THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER - pt. 2 Matt 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:1-21March 7, 2010
1. Read Genesis 2:8-9. Who was the first gardener?
2. What kind of gardener are you?
I have a “green thumb”.
I like gardening on a small scale - some flowers, perhaps a few vegetables.
I love gardening and you might see some of the results of my work at the Humboldt County
Fair or the Farmer’s Market.
Gardening for me is part of my life’s work.
I have a black thumb, and anything green I touch evenually dies.
3. Read Mark 4:1-20. In ancient Palestine sowing seed differed some from our modern method. In Jesus’ time the seed was sown first by broadcasting the seed widely, and then plowing the seed under. It was inevitable that some of the seed would go among the thorns, some seed would fall on the hardened path while some seed would land on good ground. How does the ancient method of sowing help to explain how God’s Word is to be communicated?
4. Evaluate the following statements with your answer to question #3 in mind:
I wait to share my faith in Christ until there is “an open door.”
I like to be very strategic with my witnessing and only share when there is a large group
listening.
I only share my faith with people with whom I relate to easily.
5. The parable of the Sower could also be called the Parable of the Soils. It tells us why so many
people are unreceptive to the gospel. What hinderances to the gospels are described in the
hearts of the hearers?
6. Gardening in Humboldt tells us, “The soil in your yard is a mixture of manythings inherited from its past. Included are bits of rock, living and dead plants and animals--mostly of microscopic size--, air and water. What types these are, and their proportion in the general mixture, decides your soil's characteristics.”
Using the anaolgy of the characteristics of soil to describe the characteristics of the human
heart - what kinds of things in our hearts produce it’s attitude? Are there things from the
past? What kinds of things can be like “bits of rock” “something living” “something dead”
“air ” “water?” Describe in form of analogy what might be an application of “proportion in
the general mixture?”
7. Mark 4:4 describes seed that fell beside the road. The condition of this soil representing the condition of some people’s hearts are likened to a hard beaten path where the seed had no chance to take root. Satan could easily steal away the seed before the Word had opportunity to steady down.
In the King James version we read the phrase “He hath said in his heart,” which other translations express as ”He says to himself.” Either way the truth brought to light is that our thought life has much to do with the condition of our hearts. What kinds of thoughts lead to a hardening of one’s heart?
8. Read Luke 4:1-13. In the temptation of Jesus, our Lord used the truth of Scripture to resist Satan’s assault of warped words. Satan tempts people by planting thoughts about God and ourselves that aren’t true. Believing things about God and ourselves that are not based on truth can turn our hearts from the One that can give us abundant and eternal life.
What weapons as believers do we possess when we are bombarded with thoughts that have the capacity to harden our hearts toward our loving God? What can the believer actively do to keep one’s own heart from becoming hard?
9. Another soil Jesus talked about in this parable is the rocky ground. This seed takes root but is shallow because of the condition of the soil. Persecution and trials can be like rocky ground. A shallow faith can be easily uprooted. One can “fall away.” The Greek word for “fall away” is skandalizomai. According to Gaebelein’s Commentary, “A skandalon was originally a stick placed in a trap or snare that, when touched by an animal, caused the trap to spring. In the New Testament it means “cause to stumble.”
What traps or snares can cause people to stumble? How can each of us guard ourselves from allowing these things to cause us to stumble spiritually?
Brooks, James A. The New American Commentary on Mark 79Gaebelein, Frank E. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary Volume 8 651Gardening in Humboldt http://humgardens.com/contents/soils/Mears, Henrietta C. What the Bible is All About 384New American Standard Version of the Bible
