The parable of the sower is one of Jesus' best known stories. It's deceptively simple, yet incredibly complex. The disciples patiently listen to what they think is another one of Jesus' quaint down-on-the-farm stories. But when He is finished, they (and we) all just stand there blinking and thinking, "That was nice…and this means…?"
The disciples are excited about the crowds. Up with (Jewish) people! Already they are envisioning the Jewish uprising to come (still 100 years away) and shopping for swords, shields and decoder rings for the revolution. They're ready to follow Jesus into a glorious war and waiting for Him to start shaping these unruly crowds into squads of Freedom Fighters they can lead into battle. "He's speaking in code, right? Let's see, seed means…no, grow means…wait…"
The parable is simple, but it's also like an Indian stepwell –
you cannot see its depths without standing right on the edge and looking straight down to the living water far below. As Jesus leads them into His explanation, He leads them deeper into the meaning. The sower is a parable, within a parable, within a parable.
On the surface, it's fairly straightforward. A farmer goes out to sow some seed in hopes of raising a crop –
presumably wheat, barley, lentils or chickpeas. Our farmer sows his seed liberally. At that time, the practice was to scatter seed and then plow it into the ground. Some of this does not take root, sprout and grow; some does. Of the seed that does take root, sprout and grow, some does not mature and develop into something that suits the farmer's purpose. Some does. Of the seed that does mature, some produced so much fruit that the farmer was able to sell it and use it for food and for seed –
a bumper crop.
When the disciples confess that they are clueless as to what in the world chickpeas have to do with overthrowing their Roman overlords, re-establishing Israel as an independent nation and restoring the Davidic monarchy, Jesus pulls them aside to explain that He is the farmer and the seed is the Word.
But, says Jesus, it's not the quality of the message but the condition of the crowd's individual hearts that will determine how they respond to the Gospel. Jesus encourages them to look at the crowds spread out before them and examine the clues hidden within the circus atmosphere that has come to characterize the mob that follows Him.
Over there, just off to the side of the road that leads to Jerusalem are the hot dog vendors, trinket sellers and water-bearers. Some are savvy entrepreneurs who see the mob as an opportunity to grow their businesses, make a profit. For others, it's a God-sent opportunity to make enough just to stay alive another day. These people are here for the crowd –
not for Jesus –
and the Word falls on deaf ears because it is not their focus. Satan is able to pluck the seed from their hearts because they neither value nor pay attention to the Word that has been given.
Over there, atop that large, flat rock (hey, great seats!), the eager spectators –
delighting in all the visual entertainment –
have made themselves quite comfortable with beach umbrellas, folding chairs and coolers stuffed with Bartles & Jaymes and Babychams. They are an enthusiastic peanut gallery, cheering Jesus on (woo, woo, woo!), but once they pack up and leave they won't carry the message home. Loaded down with all their gear, the Word is just one more thing to carry and, it seems, so unnecessary a burden. Is there a trashcan nearby?
Down in front is a similar group who have pitched their cabanas, mixed pitchers of margaritas, fluffed their pillows and booted up their iPads. They are there to learn! (Where's the ice?) They are there to get fired up for the Lord! (Don't tell me you didn't bring ice. I can't sit here in the wilderness without a cold drink, are you nuts?) They are educated, informed, involved and fully convinced that if it doesn't come easy, then it shouldn't come at all.
And there, towards the back, in the quiet section that is a calm within this seeming storm, are the humble, everyday folk. The salt of the earth. The ones you hardly ever notice and yet they're always there, working behind the scenes, putting in the hours. They focus on what they are hearing, hold it fast in a good and honest heart, and bear fruit with patience.
There is a meaning under the meaning, Jesus tells the disciples. You can easily see that people have very different kinds of hearts. Yet only one kind of soil/heart will foster the growth of the Word within and carry it through to completion. Only one kind of soil/heart will lead to a plentiful harvest.
Jesus warns us that the Word will grow in many hearts, but it will only bear fruit in a few. Being open to the Word only gets you so far, says Jesus, and "Lord, Lord" the world is full of ineffective people who know God, love Him, and have the Word (it's here somewhere) hidden within their hearts. For what purpose is it there? He wonders.
In the end, the farmer will gather up the fruitful and the fruitless when the harvest comes. He will gather first, and sort in judgment later. Because a bumper crop poses problems all its own, the farmer will focus his attention and energies on gathering his produce into the barn. As for the rest? There's a bonfire on the way.
