MAT 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
MAT 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
MAT 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
MAT 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
MAT 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
MAT 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
MAT 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
MAT 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
MAT 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
MAT 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

    At the offset of our study, that point may not mean much to us, but it is a vital truth. Anyone that has heard more than two sermons has heard something about parables. Anyone who has read any of the gospels has read parables. But, what exactly is a parable? A parable is a simple story using objects and images taken from everyday life to convey truths about the kingdom of God. A parable is taking common accessible things and teaching the kingdom. Now, the part that is so vital in the fact that Jesus never taught without using parables is that he always made the kingdom relevant. Parables make the kingdom relevant! Parables make the kingdom at hand (Mat 4:17; Mat 10:17; Mar 1:15)and not far away, one day.
    Jesus did not use a different world nor a different earth nor a distant heaven to teach his kingdom. He used the things of this world and this earth to teach the kingdom. He showed the kingdom in everything. He found the kingdom in a tree. He showed the kingdom is in a seed. He found the kingdom in a vineyard.
    If I have eyes to see and if I have ears to hear, I can find the kingdom in farming - a sower went forth to sow seed. I can find the kingdom in a blind man leading a blind man. I can look at a coin and see the inscription and recognize the kingdom. I can see the kingdom of God in a patched pair of pants. I can find the kingdom in a mustard seed. I can see the kingdom in a tree full of birds. I can find the kingdom in making bread (leaven). I can find the kingdom in a pearl. I can see the kingdom in fishing (cast net). I see the kingdom in filled barns. I can see the kingdom in the cornerstone of a building. I can see the kingdom in a wedding feast, or in something as simple as salt or light. I can see the kingdom in a loved but lost animal (lost sheep). I can see the kingdom in a barren fig tree or in a fig tree that is beginning to blossom. I can find the kingdom in a vineyard, or a piece of lost money, or in a wayward son, or in a jealous son. I can see the kingdom in a rich man, or in a poor man. I can see the kingdom in sheep or goats. I can find the kingdom in an unjust judge or in a slothful servant. I can find the kingdom in everything around me.
    I do not need to wait for something cataclysmic to happen to experience the kingdom of God. I do not even need Jesus to return again to planet earth to experience the kingdom of God because it is all around me. Perhaps one way of saying it is that the kingdom will not come in the natural (Luk 17:21) because it has already come in the natural.

WHY DID JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES TO THEM?
    In Matthew 13:10 we are told of the time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? They did not ask what is a parable. They asked the Lord why he spoke to the people in parables. The answer he gave is extremely interesting. The answer Jesus gave was basically so his disciples could have more.

SOME WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND
MAT 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
    Jesus said there are some people that simply will never grasp the mysteries of the kingdom. This does not mean they will go to hell when they die. It simply means they will never grasp (at hand) the mysteries of the kingdom. If they are sincere (and some are not) then it does not mean they are bad people. They are merely sincerely wrong. They are looking for a distant kingdom and one that is not at hand. They will never get it. However, his disciples have been given the opportunity to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The other's however, will never get it.
    I think sometimes we are still trying to decide if a present kingdom is true or not. We "teeter-totter" trying to decide. Let me tell you exactly what is happening in your life as you decide. You are losing what you have. Your finances are dwindling. Your health is declining. Your marriage is suffering. Your family is suffering. You are losing what you have. At the same time, those who are believing and swimming in the kingdom(Ezekiel's river) are increasing. Finances are increasing. Health is good. Family life is good and growing. Look at the next verse.

MAT 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
    But if I do get it (hath), if I can grasp the mysteries of the kingdom, I shall be given more abundance. If I can't get it, or refuse to get it (hath not), I will lose what I have. God is not taking it away. It is a principle. The person who understands the mysteries of the kingdom will experience abundance. Jesus said he had come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (Joh 10:10). Remember the question. The question was, Why do you talk to the people in parables? The answer is so you can have abundance. Understanding the parables, and applying the truths to our lives will add abundance.

