The Parable of the Sower
Lecture 18
Matthew 13: 1 – 23
The Setting
•	Is near Capernaum.  This area is volcanic and in the parable the seed falls along a path. At the edge of the terrace is beaten where you _______________________or sometimes there is a beaten path in the _______________________of the _______________________.
The Parable
•	Is talking about the seed that may be _______________________an a windy day and therefore you cannot _______________________where the _______________________may land.  Some seed falls on this hard soil.  
Other seed falls on rocky ground. 
•	Israel is full of _______________________. In Jesus’ day the really good soil was in the Jezreel Valley, just south of Galilee, but it was in the control of the Romans in the first century.  The Soil in Galilee is rich and _______________________. It is black and very productive.  The Galilee area produces up to 10 harvests per year.  
Jesus Tells the Parable
•	Where everyone knew about the soil.  For every sack of wheat you _______________________, you hope to make several fold sacks of wheat to _______________________.  You would say two-fold if you ended up two bags of wheat in your harvest.  Forty-fold is the most you could get in Israel.  In the parable, how much was the best you could get in return? 2 and ½ times better than normal (100 fold). This is an attention getter.
The Grain is Winnowed
•	And a threshing sled is run across the wheat.  
An Interpretation of the Parable
•	The four soils represent four kinds of receptions given to the seed. The _______________________is the _______________________of the Kingdom (v. 19). The fruit spoken in verse 23 is more revelation and understanding concerning the kingdom. This understanding of the word “fruit” is evident for several reasons.  
The Parable Fits the Parabolic Instruction
•	The word of the kingdom had been proclaimed to Israel by _______________________, by _______________________, and by the _______________________. This parable notes the blindness and dullness of Israel’s response to this proclamation. However, some did understand and were growing into understanding (Mt 11:25).
This fits into Why Jesus Spoke Parables (13:10-17)
•	From those who failed to lay hold of the _______________________of the kingdom or who abused it the word was taken away (MT 13:12-15). On the other hand, it was given to the disciples to know because their hearts were conditioned to receive the word of the kingdom (Mt 13:11-12).  
It is in connection 
•	with this answer to the disciples question that the interpretation of the parable is given. The Lord desires to conceal truth from those who are not receptive and to reveal it to receptive hearts.  The parable illustrates this principle perfectly. If they could understand this _______________________, then they were _______________________qualified to understand the remaining ones.
In Addition
•	This interpretation of the fruit fits the explanation of the parable which the King gives His disciples (Mt 13:18-23).  The introduction to the interpretation of the parable emphasizes understanding.  The _______________________and _______________________of the disciples were called blessed because they were seeing and hearing that which the prohets and holy men of old desired to see and hear. “Therefore” (ouv), they were to listen with all the knowledge hearing is intended to cnvey.
The Fruit represents
•	A fuller comprehension of the kingdom is seen also in the emphasis on understanding in the interpretation (vs. 19-23).
Finally, this interpretation 
•	Is very logical. Seed produces more seed. The word of the kingdom received into the _______________________would yield more revelation and understanding of it.  This new revelation is that which the King is about to give in the remainder of Matthew 13. Only the humble would understand the truth in the parables and manifest a hundredfold, sixty-fold, or thirty-fold increase of their comprehension.
The Principle of the Parable
•	Is this: _______________________of the _______________________of the _______________________is one’s heart produces more understanding and revelation of the Kingdom. In this way the parable acts as an introduction to the remainder of the parables.  
The Sower
•	He is obviously not the main subject of this parable, but he sheds some light on the vocation of Jesus and the way He brings life to men. Jesus did not come as conqueror. The King of kings won His victories by _______________________and _______________________.  His is the way of kindness and he allows time for growth.  Surely it is worth our attention that the Word is planted and not handed down from a throne. The harsh forcing of agreement, so characteristic of the dictator has no part in Jesus.
The Sowing of Divine Carelessness
•	Who can tell where the seed will land? What will the result be? The picture is a man scattering seed in some ways is frightening. So much of it is lost and so many things may interfere with its growth. The farmer has to be a man with great _______________________and _______________________along with a certain abandon.
This Divine Carelessness
•	Is shown in Jesus’ ministry. Who did he pick for his disciples? They came from some of the least promising classes and most of them had no special _______________________or _______________________.  He never wrote a book or arranged for a permanent record of His teaching.  He was willing to leave it in the hands of a few fishermen and a crowd of peasants.  No man could have less to show for his work.
To Sow the Seed
•	Demands _______________________. Nothing so clearly indicates this than sowing seed. This is not a narrow, mechanistic confidence, but a positive faith in life and its Creator.  
The Seed
•	Every preacher, teacher, worker for a better society will understand this picture. Those engaged in such tasks are men sowing seeds and hoping for results.  If not now at least in the future. There is no guarantee for immediate results for all the work being done.  _______________________has to be done without _______________________the _______________________of today.  
The Seed’
•	Is tough. Many seeds have been put in jars and other containers and abandoned for years. Yet, when planted, they are able tor produce fine results.  So it is with the gospel. It can survive many difficult situations. Persecution may cause it to be on a “shelf” for awhile, but it will _______________________when _______________________.  
The Soils
•	are the main picture of the parable.  The blame is often thrown to the _______________________or the _______________________. But seldom are these the problems.  We will find lives that are hard and not receptive to the gospel. Others will be busy and have the gospel choked out. Still others will be receptive of the gospel initially, only to be scorched by the trials of life because of shallowness.
  The Parable ends 
•	With hope and promise. It talks about the good soil.  The preparation of the soil is our responsibility and we ought never be willing to leave it half-done.  It takes _______________________and _______________________to keep our spirits willing to receive the word.  
An Illustration of Good Soil
•	George Bernanos’ Diary of a Country Priest, the doctor tells the priest that he has cancer of the stomach. The priest is bewildered at first and then he says:
“the Illustration”
•	“Dear God, I give you all willingly. But I don’t know how to give. I just let them take. The best is to remain quiet. Because though I may not know how to give. You know how to take…Yet I would have wished to be, just once, magnificently generous to You.”
How Can We be Generous
•	To God? Strangely enough, by taking His Word deep into our _______________________and letting it bring forth a hundred fold or sixty or thirty fold, that men may rejoice in His might works.