The Parable of the Sower

[Episkopos]

Greetings!

Now I hope we all know the parable of the sower. Heavenly seed being sown into the world ....with 4 possible kinds of ground receiving it (or not), only one of which bears a lasting and perfect fruit.



And have we not all thought or entertained the idea at some point that we were the good ground...the heroes in the parable? That we had nothing in the other kinds of ground...fooling ourselves? That we never let the word be choked out...or get discouraged at times...or misunderstand the will of God?



But the truth is that we are in ALL the 4 categories to some extent. The point of discipleship is to learn and grow into becoming a better resting place for the truth to flourish and bear fruit.



Let's start with the seed falling by the way side...meaning we don't understand the heavenly message at all! So the truth doesn't sink in one bit. Well, the disciples were told that they needed to eat the body of Jesus and drink His blood. Did they understand that? Of course not. But were they condemned for it? No...they needed to grow and learn to get to that point where the truth would no longer be a mystery.



And so it is with us. Do we understand every single bible passage? Do we understand the intricacies of God's message to us? Of course not...yet we can learn and grow to understand all of it. So then as our hearts get bigger...the seed now falls within the parameters of what was once "by the wayside". IOW we have grown and been enlarged so that we are now a part of where the seed is being sown...that used to be beyond us.

Why would Jesus sow knowingly outside of our capabilities? To what purpose?

For our good! :)

He sows outside of our capacity in order to entice us to grow to be within that new capacity. And this is how we grow and learn the things we didn't know before.



Does that sound like your walk?

 

[Episkopos]

• Mat. 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 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.

Now it is generally assumed that people with stony hearts do not remain Christian...but change religions or something. But this is far from the truth. These behave as Christians for the first little while...and then go back to acting like non-believers even as they profess salvation in Christ.

A stony heart refuses to love. The churches are full of people like this.

To have no root in oneself means that these began without righteousness...and continue without righteousness.

Is. 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.

Such are cantankerous, unjust, unloving....but very zealous for the bible. :) Yes, bible thumpers.

In short these become religious. Easily offended by the truth.

Now if we find that we have a stony heart or attitude in any way we can...

Hosea 10:12
12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

 

[Nancy]

Greetings!

Now I hope we all know the parable of the sower. Heavenly seed being sown into the world ....with 4 possible kinds of ground receiving it (or not), only one of which bears a lasting and perfect fruit.



And have we not all thought or entertained the idea at some point that we were the good ground...the heroes in the parable? That we had nothing in the other kinds of ground...fooling ourselves? That we never let the word be choked out...or get discouraged at times...or misunderstand the will of God?



But the truth is that we are in ALL the 4 categories to some extent. The point of discipleship is to learn and grow into becoming a better resting place for the truth to flourish and bear fruit.



Let's start with the seed falling by the way side...meaning we don't understand the heavenly message at all! So the truth doesn't sink in one bit. Well, the disciples were told that they needed to eat the body of Jesus and drink His blood. Did they understand that? Of course not. But were they condemned for it? No...they needed to grow and learn to get to that point where the truth would no longer be a mystery.



And so it is with us. Do we understand every single bible passage? Do we understand the intricacies of God's message to us? Of course not...yet we can learn and grow to understand all of it. So then as our hearts get bigger...the seed now falls within the parameters of what was once "by the wayside". IOW we have grown and been enlarged so that we are now a part of where the seed is being sown...that used to be beyond us.

Why would Jesus sow knowingly outside of our capabilities? To what purpose?

For our good! :)

He sows outside of our capacity in order to entice us to grow to be within that new capacity. And this is how we grow and learn the things we didn't know before.



Does that sound like your walk?

