Hard Soil/Along the path [v. 4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. The soil was packed hard because people had been walking on it. Since many feet had hardened the path, the seed didn't penetrate it.
Rocky Soil [v. 5-6] Some [seed] fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow, but when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and withered because they had no root. Because the soil was shallow and mingled with rocks, there was no depth, and the plant withered.
Thorny Soil [v. 7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants so that they did not bear again. This soil must have been decent because other seeds had grown in it. Apparently the good seed was added while there were negative seeds there as well. The soil was not weeded out.
Good Soil [v. 8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying 30, 60, or even 100 times. It produced a crop beyond what was expected.
In the Matthew 13 passage, Jesus tells the same parable, but with a little conversational interlude we don't find in the other gospels. With that as background, we will go back and look at the parable.
The Secrets
Matthew 13:10-11: The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables? [11] He replied, The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
A secret is that which cannot be known by the exercise of human wisdom and knowledge; i.e., words, knowledge or truth from God alone. How do we get these secrets? How do we get on the inside track? How can we hear the Lord teaching?
"We don't want to hear these grand parables, Lord, we want to know what's really going on. What are you trying to say to us?" the disciples seem to be saying. You know, the Lord continues to use parables in some of our lives, because we are not listening. They are illustrations for us, sometimes tragic ones.
Truth principles:
Truth must be acted upon in order to be retained (v. 12). "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." This truth applies to all kinds of soil, and is true in two ways:
Truth applied grows—v. 12a. "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance." Obedience is the key to having more truth. If you want to know the secrets of God, to know God's truth, then obey what you know. Do what is before you, and as you do, more truth will be given to you. Some of us are not growing in our spiritual lives because we're doing nothing with what we have. We know it, but we're not using it.
Truth rejected is lost—v. 12b. "Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." Some people believe that if you just throw out the truth, it will not return void. Certainly the Scripture says in Isaiah 5:11 that what the Lord says will be accomplished. But the Word of God will have impact on us only if we are open to it.
Truth is eventually concealed from the disobedient—v. 13b-15. Not only is it lost, but eventually, if we don't apply it, it is concealed from us. "This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." Wow! That sounds tough! Why the concealment? "For this people's heart has become callused: they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."
The Lord is not withdrawing truth from certain individuals simply because He doesn't like them. He's not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance. In fact, the truth is available to everyone. There is no secret truth for some little select group of folks. If we hear and obey, all the truth is available to us. But if our hearts are hardened, we will not be given more and more truth.
Truth applied blesses—v. 16-17. "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." What a wonderful day we live in! All the Old Testament prophets longed to see and hear what we can access as believers. The Disciples were the first recipients of an understanding. The Old Testament saints had kind of a picture book of truth. We, however, have the reality!
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