Representing the EPHESUS Period (Matthew 13:3-23) (Compare Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15.)
The obvious connection of this parable to the first period of the Church is that Jesus does sow the seed of the Gospel Age. The lesson of consequent fruitage, and lack of it, clearly applies to the whole age. But that concept (of application to the whole age) is also found in the messages to the seven Churches (Revelation 2 and 3). Each of them ends with the admonition that that stage hear what the spirit says to all the Churches (PLURAL). In other words, while a message or parable might be directed to a specific period of the Church, Jesus definitely wants its lessons heard and heeded throughout the age.
Two of the seven parables are explained by Jesus. The Sower parable is one of these. Jesus explains it after inserting other information.
The Parable of the Wheat and Tares has two parables and Jesus’ physical change of location inserted between the parable and its interpretation. We will look at the possible implications of that when we get there.
Because Jesus interprets the Sower parable, we have no need to do so. But we can discuss some of its implications.
13:3, 19. Jesus doesn’t directly identify himself as the sower. But he does identify what was sown (the seed) as “the Word of the Kingdom.” There is no doubt that that was his message throughout his ministry. He engaged his disciples in the same sowing, so we might not be too wrong to include the Apostles in the sowing work. (In I Corinthians 3:6, Paul includes himself in a planting work.)
13:4, 19. Here Jesus gives us the first of four results of the spreading of the Gospel. This seed was misplaced — sown where it was bound not even to sprout. Jesus explains to us that the Gospel will be heard widespread. It has a message which appeals to the heart. But emotion is a fickle thing. The head must also be involved. Jesus says that this first group, indeed, had heart reaction, but they did “not understand it.” Satan (being represented as hungry birds) “snatches away” what has been sown.
The meaning is clear. Throughout the Gospel Age, multitudes have been briefly attracted to the message, but they had not the desire to reason on it and, therefore, no desire to spend time or dedication to it. If they called themselves “Christians,” it could have been only in the most nominal of senses. They were successfully thwarted by Satan.
13:5, 6, 20, 21. Here we are introduced to the group representing a second kind of reaction to the Gospel. Jesus blames their eventual failure on the lack of a good root system occasioned by shallow soil. They are characterized as having a promising start — an enthusiasm and “joy” from the message which makes them look real.
We have all seen this. We have all probably known religious people with an emotional effervescence — people who preach the “good feelings” and even the “good life” to be experienced because of a belief in the Gospel. Their “heads” may, indeed, even quote Scripture — albeit usually only about the benefits of their belief. They are different from the first group. They do have a commitment with a trifle of knowledge — “shallow roots.” That, of course, is the problem. Satisfaction with surface understanding is always subject to disappointment and discouragement. It also guarantees that a person does not fully understand his position before God.
It is likely that this second group is committed to righteousness in their lives. They are probably dwelling on Plane N on the “Chart of the Ages.” (See Appendix A.) Thus, they have never attained that spirit-begettal necessary to help roots (perseverant commitment) grow deeply. They may well make claims like being “born again,” but they are most likely just “tares.” They are a step above the first group who, if they claim Christianity at all, would have to be classified as “hangers-on” — tares less by their profession than by association.
At this point, it seems that “soil” can be interpreted. Since group one was without soil, and group two has shallow soil, and since group one was without understanding, and group two has a weak understanding, it seems reasonable to conclude that soil is understanding — not just comprehension, but comprehension accompanied by some appreciation.
The English word “understanding” is very defining. It means we have something under us to stand on — a support or foundation. This is not facts; it is an appreciation of the facts which gives us stability.
Verse 21 gives us the result of the conditions which define the second group. This group Jesus calls “temporary” — a word which means that there is a time limit on their enthusiasm and commitment. We are not to assume that these people are “short-term” Christians. That is not Jesus’ point. His point is that they have a breaking point — a point in their lives, or even in world events, when conditions make them realize the lack of depth in their understanding. Their “roots” let go because they do not have enough to hold on to. Their faith structure, based on doing good and being happy, collapses when all around them is bad and sad.
Jesus pictures the breaking point by comparing it to being scorched by a rising sun. This could mean that when real truths are revealed (the light of the true Gospel) their positions are so threatened that they fall apart. This is, indeed, what happens to “tares.” They are burned. But that event, the revealing of the errors of their expectations, is an event generally at the close of the Gospel Harvest. This parable must apply throughout the age.
(We might remember, however, that events like the “burning of the tares” do happen at other times. See, for example, Revelation 9:18, where a segment of tares are burned with the good result that they become Protestant Christians instead of Catholic tares in the days of Martin Luther.)
But Jesus in this interpretive verse focuses on a more personal kind of crisis rather than on monumental historical upheavals. He interprets their crisis point as “affliction or persecution.” Affliction could be disease or personal reversals. But, for our understanding, the word “persecution” is augmented by Jesus with “because of the Word.” This suggests to us strongly that their disappointments and discouragements make them fail either (1) because they don’t know the Scriptures well enough to support their faith when doubts assail them, or (2) because they receive unexpected oppositions to their religious euphoria which they are unable to handle. In any case, they “fall away.” The margin says they are “caused to stumble.”
