgeon are available at http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/sower.htm .
Hand Drawn Parable of the Sower Meaning / Explanation
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Very Good.
Man should never inject into Gods word his thoughts to make it sound right.
2Pe_1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
As you know, the Bible is a very intellectual book that covers many deep topics, with different types of scriptural texts, ranging from prophesy to parables to psalms to wisdom literature to many more. While the Parable of the Sower has predictive power, it is not prophesy, and Jesus even goes further to explain the Parable of the Sower at a high level. Like the people at Berea, we are to use the Bible as our ultimate authority and study it to see if the insights shared by fellow believers are true. Our detailed Parable of the Sower study leads to insights consistent with what the Apostles and Disciples were teaching, as exhibited in Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV) and numerous other scriptures. While I offer my apologies for attributing Colossians 2:6-7 to Acts 2:6-7, the words provided are from God’s scriptures. In summarizing the key message, I properly gave credit to God’s scriptures, from which the key message was derived, and am thankful the scriptures so wonderfully summarized the message as well. It is proper to distinguish between God’s Scriptures and our own explanations and thoughts about it, to which great effort has been made, and which has been done. I hope you enjoy the Parable of the Sower materials, and the many more resources avialble here, and find the verse correction helpful in reading them and being like those more noble people from Berea to see if it what was said is so.
Acts 17:10-11 (ESV): 10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Reapers Roadmap Key Message: Once Jesus was revealed, recognized, and received as Lord and Christ with repentance, believers are encouraged to do their rooting in him with sound reasoning, remaining established as they walk in the faith, reaping holiness, accompanied by rejoicing through thanksgiving. *
* Key Message derived from scriptures in Colossians 2:6,7 (ESV) and The Reapers Roadmap, based upon The Parable of the Sower
[…] See related “Parable of the Sower Explained” post at https://bibleopia.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/parable-of-the-sower-explained-mind-map/ […]