Matthew 13:3-23
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
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.
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.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
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.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
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.
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.
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.
The Grace New Testament Commentary - Mathew 13:18-23
13:18-19 With the explanation of the first parable came a renewed exhortation to hear with a view to understanding and submitting to its truth (cf. v 9). Jesus explains the symbols in "the parable of the sower" to the disciples. Thus He gives a model for interpreting the other parables He spoke (cf. vv 36-43). Jesus had come sowing "the word of the kingdom." One question that would naturally arise is, "Why was Jesus' ministry not more fruitful?" And the answer would be that productivity is determined by receptivity, and receptivity is a matter of the heart. For the disciples, who would continue the activity of sowing that Jesus had begun, the unstated problem or question Jesus answers is, "What are we to do and expect during the time of the King's absence which extends from His rejection until His second coming?" The answer is that they are to sow "the word of the kingdom" in the hearts of those who would hear. In so doing, they could expect four different reactions to the message. These responses would reveal the heart condition of those to whom it is preached.
Jesus explains that the four soils symbolize four responses the disciples may expect from their preaching the word. Not all preaching would be productive, but some would. The Parable of the Sower would guard the disciples against any unrealistic expectations, but it would also offer encouragement that their work would not be in vain. Some hearers would be uninterested, and so in their hearts "the word" would not germinate. They would hear, but "not understand," and hence not believe (cf. Luke 8:12). The birds represent "the wicked one," Satan, who "snatches away what was sown in his heart." Clearly, this first type of soil represents the unsaved.
13:20-22 Impulsive hearers would manifest life, but would experience no real productivity. In their hearts "the word" would be readily received. However, such a person "endures only for a while" until problems arise. Since truth did not take firm root in his heart, it would not brace the recipient against the forces that would come against it. Therefore defection could be expected. While many commentators say the second soil represents another type of unbeliever, that view is untenable because the seed sprang up (v 5), and clearly germination must precede springing up! Luke 8:13 specifically says that this person believed the saving message for a time. Sadly, apostasy is possible for born-again people. Of course, everlasting life, once it has germinated, is everlasting - even if the faith later fails.
Then there are the distracted hearers. Their hearts' interest is deflected away from God toward seductive material and worldly pursuits (Matt 13:22). "The cares of this world" refer to the worries or excessive concerns of this life. "The deceitfulness of riches" refers to the false security offered by the accumulation of temporal wealth (cf. Luke 12:15-21). Riches may promise fulfillment, but they fail to deliver. The result of the worldly distractions is that the person "becomes unfruitful." The believer represented by this soil perseveres in faith, but his works are not brought to maturity (cf. Luke 8:14).
13:23 Fourth, there are the ready and faithful hearers, represented by "the good ground." These individuals exhibit different degrees of commitment and giftedness, hence they manifest varying levels of productivity and their hearts bear varying proportions of mature fruit. Any lack of results is due not to a defect in the divine message but to the condition of the hearers. The disciples' preaching, like that of Christ's words, would not win everyone, but on the other hand it would not be fruitless.
Charles Bing - Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship - Parable of the Soils, Luke 8:4-8, 11-15 (cf. Matt. 13:1-9, Mark 4:2-20)
(Salvation) Interpretation: The parable teaches that there are some who profess Christ but are not truly saved, or they are saved but lose their salvation because they do not go on to bear fruit.
(Discipleship) Interpretation: The parable teaches that there are some who believe and do not go on to produce fruit and some who do.
This is the first of Christ's parables, and it is intended to explain the purpose of all parables and show how people respond to God's truth. Jesus uses parables to enlighten those who are receptive to the truth and to obscure it from those who are not receptive to it. Christ explains this purpose before He interprets the parable for his disciples (Matt. 13:10-17; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10). In the larger context of the preceding chapters 11-12, the leaders of Israel have rejected Christ's teaching, and He has condemned them. He now speaks truth they will not comprehend, but His followers will. If Jesus is compared to the sower, the seed sown is truth about His claims as Israel's Messiah, which is the issue in the context.
There is no disagreement that the first soil, which has its seed snatched away by the birds representing the devil, represents those who were never saved. Luke helps us in this interpretation by adding that these are people from whom the devil keeps the truth "lest they should believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12). Neither is there much disagreement about the fourth soil that represents those who accept the truth and continue in it to bear fruit (though some would say we cannot know if they are saved unless they produce fruit until the end of their lives).
Speaking of the first soil, Jesus demonstrates that salvation is based on believing. It is only in this first soil that no germination occurs because there is no belief. It is the second and third soils where interpretations diverge, because these two soils bear life implying there was belief. The second soil produces life, but it quickly withers because the soil is mostly rock with no moisture. The third soil also produces life, but thorns that represent the cares and pleasures of this life choke it. It is "unfruitful" according to Matthew and Mark (Matt. 13:22; Mark 4:19), but Luke is more ambiguous saying those represented "bring no fruit to maturity" (Luke 8:14). It is possible they have fruit, but it never matures. Do the second and third soils represent people who simply profess Christ as Savior, or were they truly saved?
We observe several things that help our interpretation. First, both soils demonstrate the presence of life, as opposed to the first soil that never demonstrates life because the devil does not allow the truth to reach their hearts. This would argue that the truth reaches the hearts of the second and third groups and divine life is brought forth. Luke clearly says that the second group "receive the word with joy... who believe for a while" (Luke 8:13). The issue is not the sincerity of their faith, but its duration. The third group also shows life, but it is choked out - not out of existence, but out of fruitfulness.
The (Discipleship) interpretation makes more sense because the issue the parable illustrates is not perseverance unto salvation, but perseverance unto fruitfulness. Some people who believe in Christ do not go on to be very fruitful. The reason is the nature of their hearts. Those who go on to fruitfulness have hearts that remain responsive to God's truth, so responsive that challenges and distractions to their faith do not prevent growth to fruitful maturity.
The parable reveals important truth to believers: Everyone has the opportunity to respond to God's truth, and He desires everyone who responds to His truth to persevere in faith for a fruitful life. The reality is, many are distracted by trials that challenge their faith, or distractions of worldly pleasures that choke out strong growth. It is a lesson for us to stay in the truth of God's Word and to monitor our own hearts so that we are always responsive to what God says.