“The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field” (Matthew 13:44).

Have you ever led small children on a treasure hunt, where the treasure is a little Bible verse, a promise from God, or a parable they can understand? It makes for a fun, enjoyable “nature-day Sabbath.”

In Matthew 13:1-58 we find many such treasures. In the simple parable of the sower, Christ taught many important truths - truths that even the disciples did not at first understand. As we continue to dig for truth as for hid treasure, we become excited as little children going on a treasure hunt. What we have uncovered in our search, in all our digging for truth, we now submit to you for scrutiny, for evaluation, and for the pure sake of the truth.

“[Jesus] spake many things unto [great multitudes] in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold” (Matthew 13:3-8).

“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow’ (Verse 3, New Revised Standard Version).

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Verse 9).

Many times as a child, I heard from an adult the word “Listen!” When I grew up and I in turn have children, I often told them to “Listen!” When our children grew up, they in turn have children, and guess what? The same word comes out of their mouth: “Listen!” God is here trying to tell us something! Something so important that Jesus came in person to this planet to tell us this parable, to make sure we got this message!

In 18 Bible verses we see the words “Let him hear,” not always about the same subject. So it is in life, when we want others to listen to us.

My dear friends, should we listen? Should we hear what the Spirit says to the church? (See Revelation 2:11.)

Jesus came to this world to give us a message, the same message He wanted His followers to give, but how can we give a message if we do not understand it?

We are to work as He worked - yet how did He work? Jesus taught in parables about the things in nature. Do we do this? Do we understand the parables that He taught? Do we know what He taught in His parables?

Have you wondered why Jesus taught in parables? The servant of the Lord explains: “In Christ’s parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly; God was made manifest in the likeness of men. So it was in Christ’s teaching: the unknown was illustrated by the known; divine truths by earthly things with which the people were most familiar.”1

Notice, He came “that we might become acquainted with His divine character and life.”

Notice, “In Christ’s parable teaching, the same principle is seen.”

Notice, “The unknown was illustrated by the known.”

What lessons did Jesus teach? What was His textbook? Where was His classroom?

In Matthew 13:1-58 we find a field for exploration. The servant of the Lord explains:

“It had been an eventful day in the life of Jesus. Beside the Sea of Galilee He had spoken His first parables, by familiar illustrations again explaining to the people the nature of His kingdom and the manner in which it was to be established. He had likened His own work to that of the sower; the development of His kingdom to the growth of the mustard seed, and the effect of leaven in the measure of meal. The great final separation of the righteous and the wicked He had pictured in the parables of the wheat and tares and the fishing net. The exceeding preciousness of the truths He taught had been illustrated by the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, while in the parable of the householder He taught His disciples how they were to labor as His representatives.”2

In His life, death, and resurrection, the Master taught attention to details!

In this study, we will be paying attention to details, some seemingly insignificant details.

Farming techniques and principles were well known in the time of Christ!

“Study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools. This is the very first work that should be entered upon.”3

In Matthew 13:18, 19, Jesus said, “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.” (The seed=the Word of God.)

It is not only the hearing, but also the understanding of what Jesus taught that is so important! How do we understand the parable of the sower?

“Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow. . . . He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:3, 9).

The disciples did not understand. Do we?

The same story is related in Luke 8:5-8. “And [Jesus’] disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?” (Verse 9).

Now, if the disciples did not understand - those men who walked and talked with Jesus daily, who ate of the loaves and fishes with Him and experienced the miracles - if they did not comprehend, how can we?

We’ve been told that if we don’t understand, the devil will catch away the seed (the word of God).

In Mark 4:13, Jesus said, “Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”

We must hear! We must understand! May the Lord help us!

To think that this parable is mostly about the sower is to blame Jesus for crop failure! Impossible! Neither is it about the seed, because the seed is the Word of God! That never changes! The results of the sowing are variable. Some yielded 30-fold, some 60-fold, some 100-fold.

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:8, NIV).

If my math is right, 30-fold would be 30 times the initial investment, or a 3,000% increase, 60-fold would likewise be a 6,000% increase, now watch this, 100 times the initial investment would equal a 10,000% increase!

300%-100% (initial investment) = 200%. Congratulations, you just had a twofold increase. If that one sheep could have 30 lambs, that would be 100% x 30 = 3,000%!

This rate of return is only from the good ground! The other ground is having crop failure!

Why do we call this the parable of the sower? Because we’ve been taught to call it by that name. Well then, what is this parable about? Again, the servant of the Lord explains.

“That with which the parable of the sower chiefly deals is the effect produced on the growth of the seed by the soil into which it is cast. By this parable Christ was virtually saying to His hearers, ‘It is not safe for you to stand as critics of My work, or to indulge disappointment because it does not meet your ideas. The question of greatest importance to you is, How do you treat My message? Upon your reception or rejection of it your eternal destiny depends.”4

Brethren and sisters, if my eternal destiny depends upon my reception or rejection of Christ’s Word, then I want to understand it!

What is this parable about? What makes the good ground good? It’s the same dirt all through the field! Think about it! The weeds grow in the same dirt as the grain. Over there where the rocks are, it is still the same dirt. Why the difference, even in the “good ground”? How can I increase the productivity of my good ground? Have we really valued this parable as a learning, teaching tool?

So, what do you think? Should we take a closer look at this parable? After all, this involves your destiny, your salvation. Let us keep this vital topic in our mind, that the soil of our heart may truly be prepared to receive the blessings God has in store for each of us!