A parable is a simple story, using earthly imagery to teach spiritual truth.

Matthew 13:1-2
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.

Matthew 13:3-9
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear."

Matthew 13:10-17
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Parables have a two-fold purpose: to reveal the truth to those who wanted to know it and to conceal the truth from those who were indifferent.

Mark 4:34
34 Jesus did not speak to them [the crowds] without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Matthew 13:18-23
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Mark 4:10
And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.

Mark 4:13
And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Luke 8:11
The parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Matthew 7:24-27
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man [...] And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be a like a foolish man...

The Bible tells us to...
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)
You will recognize them by their fruit. (Matthew 7:15-20)
Remain in Jesus and bear much fruit. (John 15:5)
Abandon the works of the flesh and pursue and produce the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5)

“Rather than merely transmitting information, Jesus’ stories allow us to participate in learning by interpreting them for ourselves using other passages of Scripture as well as the wisdom of our tradition and those who have gone before us. They invite us to see ourselves in them, often in ways that change depending on our particular circumstances at the moment. That in turn makes stories something we can learn from not just once but time and time again.… Jesus’ parables ask us to dive more deeply into the questions, to wrestle with the parable again and again.” – Faith Beyond Youth Group

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Where do you see yourself in this story? Which soil are you?

Discussion Questions:
1) Why do you think Jesus chose to use the imagery of a sower and seeds to convey his message?

2) Which type of soil do you identify with the most in your own life? Why?

3) Can you recall a time when you felt like the seed that fell on rocky ground or among thorns? How did you deal with it?

4) How do you cultivate your heart to be like the good soil that produces a fruitful harvest?

5) What practical steps can you take to avoid being like the soil on the path, where the seed is quickly taken away?

6) In what ways can you remove 'thorns' from your life that choke your spiritual growth?

7) How can you encourage others to become like the good soil and produce a fruitful harvest?

8) How does this parable challenge the way we approach sharing the Gospel with others?

9) What insights does this parable give about the different responses people have to Jesus' message?

10) In Mark 4:13 Jesus says, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” How does understanding this parable help in understanding other parables of Jesus?