========================
Matthew 13:18-23
========================
3Then he told them many
things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4As he was scattering the
seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5Some fell on rocky places,
where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was
shallow.
6But when the sun came up,
the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among
thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8Still other seed fell on
good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.
…
----------------------------------------
18“Listen then to what the
parable of the sower means:
19When anyone hears the message
about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches
away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20The seed falling on rocky
ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21But since they have no
root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of
the word, they quickly fall away.
22The seed falling among the
thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the
deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
23But the seed falling on
good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the
one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was
sown.”
----------------------------------------
1)
Are verses 3 to 8
included in VisionCasting-Matthew13.1-9?
o
Yes.
2)
Why are verses 3 to
8 included here?
o
They are included
here to provide continuity of context.
3)
What are verses 3
to 8 for?
o
They are the
parable of the sower.
4)
What are verses 18
to 23 for?
o
They are Jesus’
explanation for the parable of the sower.
5)
How does the
sower exercise their judgment of the productivity of the recipients when sowing
the word?
o
They do not
exercise any judgment when sowing the word.
6)
What do the birds
stand for if we take into account verses 4 and 19?
o
The birds stand
for
§
The evil one.
§
Or Satan.
7)
In accordance
with verse 19 what is the response of people who are like seed sown along the
path upon hearing the word?
o
They simply
reject it.
8)
What does the
scorching of the sun stand for if we take
into account verses 6 and 21?
o
The scorching of
the sun
stands for trouble or persecution that comes
because of the word.
9)
What happens to
those who are like seed sown on rocky places, being subjected to the scorching
of the sun and withered?
o
They
§
Hear the word.
§
And at once
receive it with joy.
o
They last only a
short time.
o
Since
o
They have no root.
o
They quickly fall away.
o
When
o
Trouble or
persecution comes because of the word.
10)
Do worries of
this life and the deceitfulness of wealth consume our emotion?
o
Yes.
11)
What personal
resource is squandered when we succumb to the worries of this life and the
deceitfulness of wealth?
o
Our emotional
resource is squandered.
12)
How do the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, given that
our emotional resource provides the drive for us to take action in obedience to
the word?
o
They choke the
word by chronically depleting our emotional resource.
o
Such that
o
We lack the drive
to take action in obedience to the word.
13)
Are people who
are like seed sown on good soil subject to all the problems faced by
unproductive recipients of the word?
o
Yes.
14)
What qualities of
people who are like seed sown on good soil enable them to be productive for the
word, given that they need to overcome all the problems faced by unproductive
recipients of the word?
o
They are
productive for the word because they
§ Hear the word and understand it.
§ Have root to withstand trouble and persecution that comes
because of the word.
§
And do not
squander their emotional resource on
Ø
The worries of
this life.
Ø
And the
deceitfulness of wealth.
15)
What can we
conclude about the sower’s knowledge of the productivity of the recipients of
the word both at the time of sowing and at harvest time?
o
The sower
§
Had no knowledge
of the productivity of recipients of the word at the time of sowing.
§
And secured full
knowledge only at harvest time.
16)
What is the the
sower’s motivation for sowing far and wide and indiscriminately?
o
To ensure getting
at the good soil for a harvest.
17)
In accordance
with verse 8 does the parable refer to one single sowing only, given that one
single sowing would only bring about one single crop yield in the parable?
o
No, the parable
refers to multiple sowings.
o
Because
o
There are
multiple crop yields in the parable.
18)
What conclusion
about the degree of availability of the good soil can we draw from the parable?
o
The good soil
§
Is always there.
§
And constitutes the
minority recipients of the word.
19)
What conclusion
about the degree of availability of unproductive recipients of the word can we
draw from the parable?
o
The unproductive
recipients of the word
§
Are always there.
§
And constitute the
majority recipients.
========================
Matthew 13:18-23
========================