The Kingdom Of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven

Q: In the parable of the farmer and the seeds, the birds

• a. ate the insects that were damaging the crops.
• b. ate the seeds.
• c. took the seeds and scattered them elsewhere.

Jesus used many parables when teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. He told stories about everyday things in order to teach spiritual truths about God’s Kingdom. The people who were open to the things of God would understand, but those who rejected Jesus’ teaching would only hear the earthly story, not the spiritual truth.

Matthew 13 records seven parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. According to the parables, the Kingdom of Heaven is like soil and seeds, sprouting weeds, a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price, and a fishing net.

First Jesus told a parable about four kinds of soil. A farmer went out to sow his seeds. Some fell along the path and were eaten by birds. Some fell in rocky places with little soil so they sprang up quickly, but then scorched and withered because they didn’t have deep roots. Some seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced an abundant crop. All of the seeds were good, but not all of them produced a crop.

When Jesus told this story, he was talking about how people receive his message. Some people are too shallow to receive the gospel, and some are too hard hearted. Some are too distracted by other things, but some are ready to hear and believe.

For You

Has God’s Word taken root in your heart? Are you sowing the seeds of the gospel in your friends’ lives? Some of them won’t be ready to receive it, but others will be ready, and the truth will grow in their hearts.

Answer: b

[Jesus] told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.”   Matthew 13:3-4

(The Whole Story: Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8:1-18)