SOWING THE GOSPEL AS SEED
NOT EVERYONE RECEIVES IT – WHY?
By W. G. Guy
This article contains insights on the parable of the sowing of the seed and receiving the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:3-9 – And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus’ disciple’s asked why that He spoke to the people in parables: He answered them out of the prophecy of Isaiah saying that it was because they did not have ears to hear or eyes to see.
Matthew 13:10-15 – And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
This meant that their religious traditions blocked their spiritual perception along with their ability to receive and understand Jesus’ gospel message of His Kingdom. Jesus then said to His disciples that they could understand since they have been with Him as part of His ministry.
Matthew 13:16 – But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
This tells us that not all people who hear the gospel message will accept it or adhere to it. In fact this parable breaks down the sowing of the gospel message into four parts, each part being a type of ground, or person, where the gospel seed is sown: as Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of this parable to His disciples:
Matthew 13:18-19 – Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. (Part 1) - When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Matthew 13:20-21 – (Part 2) - But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Matthew 13:22 – (Part 3) - He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 13:23 – (Part 4) - But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Jesus is telling us that the human population is broken down into four parts, or quarters to whom the gospel is preached: each quarter may represent 25% of the population. Here is a breakdown of each population quarter:
First quarter: the message of the gospel falls on “the way side” and the birds took it away. This shows people that have no interest in the gospel message and that which was sown the enemy (devil) took it from them so that it could not even begin to have an effect in their lives.
Second quarter: “fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth”. This group receives the gospel message, but they have too many other interests, and don’t allow the good news to sink in and really change their lives; especially when this message causes them to face opposition in the world to which they are too attached to.
Third quarter: “some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them”. This third group of people are distracted by their cares and concerns, or trying to advance themselves in this world, that it compromises their spiritual development and maturity which is stifled.
Fourth quarter: “fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit”. This fourth group hears and receives the gospel message, which changes their lives as they seek to pursue it and live by it. This fulfills to purpose of sowing seed, which is to produce the desired fruit.
This final group reproduces what the seed has within it. The seed is the Word of God, and that Word reproduces the life of Christ in this group. Some will yield 30% of Christ’s likeness; others produce 60% of Christ’s likeness; and still others will produce 100% of Christ’s likeness: all is part of the desired harvest.
John 15:1-5 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
This is the fruit that our Heavenly Father is looking for.
John 15:8 – Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Obvious it is the likeness of Christ being reproduced in us is what pleases God! This is the mystery that the Jews of Jesus day could not understand, or accept; not having spiritually attuned ears to hear and eyes to see.
Colossians 1:26-27 – even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The apostle Paul labored to accomplish this in those to whom he ministered.
Galatians 4:19 – My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
So the question is, in which of these four groups are people in who are exposed to the gospel: Group one, Group Two, Group Three, or the most desired Group Four? As stated in the sub-title, “NOT EVERYONE RECEIVES IT”. And of those who do receive the gospel message of Jesus Christ, not all will have Christ reproduced in them as in the fourth group. Could this mean that only 25% of those receiving this seed sown will actually produce the desired fruit?
We, who labor as Christ’s true servants, work to this end – to bring the believers to full spiritual maturity in Christ, prepared for the return of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-13 – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
This also explains what Jesus said about the narrow way in Matthew:
Matthew 7:13-14 - yEnter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
