Tag: Parables

The Red-Letter Words of Yeshua ~ Part 53

On By Donald N. NorrisIn Red Letter Words1 Comment

The Parable of The Sower

In our first post in this mini-series on the Parables of Yeshua, we looked at why He spoke in parables. Speaking to His talmidim, He said: 10 Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them…13 Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing, or understanding…in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha’yahu (6:9-10)” (Mattityahu 13:10-14)

Mattityahu 13 consists of eight parables. The first – the parable of the sower – describes four different responses to the message of the Kingdom of Heaven that Yeshua and His talmidim preach. Yeshua interprets the parable in vv. 18–23 below. Now, let’s come back to Mattityahu 13:1.

The Parable of The Sower

1 That same day, Yeshua went out of the house and sat down by the lake; 2 but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while the crowd stood on the shore.

Yeshua may have gone out on the water a short distance to improve people’s ability to hear Him, as sound travels better over the water. If He remains surrounded by the crowd, His words may not be heard.

 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.

In His parables, Yeshua compares the Kingdom of Heaven, or certain aspects of it, to everyday situations of His day (such as farming and fishing).

4 As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow;

The birds scooped up the seeds so quickly that they did not have time to sprout. The soil above the bedrock warms quickly, so seeds readily sprout, but the shallow soil cannot sustain growth.

6, but when the sun had risen, the young plants were scorched, and since their roots were not deep, they dried up. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 But others fell into rich soil and produced grain, a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as had been sown. 9 Those who have ears, let them hear!”  ~ Mattityahu 13:1-9

An excellent – tenfold harvest would have been considered a good crop. Yeshua explains these three soils below.

The Parable of The Sower Explained

Yeshua explains one of His parables in a rare display – but only to His talmidim.

18 “So listen to what the parable of the sower means. 19 Whoever hears the message about the Kingdom, but doesn’t understand it, is like the seed sown along the path – the Evil One comes and seizes what was sown in his heart. 20 The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once, 21 but has no root in himself. So, he stays on for a while; but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, he immediately falls away. 22 Now, the seed sown among thorns stands for someone who hears the message, but it is choked by the worries of the world and the deceitful glamor of wealth so that it produces nothing. 23 However, what was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the message and understands it; such a person will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown.” ~ Mattityahu 18-23.

All of us Believers have probably known someone or even ourselves who has fallen into one of these first three soils. Our hearts go out to those who have refused the rich soil.

In our next post, we continue to focus on Yeshua’sTeaching Through Parables by returning to Mattityahu 13:24.

Click here for the PDF version.

Yeshua Explains the Parable of the Four Soils

On By Donald N. NorrisIn Christian Torah1 Comment
To Be Like Yeshua Means – To Understand the Parables of the Kingdom

In my last post, we learned why Yeshua spoke in parables.  In this post, we will explore His explanation of the parable of the four soils.

“So listen to what the parable of the sower means.  Whoever hears the message about the Kingdom, but doesn’t understand it, is like the seed sown along the path – the Evil One comes and seizes what was sown in His heart.  The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once, but has no root in himself. So He stays on for a while; but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, He immediately falls away.  Now the seed sown among thorns stands for someone who hears the message, but it is choked by the worries of the world and the deceitful glamor of wealth, so that it produces nothing.  However, what was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the message and understands it; such a person will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown.” ~ Matthew 13:18-23

What the Parable of the Four Soils (or the Sower) Means

The sower was Yeshua and, by extension, anyone after Him who would teach and preach the Word (represented by the seed).  Yeshua was telling the parable and exemplifying it; as He spoke of the farmer sowing the seed, He was sowing the Word among the crowd of followers.  Yeshua was revealing His mission while teaching the emissaries and talmidim about theirs.  The parable revealed people’s varying responses to the Gospel message.  The attitude or condition of their hearts would govern their response.  The Word makes no impression on some people.  For those who hear and do not understand, the seed lands on a hard heart (like the hardened soil of the path).  Then Satan, like the birds of verse 4 snatches it away. Perhaps the person feels no need in his or her heart, no desire for anything other than this life, no guilt of sin or need of forgiveness.  Satan has no trouble with these people. Continue reading “Yeshua Explains the Parable of the Four Soils” →

Yeshua Explains Why He Speaks in Parables

On By Donald N. NorrisIn Christian Torah3 Comments
To Be Like Yeshua Means – To Understand the Parables of the Kingdom

In my last post, we learned about the parable of the four soils.  In this post, Yeshua explains why He speaks in parables.

“Then the talmidim came and asked Yeshua, ‘Why are you speaking to them in parables?’  He answered, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it has not been given to them.  For anyone who has something will be given more, so that He will have plenty; but from anyone who has nothing, even what He does have will be taken away. Here is why I speak to them in parables: they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.  That is, in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha‘yahu which says, ‘You will keep on hearing but never understand, and keep on seeing but never perceive, because the heart of this people has become dull – with their ears they barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, so as not to see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and do t’shuvah, so that I could heal them.’  But you, how blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear! Yes indeed! I tell you that many a prophet and many a tzaddik longed to see the things you are seeing but did not see them, and to hear the things you are hearing but did not hear them.’” ~  Matthew 13:10-17

 Yeshua Explains Why He Speaks in Parables

When Yeshua got away from the crowd and was alone with His true followers (the twelve emissaries and the larger group of Believers from whom the Twelve had been chosen), a more intimate question-and-answer period followed.  Perhaps these close followers did not want to reveal their ignorance about Yeshua’s words in front of the entire crowd.  More likely, they were noticing that many people in the crowd were not understanding Yeshua’s message.  So, when they were alone with Yeshua, His followers asked Him why He spoke to the people in parables, in stories that seemed to confuse His listeners and obscure the message.

Remember the purpose for using parables was to get people to think.
Continue reading “Yeshua Explains Why He Speaks in Parables” →