Friday, February 17, 2012

The Sower and the Seed

“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.