These first two groups are almost certainly non-spirit- begotten “Christians.” One must wonder if Pastor Russell was thinking of the four groups of this parable when he drew the four-part truncated pyramid on the “Chart of the Ages.” That pyramid represents the four parts of the professing “Christian” world almost exactly as this parable portrays them.
13:7, 22. Group three seems to have adequate soil. These are spirit-begotten Christians. This makes their fate all the more lamentable. When we later consider the Wheat and Tares parable, we will learn that the Christian field is growing more than just wheat. Jesus points out that the growth of other plants (tares) is so profuse as to make it likely that pulling the weeds will uproot the wheat. There is a connection there with the Sower parable. Here we don’t have “tares,” but we have “thorns” which “choke the Word.” In both cases, we are aware that the life of a spirit- begotten saint is perpetually threatened by his surroundings. In this case, truly spirit-begotten individuals (group three) allow the thorns to impede their progress. The “tare” attitude rubs off.
Jesus defines the “thorns” as “the worry of the age and the deceitfulness of riches.” These worries and deceits are apparently communicated from the tare class. Much in our lives is contagious from those about us. What Jesus describes is the faith-weakness of the “Great Multitude” class (Revelation 7). It is these who will not “receive a full reward” (II John 8). Here we just call them “group three.”
It is well worthy of note that these do not “wither away” like the first group; they do not “fall away” as the second group. Rather, they “become unfruitful.” Bearing fruit is how Jesus describes those who are part of the “true vine” (John 15). The expectation that this third group should bear fruit places them at least as having been a part of the vine. In other words, these are spirit-begotten individuals who are “cut off” branches from the vine. These are the “Great Multitude” who lose the opportunity of being a part of the 144,000 members of the Body of Christ.
Notice how Jesus interprets the event: the thorns “choke the Word.” It is not that thorns kill the plant. Rather, they prevent the plants’ receiving sufficient nutrients to bear fruit. The worries instilled in us by this age and the lies of the value of wealth combine to make this class focus on earthly attainments — security for the flesh — to the degree that their spiritual pursuits are stunted. They either produce no fruitage or, at the very best, produce useless and immature fruitage. The scales have dipped severely out of balance. THINGS win, and the SPIRIT loses.
13:8, 23. The Parable concludes with the fourth group — the desirable attainments. Not only is the soil good, but the strength of the plant discourages the weeds from growing too close.
Jesus describes each individual in this group as (1) hearing the Word, (2) understanding it, and (3) bearing fruitage — and he adds, (4) brings it forth — a phrase which suggests maturity of the fruitage, unlike the possible unripe fruitage of the Great Multitude. The first element was accomplished in the first group. The first two elements were accomplished in the second group — albeit with an insecure understanding. The first three elements are present in the third group — albeit with lack of usable fruitage. But group number four manifests success in all four areas. They will be the Body of Christ.
It is so important to note that QUANTITY of fruitage IS NOT the measure of success. Group four people are successful in the Lord’s sight whether their QUANTITY is 30, 60, or 100. This quantity comparison is given for only one reason — we are not to compare our spiritual output to the output of others. We do what we can individually. That is all that is required. A tiny bit is as successful as an overabundance as long as it reflects our using our ability to the fullest.
13:9. Jesus ends the story with the words, “He who has ears, let him hear.” With this opening parable to his Gospel Age disciples, Jesus has set the age-long prediction of the four effects of his words on those who would claim his name. He wants us to be successful; but he knows and he warns of the multitude of mistaken ideas the world would have about Christianity. As he says at the close of each Church message in Revelation: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the Churches.” Each of those seven dispensational summaries in Revelation warns in a very particular and timely way how the individuals then living can fall into one of the four categories of this parable.
Among other things, this helps each of the true Church watch and pray concerning his environment and surroundings so that he does not fall prey to Satan’s efforts to frustrate the development of the Body.
This is a powerful parable, and we are grateful for its lessons and the sharpened comprehension it gives us in our relationship to any others who may claim the name of Christ.
As we progress through Matthew 13, we will find that three of the parables have versions in Mark and/or Luke. Those two historians do not have the seven-parable alignment which seems so excitingly prophetic in Matthew.
There is no way that any of us would wish to denigrate two of the four Gospels. Nevertheless, it is important for us to make some careful distinctions in their writings.
Matthew and John are Apostles. By definition this makes them different. They are inspired. Their teachings are, by Divine oversight, flawless. Not even the messengers to the Churches have this advantage (save Paul and John who serve both as Apostles and “Angels” to two of the Churches).
