Secrets of the Kingdom
And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. Matthew 13:3 · Berean Standard Bible
Jesus started teaching through stories, beginning with this one: a farmer went out to scatter his seed.
Parables are Jesus' favorite teaching method -- using everyday images to unlock deep spiritual truths. This one is about how people respond differently to God's message.
Jesus begins telling parables.
Jesus opens with a story every farmer in the crowd would relate to. A man goes out to plant seed. Simple on the surface, but underneath lies a powerful truth about the human heart.
Jesus begins speaking 'in parables' (en parabolais), opening with the parable of the sower (ho speiron): a farmer (speiron) went out to sow (speirai) his seed, introducing the dominant agricultural metaphor of this discourse.
The Greek parabole derives from 'throwing alongside' -- placing a familiar image alongside a spiritual truth. This first parable establishes the theme of varying responses to the kingdom message that will dominate the chapter.
Jesus begins teaching in parables.
Jesus launches His parable discourse with the foundational story of a sower scattering seed, a common agricultural scene that His rural Galilean audience would immediately recognize.
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.
2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
Read all of Matthew 13 — A farmer scatters seed, a woman hides yeast, a merchant finds a pearl. Jesus teaches in parables — and not everyone is meant to understand.
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