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The Parables
of Matthew
The Hearing
Heart
Matthew
13:1-23
Introduction: Have You Ever Wondered?
Have you ever wondered how many churches there are? Records reveal that there are approximately 330,000 churches in the
United States. This is the combined total of all the churches considered a part
of the stream of Christianity. In other words this is roughly one church for
every one thousand people.
Have you ever wondered how many sermons are preached
each week? I pondered that wonder for a while and couldn’t
come up with any solid way to determine how large that number is. I feel fairly
confident in an estimate of 1,000,000. But my pondering only led to more
wondering questions. Have you ever wondered how many Sunday School lessons,
devotionals, small group Bible study discussions, television and radio
broadcasts and other written presentations of thoughts drawn from the Bible are
presented each week? It’s surely
a staggering number.
Have you ever wondered why there seems to be so little
meaningful change resulting from all of this effort? God promised
As the rain and the snow come
down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making
it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the
eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me
empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it. Isaiah
55:10-11 NIV
So, are we mistaken in believing God’s promise? Or, has
God’s Word lost its power? Or, is there something wrong in the way God’s Word
is presented? Have you ever wondered about these things?
The Parable of the Sower helps us to
answer these questions. If we understand this parable, we are better able to
use the Bible and see God’s promise is not empty. This parable keeps us from
becoming discouraged by seeming failure or buoyed with false optimism. Jesus
unfolds understanding for us as we examine three basic elements in this
parable.
The Seed Is The Word Of God
Have you ever wondered why Jesus compared God’s Word to
seed? On this question we find answers more readily
in considering some aspects of seed.
Seed Contains Life
God’s Word is living. Books written by
humans may be interesting, entertaining and helpful, but they do not offer
life. Just as you need seed to grow a living plant so you need the Word of God
to produce spiritual life.
Seed Supplies Power
It’s hard to see the power contained in
a seed. But, a small seed can crack and destroy concrete. Some place the Word
of God side by side against other books written by people and see little
difference, but the Word of God is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).
Seed Produces Fruit
The hope of spring finds us planting
seed in the ground so we can enjoy the promising return of fruit at harvest.
Like seed, God’s Word produces fruit. When the Word of God finds its way into a
human heart it germinates, grows and generates a harvest.
I want you to know, dear brothers
and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I
was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see
spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles.
Romans 1:13 NLT
But now that you have been set
free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you
reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22 NIV
They were pleased to do it,
and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews'
spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material
blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they
have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. Romans
15:27-28 NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is
no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Through Jesus, therefore, let
us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that
confess his name. Hebrews 13:15 NIV
The Word is planted, cultivated and
results in a wonderful harvest. What Jesus explains in this parable is that
it’s not enough to listen to the Word of God. We must hear it. There is a difference between listening and
hearing. We know this from our family relationships of husband and wife or parents
and children. One person speaks, the other person listens, but does anyone
hear? Seven times in this one parable
and nineteen times in Matthew 13 Jesus uses the word “hear.” The Word is
spoken. We need to open our hearts to hear and receive God’s Word for it to
produce its promised harvest.
The Sower Spreads The Word
As Jesus shares His compelling story
about the sower and the seed, He casts Himself as the original sower. He should
have come as the One to bring in the harvest but there was no crop to gather.
The Jewish nation had rejected the life-changing power of God’s Word by
exchanging it for an enslaving set of manmade rule.
Sowing Involves Faith
Jesus called 12 pretty ordinary men to
train for the mission ahead by teaching them God’s Word. When His part of the mission
was accomplished the future depended on them. They fulfilled their mission by
teaching others and then other generations did the same. Now, sowing the Word
of God is the responsibility of this generation.
Anyone who shares the Word of God is a
sower. It
may be through a fairly well-prepared and polished sermon to a planned gathering
of people or the spontaneous conversation with a friend over lunch. The Word
can be shared in a letter or a song or a book or a posting on someone’s wall or
a quick Tweet. If the Word of God is
contained, it is seed being sown.
Seed producers are constantly trying to improve their
products. When you drive by test fields, the numbered signs set at the ends of
the rows of corn identify what new seed variety has been planted. At harvest
time the hoped for improvements are evaluated.
It is never necessary to improve the
seed of God’s Word. You never have to be concerned about sowing God’s Word plus
the latest in human philosophy, theory or tradition. The important thing is to
sow the pure Word of God.
Sowing Requires Personal Concern
I think we often fail to sow the seed
because of our lack of personal concern. Here is a look at the heart of
concern.