Mark and Luke (and Acts which comes from the pen of Luke) are inherently different. While we find Matthew and John interpreting, we do not find Mark and Luke doing so. They merely report. They are scribes; they are historians. Matthew and John will say something like, “This was done to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah.” Mark and Luke make no such statements because it is not their place to do so. They are not authorized to be inspired, authoritative interpreters or makers of doctrine.
Thus, when we read the same parables in more than one Gospel, we are forced to give weight to Matthew’s account. (John has no parables in it.) Mark and Luke are reporting what they have been told. Occasionally they have more in their record than Matthew. It is likely in such cases that what they were told and what they recorded is factual, but the additional information may well not have been imperative to the INSPIRED version reported by Matthew. Thus, we can profit from Mark and Luke, but we can never have their accounts supercede Matthew’s account.
In the case of the Sower parable, Mark and Luke differ insignificantly from Matthew.
There are some little items worthy of note. Mark 4:13, for instance, says, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?”
The placement of this question is quite different from its placement in Matthew 13:51. But Mark doesn’t show all seven parables; and we thus miss the real lesson for the question and its answer. We will see this real lesson when we discuss the end of Matthew 13. The fact is that this question by Jesus seems to have very little importance in Mark’s account. But it has immense importance and significance to us in the Matthew account. How can the same question be so lacking in significance in one place and so vital in another? It is not just context; but it is also the inspiration of context.
One other little item will help us to justify our interpretation of the Sower in the Matthew account. In Matthew 13:7 and 22, we inferred by careful reasoning that there was not total lack of fruitage in group three — there was, instead, the lack of mature fruit. Apparently our inferences were correct as Luke suggests in 8:14. Luke says “they are choked…and bring no fruit to maturity.” Thus, while we, indeed, deduced the correct idea from the inspired Apostle, we have our deductions verified by the way Luke heard the story reported to him.
In all three Gospels, the material intervening between the parable and its explanation is the same — although Matthew’s is the longest. The Mark and Luke accounts do nothing to add or detract from the meaning.
FOLLOWING Jesus’ interpretive remarks, however, the accounts differ. In Matthew we immediately have the Wheat and Tares parable. In both Mark and Luke we have Jesus’ remarks about hiding light under a bushel. And in Luke, we then have material which Matthew places earlier— including the Matthew 12 item about defining his relatives. These discrepancies again magnify the fact that we must accept Matthew as the inspired account and that his sequencing is for the benefit of our understanding.
Mark and Luke are correct in reporting words, but not sequences. Their writings are not inspired to set doctrine — merely to record items of history.
The INTERVENING WORDS (Matthew 13:10-18), therefore, are not random. They are sequenced to make a point.
We might (mistakenly) conclude that verses 11-18 are primarily about the Jews. While they certainly do apply immediately to the Jewish crowds, the PLACEMENT of the words suggest their primary application is to the multitudes calling themselves “Christianity” in the Gospel Age.
Verse 13 strongly suggests that those who don’t hear are a group TO WHOM SOMETHING IS GIVEN, but from whom nothing is expected. Since these words FOLLOW the Sower parable, it seems likely that they refer to the two groups of that parable who hear but don’t get the point.
And, the fact that (in Matthew) Jesus IMMEDIATELY gives the Wheat and Tares parable suggests, at least in one way, that he is RE-ENFORCING the concept that among those that “hear,” only some would understand and become real.
When, in verse 18, Jesus transitions from this intervening material to his explanation of the parable, his words are, “Hear THEN the parable of the sower” — almost as if to say, “if you didn’t recognize in the parable what I have just told you in these intervening verses, THEN LOOK AGAIN!”
Thus, once again, context becomes everything!
Verse 12 takes on this paraphrased meaning: “You who have understood will grow in the Holy Spirit and bear fruit. Those who have not gained understanding from the Gospel Message will lose even what they thought they had.”
Connections to Ephesus
We have noted that this Sower parable has its primary connection to the first Church period, in that Jesus and his Apostles sowed the seed for the age.
In Revelation 2:1-7 we find the Lord’s words to the Ephesus “angel” (the Apostle Paul). Within these verses there are five possible “hints” that connect the Church to the parable:
- In verse 1, Jesus states that he holds the “seven stars.” Thus in the Ephesus message, the teachers for all seven Churches are In the parable, the seed for all seven Church periods is sown.
- In verses 2 and 6, Jesus makes mention of evil or false In the parable he shows two classes who, while a part of the “Christendom” that would grow, are not spirit-begotten and who, consequently, are false Christians.
- In verse 3, Jesus praises perseverance and not growing weary. This well corresponds to his praise in the parable for the class that perseveres in fruit-
- In verses 4 and 5, the Ephesus Church is warned that it lost its “first love.” In the parable, the Great Multitude loses its first priority — fruit-bearing.
- In verse 7, but common in all Church messages, are the words about “having an ear.” These words are in the first parable in all of its three accounts.
In the “first seal” description (Revelation 6:2), we have Jesus going out and conquering. This may well be the successful spreading of the Gospel seed shown in the parable.