Parable of the Sower: A Lesson in Randomness

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Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

My pastor preached on this passage today. Jesus first tells the parable and then later explains it to his disciples:

"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

What I am wondering is whether this process is random. The parable itself seems to make it seem as such. The farmer scatters seed and it seems to fall where it does by no specific pattern. Based on this passage, are we responsible for what group we fall into? We either fall into the group that gets snatched by the birds, the group that has no root, the group that gets choked by thorns or the group that bears fruit. But is it our choice as to where we fall or are we scattered there by the Farmer (aka God) at random?

If I am the seed, is my life already laid out before me in that I've already been placed among the weeds that will choke me out? Is my friend already laid on the path and is bound to get taken up by birds because that's where their seed fell?

Does the parable of the sower teach that it is our choice as to where we land as seeds?

 

[razeontherock]

Whether the words on the page specify this or not I will not say, but I will attest we can exert effort to become fertile ground!

Exactly what did Isaiah's prophecy of "swords into plowshares" speak of?

Note that this transformation occurs via our own effort.

So, what does it mean to our daily decisions to be "on the path," or to remove ourselves from it? The thorns are obvious, but what about "no depth of root?" And then the biggie, is the fertile ground merely the lack of the 3 stated obstacles, or something different in and of itself, and what can we do about that?

 

[bsd31]

If one subscribes to the doctrine of predestination then I can't see how we would have any impact on how the seed of the Word thrives in us.

 

[drich0150]

My pastor preached on this passage today. Jesus first tells the parable and then later explains it to his disciples:



What I am wondering is whether this process is random. The parable itself seems to make it seem as such. The farmer scatters seed and it seems to fall where it does by no specific pattern. Based on this passage, are we responsible for what group we fall into? We either fall into the group that gets snatched by the birds, the group that has no root, the group that gets choked by thorns or the group that bears fruit. But is it our choice as to where we fall or are we scattered there by the Farmer (aka God) at random?

If I am the seed, is my life already laid out before me in that I've already been placed among the weeds that will choke me out? Is my friend already laid on the path and is bound to get taken up by birds because that's where their seed fell?

Does the parable of the sower teach that it is our choice as to where we land as seeds?

You are not the seed. The seed is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (The message.) You are the ground that either allow for prosperous growth, Unfruitful growth, no growth or even the type of ground that allows the message to be swept away.

The seed with either grow in you or it will wither and die.

 

[ebia]

What rich said.

 

[ReligionRevolution]

You choose whether or not to accept water. Let your heart be hard or let it be softened and accept seed.

 

[salida]

The seed is the kingdom of God;the soil is the heart of a person. I don't see any randomness here.

 

[ephraimanesti]

What I am wondering is whether this process is random. The parable itself seems to make it seem as such.

MY FRIEND,

NO, there is nothing random about the process. The seed, of course, is the Gospel, and the places where it lands are the various types of people who make up the world--then as now.

The point is that we must, with diligence and humility prepare ourselves to receive the Seed as "good soil" in which it can grow and transform us into the image of Jesus. We have been given the great gift of freewill for exactly this purpose. We have a choice as to whether we are the wayside, the rock, the thorns, or the good ground--and our eternal statis will testify to our choice.

ABBA'S SLAVE,
ephraim

 

[oi_antz]

And don't forget the purpose of sowing the seed - those who have fertile soil become the sowers by producing a crop 30, 60 or 100 times what was sown. Those with fertile soil need to work hard to support those with less fertile soil.

Edit: I sense a strong reference to the blessing Genesis 1:28 "fill the earth and subdue it;" and the curse Genesis 3:18 "Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you". The living word should be perpetual, this is what Jesus meant "heaven and earth will pass away but my words will always remain".