Parable of the sower

Describe Story

Jesus told a parable of a man who sowed seeds on rocky, path, thorn bushes and good soil. Disciples do not understand meaning of parable and Jesus is annoyed at them.

Path – represents one who does not listen, Satan takes away the word

Rocky ground – represents the shallow hearer. They claim to believe but will not stay when faced with persecution

Thorny ground – represents the worldly hearer, the person who is attracted to the pleasures of the world eg. desire

Good soil – represents the responsive listener, the person who puts faith into practice and lives fruitfully

Problems for Discipleship

·         “Some fell along the path and the birds ate it” – Birds are devil and temptation. Devil works against Jesus and disciples, so disciples must be prepared to be strong against temptations they may face.

·          “Rocky ground” - no persistence – Disciples must be prepared for potentially sacrificing their life

              -       Literally: as they may die

              -       Metaphorically: as they need to sacrifice their riches and desires

·         “Thorn Bushes” – thorns show that for every disciple, there is a risk of persecution.

· “Some seeds fell in the good soil” – People react differently to Jesus’ teaching and some will not react positively. Disciples must learn to cope with insults and be open for different views.

· “Making it unfruitful” – Disciples had not listened to Jesus’ teaching. A true disciple should be prepared to listen to Jesus, so that they are fruitful.

Problems for Christians today

·         Christians are facing persecution. They may be like the seeds on rocky ground and not have deep enough roots of faith

o   They do not deserve to die or be persecuted because they do not have enough faith in God

·         “Listen, then, if you have ears” – Jesus is only calling those who believe in him. Previously he called all sinners, is he now rejecting them? Christians may see that if they do not believe, they cannot be with Jesus.

· “Thorny ground” – There are many distractions. Christians today are unable to follow their faith, as people in Jesus’ time were unable to. Christians may feel more relaxed if Christians in Jesus’ time faced the same problems.

 · According to Mark, Jesus did not want sinners to understand his parables as he did not want them to be forgiven. This contradicts all of his previous teachings that sinners should repent.