The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Wheat and Tares

Mark 4:10 NKJV – But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

Mark 4:11 NKJV – And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

Mark 4:12 NKJV – “so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And [their] sins be forgiven them.’ “

Matthew 13:11 NKJV – He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Mark 4:13 NKJV – And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Good Seed= Word of God (Gospel)

Sower= Jesus Christ and whoever is preaching the gospel

The Ground = The Heart

Matthew 13:18 NKJV – “Therefore hear the parable of the sower:

Matthew 13:19 NKJV – “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand [it], then the wicked [one] comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

• People who outright reject the Gospel message due to their hardness of heart and being dead in trespasses and sins.
• Ezekiel 3:7 NKJV – “But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel [are] impudent and hard-hearted.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV – But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 13:20 NKJV – “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Matthew 13:21 NKJV – “yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

• People like the word but lack an understanding of it; therefore, they never truly repent and believe the Gospel. .
• They lack understanding in counting the cost.
• They lack understanding due to having a hardness of heart. Due to being dead in trespasses and sins. Mark 4:12 NKJV – “so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And [their] sins be forgiven them.’ “

Matthew 13:11 NKJV – He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

Matthew 13:22 NKJV – “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

• They love the idea of Jesus being Savior but reject the idea of Him being Lord.
• Not willing to give up idols to submit to God as their Savior.

Young Rich Ruler

Matthew 19:16 NKJV – Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

Matthew 19:17 NKJV – So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one [is] good but One, [that is], God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Matthew 19:18 NKJV – He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’

Matthew 19:19 NKJV – ‘Honor your father and [your] mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “

Matthew 19:20 NKJV – The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”

Matthew 19:21 NKJV – Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Matthew 19:22 NKJV – But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

• The young rich ruler’s idol was his possessions, and he refused to give up His possessions to repent, believe, and follow the Lord.
• Exodus 20:3 NKJV – “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Matthew 13:23 NKJV – “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands [it], who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Good Seed= Word of God (Gospel)

Sower= Jesus Christ

The Ground = The Heart

• If I am dead in trespasses and sins, how did I get a new heart?
• Ephesians 2:1 NKJV – And you [He made alive], who were dead in trespasses and sins,
• Colossians 2:13 NKJV – And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
• Romans 3:10 NKJV – As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
• Romans 3:11 NKJV – There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.
• Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
• Ezekiel 36:27 NKJV – “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do [them].

Acts 16:14 NKJV – Now a certain woman named Lydia heard [us]. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.

Acts 16:15 NKJV – And when she and her household were baptized, she begged [us], saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.

• Also those who are truly converted cant fall away.
• John 10:28 NKJV – “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
• Ephesians 1:13 NKJV – In Him you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
• 2 Corinthians 1:22 NKJV – who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
• Philippians 1:6 NKJV – being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [it] until the day of Jesus Christ;

Sanctification:

Matthew 13:23 NKJV – “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands [it], who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Philippians 2:12 NKJV – Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;

Philippians 2:13 NKJV – for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure.

Wheat and the Tares:

Matthew 13:24 NKJV – Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

Matthew 13:25 NKJV – “but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

Matthew 13:26 NKJV – “But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

Matthew 13:27 NKJV – “So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

Matthew 13:28 NKJV – “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’

Matthew 13:29 NKJV – “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

Matthew 13:30 NKJV – ‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ‘ “

Explanation:

Good Sower- Jesus

Evil Sower- Satan

Good Seed/Wheat- Converted Men and Women

Bad Seed/ Tares-Unconverted Men and Women

Harvest- End of the Age

Matthew 13:36 NKJV – Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

Matthew 13:37 NKJV – He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

Matthew 13:38 NKJV – “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked [one].

Matthew 13:39 NKJV – “The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Matthew 13:40 NKJV – “Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

Matthew 13:41 NKJV – “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

Matthew 13:42 NKJV – “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 13:43 NKJV – “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

In the visible church, we have 3 unconverted grounds and 1 converted ground. However, some converted people produce fruit only at 30 and 60 fold, and some unconverted people produce counterfeit fruit that looks like the fruit being produced by converted people. Therefore, Jesus instructs them to let Him deal with the tares at the end of the age. Meanwhile, we call out heresy and preach the Gospel.

• The Pastor’s job at the church is to preach the gospel in hopes of God opening the eyes of the unconverted and motivating the converted to produce 100-fold fruit. However, you must be in a local church to do so. You can’t be a Christian and deny going to church.
• Hebrews 10:25 NKJV – not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.