Lesson 18.1: Kingdom Parables – Part 2 of 2

Brief 4-to-5 Minute Teaching Lesson
Why? and What is the Purpose? in My Life SERIES

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The continuation of lesson 18 of the Discipleship Making process, where we left off last time answering the question, “How is sowing accomplished?”

Read: Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15

Before Jesus begins teaching the parables He calls out to the multitude to listen to what He has to say. He begins the first parable with the word “Behold”, which means to see or perceive and closes with the words, “He who has ears, let him hear.” By using these phrases Jesus is challenging the multitude to gain understanding of what He is saying, not merely hear the sound of His words or visualize the story. But the multitudes are clueless as to what Jesus is talking about.

Puzzled too, the disciples ask Jesus why he is speaking in parables. Jesus explains to them that He is fulfilling prophecy (Psalm 78:1-3): that some will understand the parables and some will not. He goes on to explain that the disciples have been given the right to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God whereas the prophets and righteous men before them had not.

The disciples were wise to ask Jesus what He meant because it was the key to unlocking the hidden things concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus began His reply by saying, "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?” He is alluding to the fact that it is essential to understand the first parable, if they are to understand other parables. They must grasp its concepts and word interpretations. He tells them, “Hear then the parable of the sower.” Jesus wants them to hear with understanding, to meditate upon His words and discover the truths of the kingdom of God:

What is the main truth concerning the Kingdom of God that can be discerned from this parable?

The Kingdom of God is extended through speaking the Word of God.

What is the direct interpretation of the following words according to Jesus?

Seed: The Word of God
Soil: The condition of people’s hearts
Birds: Satan, the adversary
Sun: Affliction or persecution
Thorns: The cares of this world

What is the Word of God?

Jesus Christ and everything that God says.

Who is the sower?

Primarily Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, but can include anyone who speaks the Word of God, including the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles and us.

How is sowing accomplished?

By speaking. The method that Jesus is describing is called broadcasting. The sower takes a handful of seed from his bag and releases it as his arm makes a sweeping outward arc through the air.

How does planting occur and what is it likened to?

By hearing – Believing

What two things do the hard path, rocky soil, thorny ground and good earth tell us?

The conditions of the human heart and what planting there will produce: In the broadcast method of sowing, seed is scattered everywhere. The farmer does not intentionally scatter seed in unproductive ground because it is wasteful. However some of it can’t be helped. The path that the sower walks on through the field scattering the seed is hard ground. Rocky soil is ground that has not been prepared yet and usually lies adjacent to good soil. Thorny ground is normally found at the ends of the fields near fence lines.

Who is responsible for the preparation of the ground?

The owner of the field

What are the remedies for the various soil conditions?

The hard path – can be plowed, the birds chased off, and the sower can take a different path each time to prevent hardening the soil.
The rocky soil – can be turned into usable soil by digging down to remove the rocks.
The thorny ground – can be weeded.
The good earth – can be improved by adding nutrients or allowing the ground to rest.

The point of the lesson that Jesus wants His disciples to learn is that the Kingdom of God is extended through speaking the Word of God.

With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider until my next posting:

How do sunlight and water affect growth?

Until next time . . . Godspeed!

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