Jesus begins teaching in parables, stories used to teach spiritual lessons, beginning with “The Sower”. Jesus was using what they knew, primarily farming terms, as a way of giving understanding about the Kingdom of Heaven.
A sower is sowing seed on different kinds of soil, yielding different outcomes.
The crowd doesn’t understand, and the disciples question Jesus about why He teaches in parables.
Why isn’t He more straightforward? Jesus paints a picture of a people who don’t see what is right before their eyes and who don’t listen to what they are hearing. They have just seen the sick and demon possessed healed, and still aren’t certain of who this healer is.
Jesus explains the parable to the disciples: The sower is a generous God who isn’t skimpy with His seed. The seed is the message of the Kingdom, the good news of the Messiah, the promised Savior of God’s people.