Parables About The Kingdom (Matthew 13:1-9, 24-30, 36-43)

Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9):

When Jesus Christ was by the lake a multitude started to gather around Him, so He got in a boat and told them a parable. Jesus used this parable to illustrate the kingdom of God;

A farmer went out to sow his seeds as he scattered them some seeds fell along the paths and the birds came and ate them. Others fell on rocky places, where there was very little soil, as they grew they were withered by the scorching sun because they had no roots.

Some seeds fell among thorns and as the thorns grew the plants were choked. However, some seeds fell on good soil and yielded a harvest that was a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

Jesus used “The Parable of the Sower” to teach people that there are different ways to approach spiritual growth. The soil that fell along that hardened pathway illustrates those who hear the word of God but they dismiss it or don’t take the time to understand it. Their hearts are hardened like a pathway.

The seeds that fall on rocky soil illustrate those who hear the word of God and at first, they are excited but their interest is shallow or maybe they experience a tough situation in their life. This causes their excitement towards obeying God to wither away and die.

The seeds that fell among thorns illustrate those who hear the word of God but whose hearts are tangled with the issues they are facing in life. Issues they might have with money, family, relationships, anxiety and so on become their main focus in life. Eventually, they take the focus and choke the word of God out of their hearts.

The seeds that fell on good soil illustrate those whose hearts are ready to receive the word of God because they make God a priority in their life. The word of God helps them reap abundant fruit in life, they reap the fruits of peace, prosperity, contentment and so on – these are fruits of life only God can give.

The Parable about the Wheat and Tares (Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43):

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a man who sowed good seeds (wheat) in his field but at night his enemy came, sowed weeds (tares) among the good seeds and went away. His servant noticed this and told the master. The master replied and told the servant that they were to leave the wheat and weeds to grow together. When it was time to harvest the crops, they were to harvest the weeds first and burn them. Then gather the wheat in his barns.

In this parable, the farmer, that is, God creates the good people (the wheat) but the devil (the farmer’s enemy) plants people who are against the people of God.

The people who choose to live their lives God’s way (the wheat) exist alongside the evil, bad people (the weeds) and there is no separation between them until judgement day. The farmer (God) allows the weeds (the evil people) to continue to grow because harvesting the weeds early may cause some wheat (good people) to be harvested prematurely.

Once it is time for the harvest (which is judgement day in God’s Kingdom) then the wheat (good people) will be separated from the weeds (evil people). The wheat will be put in the master’s barn (this represents heaven – the House of God) and the weeds will be destroyed and burnt (this represents the destruction that occurs in hell).