The Sower

A farmer went out to sow his seed.
As he was scattering the seed,
some fell along the path;
it was trampled on,
and the birds of the air ate it up.

Some fell on the rock,
and when it came up,
the plants withered
because they had no moisture.

Other seed fell among the thorns,
which grew up with it and chocked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil.
It came up and yielded a crop,
a hundred times more than was sown.

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said,

The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables...This is the meaning of the parable.

The seed is the word of God.
Those along the path are the ones who hear,
and then the devil comes
and takes away the word from their hearts,
so that they may not believe and be saved.

Those on the rock are the ones
who received the word with joy when they hear it,
but they have no root.
They believe for a while,
but in the time of testing they fall away.

The seed that fell among thorns
stands for those who hear,
but as they go on their way
they are choked by life's worries,
riches, and pleasures,
and they do not mature.

But the seed on good soil
stands for those with a noble and good heart,
who hear the word,
retain it, and by persevering
produce a crop.

Luke 8