Matthew 13:3-9 “And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Matthew 25:19 “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”
Our text in Matthew 13 is known by most as “The Parable of the Sower.” It is recorded for us by three of the gospel writers; Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8. This particular parable is the beginning of a series of parables in which our Lord enlightens His disciples concerning “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:11), and those who truly comprise the family of God; “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:50). If there was but one main thrust of the parable, it would be the means of entering the kingdom. Within the parable we are confronted with satanic ground, shallow ground, strangled ground, and surrendered ground. Of the four, the surrendered is a true picture the those of the kingdom; “he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23).
The harvest was the decisive factor that reveals the population of the kingdom! In the process of considering the harvest, I was left with several thought provoking questions. While the sower was happy with a harvest; is he happy with the harvest? After possibly bestowing seventy-five percent of his energy and resources upon ground that would prove to be totally unproductive; I know he would be happy with a harvest out of the good ground. But notice the diversity of responses to the good seed in good ground; “some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Why is it that we have the same sower, the same seed; and not the same result? Some would try to take comfort in a diversity of talents, but that would prove futile! In Matthew 25, we have a ruler giving out talents to his servants previous to departing; “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey” (Matthew 25:15). Upon the rulers return; two servants produced equally, while one remained fruitless; the five talented and the two talented both “bringeth forth, both “hundredfold.” Is the sower happy with the harvest; is God satisfied with our productivity?
My second thought was not only is the sower happy with the harvest, but is the soil happy with the harvest; “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.” While we can greatly rejoice that we have been made the children of God and are members of the kingdom; are we productive and to what extent? Is God getting our best; are we giving Him our all? While I may be limited on my materials to work with, I don’t have to limited on my multiplication; I can give Him my all!
It’s a good day when the sower and the soil are happy with the harvest!