“A sower went out to sow.” Many will recognize this as the opening line of one of Jesus’ most familiar parables. Versions of it appear in all three synoptic gospels: Matthew 13:3-8; Mark 4:3-8; and Luke 8:5-8. Jesus lived in an agricultural society and illustrated his teaching with examples with which his listeners would be familiar. Other well-known references to seeds and planting include the parables of the Mustard Seed, the Wheat and the Tares (weeds), and the Growing Seed.
