For Best Results

Parable of the Sower

[Jesus] taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed… – Mark 4:2-3

“Jesus often taught using parables, which are stories that illustrate a spiritual lesson. One such story is the parable of the sower. This parable speaks of the power and life contained in the seed, which represents the Word of God. It also describes the different kinds of soil in which the seed is sown, which symbolize the preparedness of the human heart to receive the seed. The lesson applies not only to how people become Christians but to all of the stages of life. The seed is sown by the sower, or farmer, who is the preacher or evangelist or any Christian who shares the Word of God. The parable uses imagery to explain why the seed, or the Word, can’t thrive when it stays on the surface, is not embraced by the heart, and ends up being stolen by Satan (the seed that falls along the path and is eaten by the birds); or when there is a blockage preventing the roots from going down deep enough to withstand the persecution and hard times that come because of the Word (the seed that falls on rocky places); or when it is choked by the cares of life and the heart’s desire for riches (the seed that falls among thorns). For best results, we have to prepare our hearts to be good, fertile ground, so that the Word we have received might yield fruit for our spiritual growth, for the furtherance of God’s kingdom and for the glory of God.” – Pastor Cymbala

  1. Read the parable of the sower and Jesus’ explanation of the parable in Mark 4:3-20.
  2. What does the seed symbolize in the parable?
  3. Whom does the sower represent?
  4. Explain in your own words the meaning of the different kinds of soil.
  5. Ask the Lord to prepare your heart to receive and embrace his Word every single day.