1. The "Parable Of The Sower" is recorded in three of the gospels. (Lk. 8:4-15).

2. This parable is also recorded in Matthew and Mark. (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23; Mk. 4:1-9, 13-20).

3. It is often called AParable of the Sower,@ but it might better named AParable of the Soils.@  

• Much emphasis is placed on the four different kinds of soils.

• These soils stand for the different ways men accept the word of God.

8:4 And when a great multitude were coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

1. The word parable comes from the Greek "parabole" and means "to lay or thrown alongside for the purpose of comparing." parV means "beside." bolh means "to cast, to throw." It comes from the Greek ballw.

• It is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning."

• Some parables are not stories. (Lk. 4:23; Mk. 7:15-17).

• They are figurative sayings or proverbs.

• The NIV render Aparable@ Aproverb.@ (Lk. 4:23).

2. It is important that one try to make every detail of a parable mean something.

• This will miss the point of the parable and lead to many false conclusions.

• In the parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, it is a mistake to make the donkey and the innkeeper have some special meaning. This was part of the story.

3. Matthew and Mark state the parable was spoken by Athe sea side@ (Galilee). (Matt. 13:1; Mk. 4:1).

8:5 "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road; and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up.

1. The path would be packed and hard, not allowing the seed to penetrate and germinate.

2. In Palestine the land was divided into smaller plots. There were no fences or walls separating the plots, only narrow paths that were accessible to every one.

8:6 "And other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

1. The reference is to a substratum of rock covered by a layer of soil which would allow growth but which would dry quickly in the sun.

2. The plants, unable to penetrate the rock to find moisture, would wither.

8:7 "And other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it, and choked it out.

8:8 "And other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great." As He said these things, He would call out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

1. Luke, apparently interested in the fact of productively, not degrees of it, omits the one hundred, sixty, and thirty-fold of Matthew and Mark. (Matt. 13:8; Lk. 8:8).

2. AA hundred times as great@ means this many bushels for each one sown.

8:9 And His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable might be.

8:10 And He said, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, in order that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.

1. Some did not understand the spiritual significance of the parables because they were blinded by sin and refused to search out the meaning of the parables.

2. Those eager to learn the truth would search out the meaning of the stories Jesus related to them.

3. Jesus explains the four kinds of soil represent different kinds of hearts or minds.

8:11 "Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

8:12 "And those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they may not believe and be saved.

1. This was soil that had been hardened by the coming and going of passers-by.

2. This represents hearts, which have been hardened by sin.

3. The devil knows the power of God's word and he snatches the word away before it can penetrate the heart and produce repentance. (Matt. 13:18; Mk. 4:15).

8:13 "And those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

1. This was a layer of rock covered by a thin layer of soil.

2. This soil represents those who accept Christ without counting the cost.

8:14 "And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

1. This was soil that is deep, but covered by thorns or had an abundance of weed-seeds buried underneath the soil.

2. A thorn is anything that crowds Jesus out of our lives.

3. This soil represents those who let the cares of the world choke them out.

8:15 "And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.

1. This was soil, which was clean, loose, and deep.

2. This soil represents those who accept the word and obeys it under all circumstances.

3. This is the one who brings forth much fruit.

4. This is the person who understands the parable after meditation.

• He asks, "What does this mean?"

• He says, "I will not stop thinking about this until I discover what it really means."

5. The words Ahold it fast@ means he accepts it and obey it under all circumstances.

• Mark uses the word "accept it" meaning he believes it and takes it into his mind. He does not let it go into one ear and out the other.

• Matthew has Aunderstands it,@ that is he asks, AWhat does this mean?@ He says, AI will not stop thinking about this until I discover what it really means.@