2. Parable of the Sower

Question 1

1. Meaning

Answer 1

• Seed: represents the Word of God
• Soil: represents the personality of the people who listen to this preaching

• Path: represents people who are not interested in the Word of God.
- Due to ignorance, selfishness, or the Devil’s temptation

• Rocky Ground: shallow people who are attracted to Christianity because of its novelty value but miss out on the deeper meaning
• Thorns: worldly pressures (e.g. jobs, family) that stop people from prioritizing Christianity

• Good Soil: represents the ideal listeners
- Attentive, deep and prioritise their faith (they put their faith into practice)

Question 2

2. Implications

Answer 2

• Parable fits in well with the idea of salvation-history

• No reference to apocalypse / Parousia
• Kingdom exists inside the hearts of believers

• JC concludes parable by echoing Isaiah

• Predicts some will never understand his message (path / rocky ground)
• Wrede’s theory of Messianic Secret. (Jesus deliberately speaks in confusing parables because he doesn’t want ordinary people to understand it)

• Luke’s Readers: would understand they are the good soil
- Other types represent former-Christians who received word with joy but who have drifted.

• Parable describes importance of persevering for a Christian Church
• This supports Conzelmann’s salvation history
• However, story is present in other Synoptics so supports Marshall’s view that Luke did not alter it.

Question 3

3. Summary

Answer 3

1. Meaning

2. Implications