Those who plant in tears will
harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant
their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. Psalm 126:5-6 NLT
The water on the crop is the tears of a
broken heart shed before God in prayer longing to be part of the process that
brings the harvest.
Sowing Depends On Partnership
Jesus emphasized the point.
Do you not say, 'Four months
more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!
They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he
harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be
glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you
to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you
have reaped the benefits of their labor." John 4:35-38 NIV
Paul understood the principle of
partnership.
I planted the seed, Apollos watered
it, but God made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 NIV
It’s never about competition or who gets
credit. What matters is the harvest.
Sowing Requires Patience
The seed is planted and then the farmer
waits.
Be patient, then, brothers,
until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its
valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. James
4:7 NIV
The process can’t be rushed. We are
called to sow the seed of God’s Word and then be ready when it’s time to
harvest.
The Soil Represents Human Hearts
It should come as no surprise that Jesus
portrays the human heart as soil. God used soil in creating the first humans.
The soil of the human heart holds great potential. Four kinds of soil—or
hearts—are considered as potential places to plant the Word of God.
The Hard Heart
As he was scattering the seed,
some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up… When anyone hears
the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the
path. Matthew
13:4, 19 NIV
Because there were no highways or cars
in that time footpaths ran through the fields as people traveled the shortest
routes between two points. The farmer expected that some of his seed would fall
on that hard ground and never grow. The Word of God falling on a hard heart
never sinks in. As Jesus applies His brushstrokes to the picture, Satan swoops
in like a hungry bird to snatch away the seed.
All soil has the potential to be good
soil. What
happens to make a heart so hard that the seed of God’s Word is not received?
How does a person arrive at the point in a world filled with the music of God’s
grace to where the music can’t be hard? No,
it won’t be heard!
Life can make our hearts hard. Every time we are rejected by a person we trust or experience the
failure of never being good time, another footprint tramples on our hearts. We
build up defenses to survive. We refuse to allow ourselves to be vulnerable.
At other times we have it all figured out how God should
work.
The Pharisees who challenged Jesus certainly did
and they knew there was no way God was working through Jesus. He could never be
the promised Messiah of God. Their hearts were impenetrable.
Another cause of hardheartedness is the failure to
follow through on the truth we already know. As God’s
Word cultivates our hearts preparing it for what is next we ignore what has
been done and the ground remains unplanted.
Can a hard heart be cured? It absolutely can! Hosea advised,
Sow for yourselves
righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed
ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers
righteousness on you. Hosea
10:12 NIV
The Shallow Heart
Some fell on rocky places,
where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was
shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root… The one who received the seed that fell on rocky
places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But
since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution
comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. Matthew 13:5-6,
20-21 NIV
Like the soil on many farms in this area
marked by granite outcroppings, the topsoil in Palestine was often a thin
covering over bedrock of limestone. The seed was able to germinate but there
was no place for the new plant to take root and thrive. It sprouted quickly but
the withering heat of the sun soon caused it to wilt and die.
The shallow soil represents the
emotional listener who likes what is heard and responds to the feelings. The
response is shallow and temporary. Let me be clear: Jesus isn’t teaching that a person is saved from sin and then falls
away. There is an attraction to the good news of salvation, but then the
heat of persecution is turned up. At that point the crowds of interested people
following Jesus thinned dramatically.
Persecution isn’t a bad thing for a
follower of Christ. It refines, purifies and deepens faith because that person
has roots that go down deep. But, for the person who is intrigued but not yet a
follower, it causes that interest to wither and die.
The problem with a hard heart is lack of
understanding. The problem with a shallow heart is lack of depth. That brings
us to the third kind of heart—the crowded heart that has no room to hold the
Word because it is so preoccupied.
The Crowded Heart
The crowded heart is pictured as thorny,
weed infested soil.
Other seed fell among thorns,
which grew up and choked the plants… The one who received the seed that fell
among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life
and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Matthew 13:7, 22 NIV
As a guy who grew up on a farm I know what it takes to
fight the battle against weeds. I spent more hours on the business end of a hoe
than I care to remember. Fighting what seemed to be that losing battle didn’t
dampen my love for growing plants. There are, however, amazing things that have
happened with the passing of years. While I still use a hoe there are now
incredible products that will kill weeds in your lawn without hurting the grass
and other products that will kill grasses in your garden without hurting the
plants. It takes a lot of agony out of gardening.
It’s not that easy to deal with the weed
infested soil of the human heart. Jesus points out some of the weeds as being
the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth. People get so caught up in
these things that when the Word of God tries to take root and grow it is choked
out. The Bible never condemns wealth. Instead, it deals with the love of money
and the preoccupation with the things that money buys. Most people devote
themselves to chasing material wealth while the ignoring the true wealth
offered by God.
