New Testament Stories

 The Sower

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "behold the sower went out to sow." Matthew 3:13

                              Here is a story Jesus told. A farmer went out to sow seeds. As he threw the seeds, some of them fell along the path. Hungry birds came along and ate them up.

     Some other seeds fell where the ground was rocky. These started to grow right away. But they could not get enough water because their roots were not deep. Soon the hot sun made them wilt and die.

     Thorny weeds grew where some of the seeds fell. Some of the seeds started to grow, but the weeds grew faster. They choked the new plants, and they died.

     Some of the seeds fell on good ground. These grew and got tall, and gave grain. Some gave thirty or sixty grains on a stalk. Some gave a hundred grains.

     Here is what the story means. When someone hears God's word about the kingdom of heaven but doesn't understand, the devil comes and grabs it away. This is like the seeds that fell on the path that was eaten by birds.

     Some people hear God's word and are joyful. But when trouble comes, they give up. This is like the seeds that fell on the rocky ground and didn't have good roots.

     Some people hear God's word, but they can't give up worrying about money and other things. So they never live God's way. This is like the seeds that fell into the thorny weeds.

     But people who hear God's word and understand it are like the seeds that fell on the good ground. These grew thirty, or sixty or even a hundred grains on a stalk.