Week Four - The Sower and the Seed

Welcome to Week Four of our Bible Study! This week, we will look at the first parable that is recorded in the New Testament, the parable of the Sower and the Seeds. It is recorded for us in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but not in John. This may seem odd at first glance, but a closer examination will help us understand why this is the case. Look at the number of parables recorded in each gospel.

·       Matthew: 15 parables

·       Mark: 9 parables

·       Luke: 35 parables

·       John: 0 parables

Since the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke record parables and many other details of Jesus’ ministry, they are referred to as “synoptic” gospels; “synoptic” comes from a Greek word that means “ability to be seen together.” All four gospels take on the character of their respective authors. Luke, for example, was a doctor and you can observe the myriad details he records in his gospel, no doubt a reflection of his personality and thought process.

John, on the other hand, was one of the disciples and one of the inner circle of Jesus. While the other authors recorded many parables and miracles, describing the actions of Jesus, John focused his gospel on the person of Jesus. John recorded many intimate conversations Jesus had and focused more on the words of Jesus rather than His actions. The Greek words for believe and trust are used more in John than the other three gospels combined, since John want his readers to see and believe in the person of Jesus. John’s gospel was his eye-witness account of who Jesus was, the Messiah.

For all of these reasons, as we go through our study on the parables, we need to be mindful that similarities and differences in the way the authors captured these events will exist, and that is a good thing. We are able to get a richer and fuller picture of who Jesus was by reading all four gospels, and the other books of the New Testament as well.

The parable of the Sower and the Seeds is recorded in the following scripture passages.

·       Mathew 13: 1-23

·       Mark 4:1-20

·       Luke 8:1-15

Since Jesus provides an interpretation of this parable, we are left only to ponder the details and relevance in today’s world. A few thoughts/themes I would like to explore during our time together are as follows.

·       We see the mention of several women in the first verses of Luke 8; I continue to be amazed at the role women played in Jesus’ ministry, particularly given the cultural status of women during these times.

·       Along this line, if follows our discussion last week about the role women and others played in accomplishing God’s work. One of the overarching themes in the Bible is that God uses the weak and “foolish” to accomplish His purpose and make the “wise” look foolish.

·       Jesus mentioned that secrets and mysteries were hidden from the masses while they would be revealed to His disciples in due time. I think it is remarkable that by reading scriptures and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these things have been made known to us.

·       Who were the masses that were following Him around, why were they doing so, and what were they looking for?

·       The last group to be mentioned in the parable are those whose seeds grew and produced a crop; why did these seeds produce different amounts?

·       Why would Jesus say, “Those who have ears, let them hear?”

So we will consider these points and read through the three accounts of the parable, and let the Lord lead us in our discussion. I look forward to seeing you all Sunday at 7 pm.

Here are the details about joining us on Zoom.

About Zoom:  We will use Zoom for this Bible study. If you are using a computer, just type in www.zoom.com and select “Join a Meeting” at the top of the page, then enter the meeting ID: 696 778 0839.

If you are using a phone, iPad or other portable device, then you will need to download the free Zoom app. Once you have the Zoom app, just open it and select “Join” a meeting, and use this ID:  696 778 0839. I would encourage everyone to go into their Zoom settings and add in a name, at a minimum, so everyone can see who you are.

Alternately, if you don’t want to download the app, you can open your device browser and enter www.zoom.com and follow the instructions above.

Regardless of what device you use, once you join, you will enter a waiting room and then I will admit you. I will typically open the meeting about 10 minutes early so folks can get joined and work through any technical issues. You are free to join with or without video, but if you want to talk, which I really encourage everyone to do, please turn your camera on so we can see you.

I have the meeting set up so that it automatically mutes everyone when you join, so don’t forget to “unmute” when you want to talk. Again, I encourage everyone to discuss topics, answer questions, ask questions or otherwise participate in the discussion. Please jump in if you have information to help clarify a point or you just need to talk. It’s all fine!