Gospel of Matthew 13:1-23 - "Faith Is The Key"

A parable is not a fantasy story, but is literally, something “cast alongside” something else. Jesus’ parables were stories that were “cast alongside” a truth in order to illustrate that truth, with a hidden meaning. They are stories meant for every Spirit filled believer who has eyes to see, and ears to hear. The Parable of the Sower is recorded in three of the four biblical Gospels – Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:1-15. The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God. Jesus used this analogy in the Parable of the Sower. The soil that the seed fell on represents four categories of hearers' hearts, four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart. “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” That which falls on good soil represents those who hear the word of the kingdom, understand it, and produce fruit for the harvest.