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Parable of the Sower and the Four Types of Ground.

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Matthew 13:3-9 Mark 4:3-9 Luke 8:5-8
3And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth. And they sprang up immediately, because they had no deepness of earth. 6And the sun rising, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns. And the thorns sprung up and choked them. 8And some fell on the good ground and yielded fruit, indeed one a hundredfold, and one sixty, and one thirty. 9He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
MKJV
 2And He taught them many things by a parable. And He said to them in His teaching: 3Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, it happened that indeed some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and ate it up. 5And another fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. And it sprang up at once, due to not having deepness of earth. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched. And because it had no root, it withered away. 7And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8And another fell on good ground and yielded fruit, going up and increasing. And one bore thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundredfold. 9And He said to them, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
MKJV
 5A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, the one fell by the roadside and was trampled; and the birds of the air devoured it. 6And other fell on a rock, and sprouting, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7And other fell amidst thorns, and springing up with the thorns, they choked it. 8And other fell on good ground and sprang up, and bore fruit a hundredfold. And when He had said these things, He cried, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
MKJV
Insights
In all three Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke Jesus explains the parable.
  • The seed is the Word of God.
  • The soil is the condition of one's heart towards the Word of God.
    1. Seed that fell by the wayside - (the heart that does not understand the Word or is indifferent towards the Word).
    2. Seed that fell on stony ground - (the heart that receives the Word, but in trials and tribulations falls away for they have a shallow foundation).
    3. Seed that fell among thorns - (the heart that hears the Word, but becomes distracted and engrossed by the cares of this world).
    4. Seed that fell on good ground - (The heart that hears and understands the Word and produces fruit, thirty, sixty and one hundred fold).
  • In all three accounts and after many of the other parables Jesus, said; whoever has ears to hear let him hear. Jesus does not force us to hear, this has to do with man's free will. We choose what to hear and understand according to our personal desire, (what we consider important to us).