Jesus sat by the seaside and great multitudes was together with him, so Jesus went into a ship and sat; and the whole multitudes stood on the shore. (The Holy Bible, King James Version, and in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 13: 1 – 9)
Jesus spoke many things unto them in parables; a parable is a short, simple story teaching a moral lesson; and Jesus told them, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some of the 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 others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear? Jesus said.
It’s my belief that these parables being spoken by Jesus are vital in every person’s daily life because Jesus is telling them how they should live in life to make it fertile, bountiful and to reap a good harvest.
The disciples asked Jesus, “Why speak you unto them in parables; and Jesus answered and said, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” (See Matthew 13: 10 – 11)
In my opinion Jesus is identifying in His parables how the Kingdom of Heaven will be established by Him for a thousand years upon His return to rule and reign over the earth. People who listen to His parables and adhere to them will learn how to produce a good harvest from the seeds they’ve sown.
Jesus told the great multitudes that gathered, “For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has. Therefore speak me 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 said, ‘By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive.” (See Matthew 13: 12 – 14) also read (Matthew 25: 29)
“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. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them. Hear you therefore the parable of the sower.” (See Matthew 13: 15 – 18)
The Parables in full context from Matthew 13: 19 – 23:
“When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then come the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. That is he which received seed by the ‘way-side.’”
“But he that received the seed into stony placers, the same is he that hears the word, and anon with joy receives it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended. “
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.”
“But he that received see into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13: 19 – 23)
Jesus is providing guidance to people on how to live the right way and how not to live their life to be able to reap a good harvest into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The four parables listed provided Jesus’ teachings:
(1) The Wayside Believer (as listed in Matthew 13: 4, 19); an external life.
(2) The Stony Ground (Matthew 13: 5 -6; 20 – 21); shallowness of their life.
(3) The Thorny Ground (Matthew 13: 7, 22); interested in money and material things.
(4) The Good Ground (Matthew 13: 8, 23); reaping a good harvest.
In my opinion people who seek a Christian life and want to live accordingly to read the above parables that Jesus spoke on that day by the seaside and become familiar with what He told them. The parables will assist people in making either a decision to listen to God’s word with “hearing ears” or “unhearing ears.”
Our hearts should be guided by God’s Holy Spirit for the rightful purpose in their life. Answer these questions: Do you want a hardened heart or one that is guided by the Holy Spirit? Do you believe you’re a Christian, “just because you’ve been saved” or do you want to have a receptive heart?
Jesus said to the multitudes, “He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (See Matthew 13: 37 – 39)
Barbara Kasey Smith is the writer of this article and it is based on the Holy Bible, King James Version and in the New Testament and in the Verses cited in the article. This is Barbara’s own opinion on the interpretation of the verses.