MAT 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
    That was the reason Jesus spoke in parables. They can't see it. They can't hear it. They do not want to understand. Instead of arguing, Jesus would simply share a parable. No one can argue with a person going out to sow seed in a field. No one can argue that when the sower throws the seed, some seed will fall onto ground that has not been prepared - wayside soil. However, people will be offended and argue if you were to tell them they came to church unprepared to receive the teaching. The seed (word) is good, but the soil was unprepared. No one will argue that the sower will distribute some seed onto soil that has rocks and stones just under the surface. Though, a person will argue and be offended if the preacher was to tell that person that his or her life is shallow and there is no depth in anything they do. No one would argue, or be offended, if the preacher said that some of the seed fell upon soil that had thorns and weeds in it. Yet, people will be offended if you tell them they have people in their lives that are bad influences and choke them and keep them from being productive in the kingdom and having abundance. They will be offended if the preacher told them they are working too much to obtain money and the deceitfulness of riches are choking them and keeping them from obtaining the things of the kingdom. Jesus did not have time to argue with people, so he told parables. Jesus only had a few years to teach the kingdom. He did not want to spend time arguing and needing to mend hurt feelings. If a person had eyes to see and ears to hear, they could hear the message. If they would see and hear, they could apply the truths and experience abundance.

    In the next few verses, Jesus explained how blessed the disciples were to have the opportunity to hear what his disciples heard. Jesus said that Isaiah had spoken about these people. Though they were shown, they could not see it. Though they heard, they could not hear it. Though they thought they understood, they understood not (Mat 13:14, 15). Then Jesus told the disciples that they were blessed because they were hearing and seeing the kingdom (Mat 13:16). It is in this flow of answering their question, "Why did Jesus teach them in parables?" that Jesus suddenly reverts and says, Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower (Mat 13:17). It is thought the Lord says, "Now, with that understanding to why I speak to them in parables, hear the parable again."
    As I worked my way through these verses and absorbing the truth of them, I wanted to hear it again. I wanted to hear it again knowing it was a bout a relevant kingdom. I wanted to hear it again knowing that by hearing it correctly, I could have abundance. I want to end today by discussing the parable of the sower. It is obviously so attached to what the Lord is explaining to his disciples.
    Mark wrote in his gospel that Jesus had said concerning this parable, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? (Mar 4:13). Understanding this parable is a key to understanding all parables.
    We will look at the explanation of the parable given in Matthew 13:3-9. Jesus had told of a sower that sowed seed in a field. Some of the seed fell on the way side where the birds ate it immediately. Some seed fell upon stony soil and did sprout, but could not last because it had not depth of roots to receive nourishment. Some of the seed fell among thorns and grew, but was choked by the thorns. Some seed fell into good ground. This brought a harvest. Some plants produced a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

MAT 13:18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
MAT 13:19 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. This is he which received seed by the way side.
    The seed fell upon a place where there was no preparation. This is not only speaking of the "lost." It is also speaking of believers who do not prepare their hearts and minds before the word of the Lord is sown. We must prepare our minds and hearts to receive the word. With this person, there has been no prayer, no praise, no reading, no worship, no forgiveness, etc. A critical attitude abides. This person cannot receive the word of the Lord, nor see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom. The wicked one snatches away (Strong's 0726 harpazo {har-pad'-zo}). The word is not only removed, but it is removed with violence and by force. What the person has indeed will depreciate and he or she will have less. Without preparation, we will never get it and we will lose what we have.

MAT 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
MAT 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
    This soil, or person, gobbles up the word (anon - sugar apple). It is not that the word was not deep or that the person did not have depth in the word. The problem is the person has no root in himself. The person has not root or depth in anything. Their life is shallow. They are "flakes." They cannot keep a job. A little trouble at work and they quit. They can't keep a spouse. A little trouble comes along and they quit. They cannot accomplish anything. They are not successful. They respond that same way to the word. When the first little problem comes to the place they are receiving their nutrition, they are out of there. So, they wither and dry up because they have nothing to draw from. They will never get it and they will eventually lose what they have.

MAT 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
    This person finds himself or herself among thorns. This person can hear the word, but the thorns . . . They have prepared. They have depth and are successful. But, the thorns choke the word. They begin to care what the world thinks or says. They allow people to choke them. They find their self listening to thorns. The word and church were good, but they found they had fallen into thorns. Also, there is the deceitfulness of riches that they fall into. Something involving money chokes the time when they should be receiving the word and the mysteries of the kingdom. They struggle for life. They even recognize they are being choked, but the thorns . . . They, too, find they are decreasing and not increasing. Again, the abundance is taken.

MAT 13:23 BUT he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
    Here is to whom the Lord is really speaking. This person has prepared the heart and mind. This person has developed depth in their life. This person avoids the choking of people and money. In this soil the seed produces. There are increase and abundance. They hear and do the word. They build their house on the rock (Mat 7). They experience a constant upward life of abundance. They grasp the mysteries of the kingdom of God. These are the people to whom that the Lord is actually speaking.