This study is the first of a two-part study. In this study, we will be looking at how this parable is applied when evangelizing, and part two will focus on how this applies to you. In the parable of the sower, Jesus Christ explained four (4) basic types of people and how they receive the Gospel. You will encounter these four types of people when evangelizing. These four (4) types of people are the people who receive what you are saying but ultimately choose different paths. Let us look at the parable as given in Matthew.
Matthew 13:1-9
“1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil,6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
Apparently, some disciples did not understand the parable, and in Mark 4:13, Jesus asks them how they will understand any parable if they do not understand this parable. Mark 4:13
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
For some people, it is difficult to understand a parable, but their heart is for God, and they are saved. In this case, it just takes prayer to God for understanding and more reading of the scriptures. Yet, some people do not have the ears to hear or eyes to see because their heart is not for God, and they are not saved even if they profess to be Christian. Jesus Christ explains the purpose of using parables in Matthew 13:10 and how this also fulfilled prophecy given by Isaiah. Let us look at what Jesus said.
Matthew 13:10-16
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah 6: 9-10 is fulfilled that says:
“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” 15For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed”, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
The disciples were blessed to see and hear Jesus themselves; how much more blessed are we that have not seen Jesus or heard his voice yet still believe. (John 20:29) Both the disciples and ourselves are blessed that Jesus Christ explains the parable of the sower to us in Mathew 13 18-23 and Mark 4: 14-20. We will dive into both of these scriptures below.
Mark 4: 14-20
“14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Matthew 13:18-23
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The sower who sows the word is the Evangelist (hopefully, that is you). At the beginning of Matthew and Mark passages, Jesus explains about the seed that falls by the wayside (path) and that it is trodden down and the fowls(birds) of the air devoured it (Luke 8:5). Jesus Christ tells us that satan (the evil one) takes away (snatches) the word that someone just sowed in their hearts. I believe this can be because of the actions of the person right after hearing the word. If that person goes and smokes a joint, goes and gets drunk, looks at porn, or goes immediately back to any sin, then that gives satan the right to snatch the word away from them that has been sown. It is most likely that this person also may have been listening and being patient with you, but they were rejecting what you said in their heart. They are the same type of person that if you ask if they wish to repent of their sins and to have faith and trust in (give their lives to) Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross, state they do not want to do it immediately, that they will think about it. I believe in Luke, the trodden down seed(word) is someone going right back to sin, and the birds (fowl) represent satan and his demons.
Jesus Christ goes on to explain about the seed that falls on the rocky (stony) ground and how that this is the type of person is one who hears the word and receives it with joy yet has no root and when a trial or tribulation (persecution) comes along and immediately falls away. I believe this is one of the most important of the four types. This person is most likely what nowadays we call a false convert. This person will hear the word. Say they give their lives to Jesus Christ and may even turn from their sin. Yet, they are not going to church, or only go to church occasionally, stop reading their Bible (or never really started), and turn back to their sin as soon as life (or satan and his demons) throw a challenging situation at them. They may even turn back to sin because their friends make fun of them or call them crazy for believing in God/Jesus Christ.
The third type of person Jesus Christ talks about are those who heard the word (accept the word) but strive for things of this world. Yet, they never turn back to their original sin like maybe they were drunks, drug addicts, or looked at pornography, whatever sin they had. We all are still in sin but may not go back to what people consider a more serious sin. To God, sin is sin, and that is why by God’s grace and through faith, we are saved. Still, they love money (maybe even their job because it makes them money), cars, material things of this world more than God. That is why Jesus says, “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word.” Jesus also says, “the ones who hear the word,19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word.” These people may be saved. That is up to God, not us; this goes for the second person as well; we are not the ultimate judge of such matters. This type of person may come to church, maybe attend a Bible study now and then, or another church function. They may even have read the Bible, yet they bear no fruit. This type of person may eventually fall away from the church, for as Jesus Christ said in Mattew 6:24, “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.”
The fourth type of person is the “one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” This is the Christian who reads the Bible (hopefully daily), attends church regularly, and evangelizes to other people. You may only bring one person to the true knowledge of sin, God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible, or you may bring a thousand; it doesn’t matter as long as you don’t stop trying. These are the Christians living a God-filled life.
When Evangelizing, do not get discouraged because Jesus Christ has already told you that there are different types of people and how they receive the word. It is not your job or duty to save them; that is for God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It is your duty as a Christian to spread the word of God (Mark 16:15) not be ashamed (Romans 1:16) of the Gospel (or being Christian).
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Gentiles)
Mark 16:15” And he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”
This study is a collaboration from Crystal and Rory
(All Scripture used came from ESV, except the words taken from Luke, which was NKJV)
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