"But the truth is that we are in ALL the 4 categories to some extent."
Yes! I can see this, at any given time or - specific seed we allow to fall by the wayside? Like, in areas we would like to put on the back burner, so to speak? Or, things we (in our flesh) have not surrendered, do not want to deal with. We can, and usually DO stunt our own growth at times.
"the seed now falls within the parameters of what was once "by the wayside". Amen ♥
"The point of discipleship is to learn and grow into becoming a better resting place for the truth to flourish and bear fruit."
This makes me think of being "accountable". Shouldn't we all have someone to "confess our sins to" ... James 5:16 ? Someone to pray with on a regular basis? We are not an Island ♥ We are bright and burning when together but, just dying embers without each other. I have never been "discipled" but would like to take a class they offer at my Church on discipleship. :)
"And have we not all thought or entertained the idea at some point that we were the good ground"
I know I always HOPED I was the good ground, lol. Although I also recognized along the way that many of His seeds did NOT fall on farrow ground. Those are the times I wonder if He will re-plant, lol.
"...they needed to grow and learn to get to that point where the truth would no longer be a mystery."
Just like we too, have to do :)

John 8:31, 32
3" So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
When I read this I see that if we obey/continue in His word, the Truth WILL be revealed? I know He is talking to believing Jews (Christians) so, it must also apply to saved gentiles. So we should NEVER give up this race, no matter how far behind we might find ourselves ♥

"Why would Jesus sow knowingly outside of our capabilities? To what purpose?
For our good! :)
He sows outside of our capacity in order to entice us to grow to be within that new capacity. And this is how we grow and learn the things we didn't know before."
For sure, He so wants us to seek His face diligently!

"yet we can learn and grow to understand all of it. " Yes, I believe that. from milk, to solid food to meat.

Does that sound like your walk?
Hmmm, not to the extent I wish it to be...yet :)

 

[Episkopos]

The third kind of ground that the seed fell among thorns.

Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Now we who are rich modern Westerners have certainly much in this category. We must see that we all fail in this. We have all been distracted by the things of this world...a world that has so much to offer. Never has the world been so seductive to humankind. The narrow way just got narrower in our time. Are we taking this into consideration?

But have we been so distracted in our seeking of His kingdom life that we have never penetrated into the perfection of Christ so as not to have any fruit there?

Jesus did say that it was very hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom. And that is the story of our lives here in the rich Western countries.

But can we not take this reality into consideration? Is it not possible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom? Yes...but not as we make excuses for ourselves. Only as we humble ourselves...drastically humble ourselves will we be able to shake off the thorns that cause us to not bear an eternal kind of fruit for our Lord.

 

[tzcho2]

"He sows outside of our capacity in order to entice us to grow to be within that new capacity. And this is how we grow and learn the things we didn't know before."
Where is this in the Bible?That scripture states Jesus sows outside our capacity? to entice us to grow?

 

[Episkopos]

"He sows outside of our capacity in order to entice us to grow to be within that new capacity. And this is how we grow and learn the things we didn't know before."
Where is this in the Bible?That scripture states Jesus sows outside our capacity? to entice us to grow?

How can we grow from 30 to 60 to 100 fold if we are held to the limitations we start with?


I wish you would learn something from your time on my threads. But you are not a seeker are you?

 

[Hidden In Him]

A stony heart refuses to love. The churches are full of people like this.

To have no root in oneself means that these began without righteousness...and continue without righteousness.

Is. 26:10 Though grace is shown to the wicked man, he does not learn righteousness. In the land of righteousness he acts unjustly and fails to see the majesty of the LORD.

Such are cantankerous, unjust, unloving....but very zealous for the bible. :) Yes, bible thumpers.

In short these become religious. Easily offended by the truth.

Hi, Episkopos.

Hope I'm not derailing your thread by posting a different interpretation of this section here. I agree with the rest, but here I think the "roots" Jesus was talking about were the growth of the word internally within the believer, as opposed to what he or she was manifesting on the outside; you know, the evangelistic types who spend more time talking than they do learning. They have a surface knowledge of the word but not much depth, so when persecution comes their lack of a deeper relationship with God causes them to weaken and die under the "heat" of opposition.

But carry on. Just thought I'd offer a different interpretation on it.

 

[Episkopos]

We take ground in our own souls the way Joshua took ground in Canaan (the promised land). In this way we win Christ..or are won over to Christ.

