Hello chosen ones of God,
Today, let’s continue exploring the parable of the sower, specifically looking at the sower himself:
“The sower sows the word.”
— Mark 4:14
In this section of the narrative, Jesus is giving His disciples the explanation of the parable of the sower.
The Sower
So far, we see that not much information is given in the parable itself about who the sower is. The sower is not identified by name, tribe, place of origin, ethnicity, gender, or otherwise. The one thing we know for sure about the sower is his vocation—that he sows seeds:
“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;”
— Mark 4:3
The sower is merely identified by what he does. He goes out to the field and sows seed.
Similarly, believers are called to go out into the world and plant the seed, which is the Word of God, into people’s hearts. We see the apostle Paul using a similar analogy in his epistle to the Corinthians:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:6
As believers in Christ Jesus, we are identified by our vocation, and the core calling we have is to glorify our Lord by making known His marvelous works. The apostle Peter gives a similar exhortation to the Christians scattered in the dispersion:
“But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
— 1 Peter 2:9
Peter expresses the wonderful blessings that come to believers after being saved, and then immediately shifts to the core purpose of their salvation—to proclaim the excellencies of God who called them. Furthermore, Peter says believers were called into the marvelous light of God from darkness.
This is the core message of the gospel. The Greek word translated as “gospel” literally means “good news.” The excellencies of God are the good news found in the gospel message.
In the gospel, we learn that we were dead in our sins, yet God, being rich in mercy, saved us by grace and transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son, all through faith in Christ.
The believer is identified by what he does, and what he does is proclaim the excellencies of God. In his second letter to the Church of God in Corinth, Paul identifies believers as new creations and ambassadors of Christ:
“So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:20
Paul’s exhortation embodies the purpose of the sower. He is not identified by anything else other than what he does, which is to proclaim the Word of God in everything to glorify Him.
It’s important to understand that this act of proclaiming the Word of God is not limited to specific times and places when we preach the gospel; it ought to be reflected in every aspect of our lives. When anyone looks at the life of a believer, they should see the excellencies of God. The sowing of the Word is not only through speaking but also through our lifestyle and conduct.
The Seed
Another thing we learn about the sower is the particular seed he sows. Jesus tells His disciples that the sower sows the Word. What is implied here is that the seed sown is the Word of God.
It’s also implied that the sower had the seed. The sower possessed the seed he was sowing. In other words, had the sower not had the seed, he would be unable to sow. Furthermore, the identity of the sower is interlinked with his practice of sowing the seed.
As believers, we need to understand the Word of God. It shouldn’t just be head knowledge; the Word of God must saturate our minds to the extent that it drips down into our hearts, convicting us so we walk in accordance with it.
Paul’s prayer for the church in Colossae expresses this clearly. He prays for them to come to the full knowledge of God’s will in order to walk in His ways:
“For this reason also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God;”
— Colossians 1:9-10
As believers, we may find it challenging to share the Word of God with others. There are many reasons why someone might hesitate, but one main reason is either inadequate knowledge of the Word or a lack of conviction that the Word of God is true and powerful enough to save those around them.
Look at the example of the Samaritan woman in John 4. The very first thing she did after learning about Christ was to tell her whole village:
“So the woman left her water jar, and went into the city and said to the men, ‘Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; is this not the Christ?’ They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.”
— John 4:28-30
As believers, we should be so excited about our salvation that we can’t hold back from sharing this wonderful truth with the world. The apostles had this attitude—even as they faced trials and suffering, their core desire was to preach the gospel to all nations. The psalmist expresses a similar drive:
“I will surely recount Your name to my brothers;
In the midst of the assembly, I will praise You.”
— Psalm 22:22“I proclaim good news of righteousness in the great assembly;
Behold, I do not restrain my lips,
O Yahweh, You know.”
— Psalm 40:9
As believers, we should be eager to sow the seed—the Word of God—into the hearts of people. Like the psalmist, we should never restrain our lips from sowing this beautiful seed.
I pray that, as believers, we will not shy away from doing our work as sowers of the Word.
Be strong and courageous.
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