THE SOWER AND THE SEED
[Mark:4:1-20 [1] And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. [2] And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, [3] Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: [4] And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. [5] And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: [6] But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. [8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. [9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. [10] And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. [11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: [12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. [13] And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? [14] The sower soweth the word. [15] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. [16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; [17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. [18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, [19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. [20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred. ]; [Luke:13:6-9 [6] He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. [7] Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? [8] And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: [9] And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. ].
“Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
The Great Teacher
When Jesus lived here on earth He taught the people and preached to them in many different places. Sometimes He was in the Temple or their Churches; sometimes out on the mountain. He would sit down and talk to the people. In this lesson He was by the seashore, probably by the beautiful Sea of Galilee, about which we have learned in previous lessons. Great crowds thronged about Him; so He entered into a ship and sat there and talked to the people who were on the shore.
Sowing the Seed
Jesus told the people a story of a man who was sowing seed. In those days there was not much machinery with which to work the land and sow the seed; much of their work was done by hand. They used oxen for ploughing.
Some of the seed which was scattered by the sower fell by the side of the road. The birds came and snatched up that seed. Some seed fell on stony ground. This seed had just enough earth over it to cause it to sprout and grow a little while; but the sun soon scorched it, because it was not planted in deep enough soil. Other seed fell among thorns, which soon choked out the tiny plants. But not all the farmer’s work was in vain; for some of the seed fell upon good ground, and it grew very well and yielded a crop.
The Explanation
After the crowd had gone away, just a few people and the twelve disciples were left alone with Jesus. Then they asked Him to explain the story of the sower and the seed to them. So Jesus told them what was meant by the parable.
Today, as children sit in a Sunday School class, the teacher is like the sower who went out to sow. Instead of taking a bag of seed, the teacher uses the Bible. Jesus said the seed was the Word of God. Our hearts and ears are like the soil into which the seed falls.
Did you know that children may be “stony ground” hearers, or “thorny ground” hearers? If they do not pay close attention to the teacher, and do not let the lesson get down into their heart, then perhaps it will do them no good. They may listen to the lesson the teacher is telling them; but as soon as Sunday School is over, they get so busy playing that they forget to think about Jesus, forget to pray, and soon they have lost the “good seed.”
But, like the good seed, some of the lessons taught in Sunday School are going down into hearts that furnish “good soil” for the Word. Many little children are remembering through the weekdays the lessons they have learned on Sunday. A teacher recently asked her class of six-year-olds how many prayed each morning and evening, and every hand was raised.
Ears to Hear
Many of the ministers and workers in the Gospel today are those who received the Word into their hearts when they were small children. If children will open their ears and hearts to the lessons taught them in Sunday School, they will be better able to bring souls to Jesus and work for Him as they grow older. Jesus said, “Take heed what ye hear,” and “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Sky Pilot
Some years ago, a young minister of the Gospel operated an airplane for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. He distributed religious tracts and pamphlets in many places. One day as he scattered the “good seed” from his plane, some boys working in a field saw the plane overhead. They ran to pick up the literature as it fell right into their field. Through reading this literature, the boys and the entire family were saved and brought into the Gospel.
Today the good news of the Gospel is carried by many different means: the radio, automobiles, Gospel buses, boats, street meetings; and by the literature that is sent to people all over the world. Jails, hospitals, and many other places are visited. Here and there, “good soil” receives the Gospel seed and brings forth fruit -– people are saved from sin.
1. Tell what happened to the seed that fell by the wayside. [Mark:4:4And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
].
2. Who takes away the Word that is sown in our hearts? [Mark:4:15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
].
3. What happened to the seed that fell on good ground? [Mark:4:8-20 [8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
[9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[10] And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
[11] And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
[12] That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
[13] And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
[14] The sower soweth the word.
[15] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
[16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
[17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
[18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
[19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
[20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
].
4. What is the “seed”? [Luke:8:11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
].
5. What can we do so that we may be “good ground” hearers? [Mark:4:9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
].
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