But we have many kinds of ground in us...many areas to overcome in. So as we humble ourselves and patiently tackle the kinds of ground we read about in the parable of the Sower...we take more ground on which good soil produces a lasting fruit upon. 30, 60, even 100 fold.

So we start with but a little...with a certain measure of faith...and WIN our own souls to Christ...by growing into His full stature and likeness. This wisdom is beyond many.

Is there something we don't really understand about the gospel or the kingdom or the walk in His life? Something outside our experience and comprehension...like seed that falls by the way side? Well we can humble ourselves and ask for teaching from those who have experienced the walk with Jesus.

Do we have a stony heart and disposition...we can humble ourselves and learn to serve others....thus taking more ground within us for fruit yielding ground.

Do we have thorns choking out His life in us? We can humble ourselves and turn away from that which distracts us and takes us away from the simplicity of Christ. In so doing we take more ground...more fruit bearing ground. So we bear more fruit for the Lord.

The wise rejoice at this opportunity. The foolish go back to what they were distracted in doing.

 

[Episkopos]

Hi, Episkopos.

Hope I'm not derailing your thread by posting a different interpretation of this section here. I agree with the rest, but here I think the "roots" Jesus was talking about were the growth of the word internally within the believer, as opposed to what he or she was manifesting on the outside; you know, the evangelistic types who spend more time talking than they do learning. They have a surface knowledge of the word but not much depth, so when persecution comes their lack of a deeper relationship with God causes them to weaken and die under the "heat" of opposition.

But carry on. Just thought I'd offer a different interpretation on it.

Yes...shallow believers who are easily offended. No life there.

 

[GTW27]

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And He told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as He sowed some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Others seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprung up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
He who has ears to hear let him hear."

"Hear the the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the Word of The Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears The Word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of The Word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears The Word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke The Word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears The Word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

 

[Episkopos]

And finally we have the good ground that bears a perfect kind of fruit to the Lord. A lasting fruit. An eternal fruit.

Now this land is not lifted up or abased. It is neither inflated with pride not is it abased in shame. It is as it is.

Is. 40:4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.

This is speaking of us...who go through the training of the Lord and are worked into someone who bears fruit to God...for His glory.

Whether we are born into loving families or war zones...we all have to take the same steps by faith to get to a balanced and level platform whereby the Lord can develop us into fruitful vessels of His holiness.

No one is born as good soil. It must be by transformation into the likeness of Christ. So it is a level playing field for all. Every circumstance is an opportunity for growth or for stagnation. If we can see it that way.

This is the difference between wisdom and foolishness. To take hold of (or not) our opportunities in the calling of God.

So we are to bear His fruit. To be made partakers of HIS holiness. We never have our own. To be made partakers of His life. Not our own.

If we can take the ground...to possess the land....that we find within ourselves...we will find that our attitude in faith can overcome all adversity, any lack in upbringing, any inherited trait, any delusional influence. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb (His life we enter into), by our faith, and by our testimony to His faithfulness in our lives.

We grow into the likeness and stature of Christ by allowing the Lord to do His work and have His way in us. The stony places become the tender and gentle places in our hearts. We become weaned from this world and our love and dependence on it... so that we are permitted to see heaven in the distance by God's permission as we walk in the Spirit. And His mysteries are reveled to us by His revelation and visitation (episkopay) that we might be partakers of a fullness of peace and joy.

And so we are being converted...an ongoing process of a full salvation...an entire sanctification.

Peace to all.

 

[GTW27]

Bump!

 

[amadeus]

How can we grow from 30 to 60 to 100 fold if we are held to the limitations we start with?

Many times I have read about and posted posts about the three levels of the ark built by Noah and wondering, at least to myself, how one could manage to move from one level to the next higher one. Perhaps when we have reached a "perfection" at the level where we are, God may place a new obstacle before us, or another mountain to climb, so that we have another opportunity to grow to a limit beyond our initial limit.

Consider Job who is call "perfect" in the very first verse of the chapter and then as we read on we see him walking through hell... but at the end, in spite of his short comings along the way we read this:

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." Job 1:1

"So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses." Job 42:12

From unclean beast to clean beast to one who has been lifted to the top!