We live in troubled financial times.
Many people are preoccupied because they fear losing their job, their car, or
the place where they call home. Financial problems lead to relationship
problems. The weeds dominate the landscape.
Some of us need a radical weed
eradication program. Your heart may be so weedy that it’s hard to know where to
start. It’s helpful to ask God, “Which weeds need to go first?” The Master
Gardener of your soul will provide expert advice you can count on!
It is important to note again that none
of the first three hearts represent hearts that have experienced the
transformation of God through salvation. They represent soil where the seed
doesn’t grow to maturity. At the same time, we must take care to note that
those of us who are Christians also experience times when our hearts are hard,
shallow or crowded. The weeds of spiritual devastation aren’t eradicated when
we become followers of Christ. They are brought under control as we follow
Jesus in loving obedience to the principles taught by His Word. With these
essential notes made we are ready to consider the fourth soil—the good soil
where the seed germinates, takes roots, grows and finally produces fruit.
The Fruitful Heart
Still other seed fell on good
soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown…
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears
the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or
thirty times what was sown." Matthew
13:8, 23 NIV
The fruitful heart is good soil. As
God’s grace works in the heart it receives the Word of God and produces fruit
for God’s glory. The best way to understand the good heart is by contrasting it
to the other hearts. The fruitful heart
·
Unlike the hard heart understands the Word
·
Unlike the shallow heart receives the Word
·
Unlike the crowded heart makes room for the Word
A
heart that hears is a person who receives, responds and reproduces. It is
relentless and fruit is the result! God’s Word takes root and
changes the heart of the one who hears.
A Biblical Illustration
The Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the
well illustrates the four different hearts and how quickly God can move us from
being hard, unproductive soil to rich, fruitful soil.
Her heart was hard at first. John explains the reason for her hardness.
The Samaritan woman, taken
aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for
a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to
Samaritans.) John 4:9 The Message
She couldn’t understand why a Jewish
man—a rabbi—would talk to a Samaritan woman.
Her hard heart softened to become a shallow heart. Jesus offered her living water, which she immediately desired.
The woman said, "Sir,
give me this water so I won't ever get thirsty, won't ever have to come back to
this well again!" John 4:15 The Message
Her emotions stirred but they had no
depth. Jesus continues to cultivate the ground.
He said, "Go call your
husband and then come back." John 4:16 The Message
She answers she has no husband. Jesus
reveals the depth of His insight into her life by agreeing that she is right
because she has had five husbands and is now living with a man to whom she
isn’t married.
With that, her heart becomes crowded. She
can’t talk about her life so she starts arguing about religion.
Oh, so you're a prophet! Well,
tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist
that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right? John 4:19-20
The Message
The stubborn weeds of prejudice sprout
quickly. Jesus refuses to be drawn into the mess. He starts pulling weeds. It
doesn’t matter if she worships God in Jerusalem or in Samaria. Her greatest
need is to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Jesus sows the seed and the seed finds
good ground.
The woman said, "I don't
know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When
he arrives, we'll get the whole story." "I am he,"
said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look
any further." John 4:25-26 The Message
I must admit it would have been very
easy to offer her what she saw as living water by having her pray and assure
her she was now a believer. Jesus, however, kept dealing with her until she was
ready to receive His full offer of true salvation. Fruit was the result as she
took her water jar and headed to the village to invite people to come meet a
man to see if he might be the Christ.
What Is The Key?
We must take care to determine the soil
condition of our own hearts. What is the key to good soil?
The seed that fell on good soil
represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word
and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred
times as much as had been planted! Matthew
13:23 NLT
The heart with good soil is marked by
truly hearing, understanding and following God’s Word.
Conclusion: The Condition of the Heart
God speaks and He wants us to listen.
Our ability to hear and respond depends on the condition of the heart. Let’s
apply the point of the parable to our own hearts first.
1.
The type of soil that best represents my heart at this
time is ______________.
2.
To be ready to hear God speaking I will ______________________________________.
God speaks and wants to use us to
communicate His message to others.
1.
The type of soil that best represents the heart of the
person I would most like to receive Christ is _________________.
2.
For that person to be ready to hear God I pray ________________________________.
Action is the final step of hearing. I’m not
satisfied with what I’ve tried to say if, as a result of listening, we aren’t
motivated to have God produce His fruit through us. God has done all He can to
plow the ground, blast the hard bedrock and weed the soil of our hearts. He’s
made us good soil. He has something to say. Are we listening?
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