Chapter 2—“The Sower Went Forth to Sow”
This chapter is based on
Matthew 13:1-9
;
Matthew 13:18-23
;
Mark
4:1-20
;
Luke 8:4-15
.
The Sower and the Seed
By the parable of the sower, Christ illustrates the things of the
kingdom of heaven, and the work of the great Husbandman for His
people. Like a sower in the field, He came to scatter the heavenly grain
of truth. And His parable teaching itself was the seed with which the
most precious truths of His grace were sown. Because of its simplicity
the parable of the sower has not been valued as it should be. From
the natural seed cast into the soil, Christ desires to lead our minds to
the gospel seed, the sowing of which results in bringing man back
to his loyalty to God. He who gave the parable of the tiny seed is
the Sovereign of heaven, and the same laws that govern earthly seed
sowing govern the sowing of the seeds of truth.
By the Sea of Galilee a company had gathered to see and hear
Jesus—an eager, expectant throng. The sick were there, lying on
their mats, waiting to present their cases before Him. It was Christ’s
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God-given right to heal the woes of a sinful race, and He now rebuked
disease, and diffused around Him life and health and peace.
As the crowd continued to increase, the people pressed close about
Christ until there was no room to receive them. Then, speaking a word
to the men in their fishing boats, He stepped into the boat that was
waiting to take Him across the lake, and bidding His disciples push
off a little from the land, He spoke to the multitude upon the shore.
Beside the sea lay the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, beyond rose
the hills, and upon hillside and plain both sowers and reapers were
busy, the one casting seed and the other harvesting the early grain.
Looking upon the scene, Christ said—
“Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some
seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them”
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