Matthew 13:1-23, “How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom,” introduces Jesus’ teaching in parables after redefining true family through obedience to the Father. The parable of the sower shows that spiritual understanding depends on the condition of the heart, not natural position or proximity. Some hearts resist and lose what they hear, while others receive, understand, and bear fruit. Growth follows hearing rightly, understanding deeply, and allowing the Word to work within the heart.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
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Scriptures used in this lesson:
Matthew 12:46-47, Matthew12:48-50, Mark 3:21-22, Mark 3:31-34, Matthew 13:1-23, Matthew 13:1-3, Matthew 13:10, Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:12, Matthew 13:13, Isaiah 6:9-10, Matthew 13:17, Matthew 13:3, Matthew 10:40, Matthew 13:4, Matthew 13:19, Mark 4:15, Luke 8:12, Revelation 12:9, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Revelation 22:4, Matthew 13:5, Matthew 13:6, Matthew 13:21, Matthew 13:7, Matthew 13:22, Matthew 13:8, Matthew 13:23, Hebrews 4:12, 1 John 2:12-14, Deuteronomy 16:16, Jude 1:3, Ephesians 1:13, Luke 17:20-21,
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Introduction to Matthew 13:1–23
Today, we examine Matthew 13:1-23, a substantial and important section. I have extensive notes on these verses alone, which demonstrate how much is packed into them. Before moving forward, I want to briefly touch on something from the previous chapter so the context is clear. I will not re-teach last week’s material; I will highlight it sufficiently so that everyone can recognize it when it comes up again.
The passage I am referring to is Matthew 12:46-47.
Matthew 12:46-47
46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
In that moment, Jesus is speaking to the people when His mother and brothers arrive and ask to speak with Him. Someone tells Jesus that His family is standing outside looking for Him.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew12:48-50
48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Jesus responds by asking who His mother and brothers really are. This moment is important because it sets up a shift in focus from natural relationships to spiritual ones, which directly leads into what He teaches next.
That background helps frame Matthew 13:1-23, where Jesus begins teaching in parables. What He is about to say builds on the idea that spiritual understanding, not natural position or proximity, determines who truly hears and receives what God is saying.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
If you remember that chapter, Jesus has just been called Beelzebub. The Pharisees are saying that He casts out devils by the power of the devil, and if He is not the devil Himself, then He is working by the devil’s power. That entire section centers on the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12:31-32, which is attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan.
As the chapter continues, Jesus is sitting inside a house, and the report that He has been called Beelzebub spreads. Mark 3:21-22 and Mark 3:31-34 describe how His relatives come looking for Him because they believe He is beside Himself. That phrase means they thought He was out of His mind or not in control of Himself. Hearing what was being said about Him, His family responds naturally. They come to protect Him, to pull Him away from the Pharisees who now want to kill Him, and to remove Him from the crowds pressing in on Him.
Mark 3:21-22
21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Here is Mark’s version of this.
Mark 3:31-34
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
As they come to Jesus and ask who His mother, brothers, and sisters are, He looks at the people and His disciples and identifies them as His true family. He defines His mother, sisters, and brothers as those who do the will of the Lord in Matthew 12:50. That truth is critical for us to understand today because spiritual relationships transcend natural blood ties.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
I know that principle is true. I have a natural sister whom I love, but I also have brothers, sisters, and mothers in the Lord whom I can honestly say I love deeply. That does not diminish natural love. It simply recognizes that love in the Spirit goes beyond love in the natural. Jesus makes this clear again in Matthew 12:50, where He defines true family by obedience to the Father’s will.
It is a blessing when natural relatives worship together in church. Still, what Jesus teaches here is that relationships in the body of Christ, when properly ordered, transcend any natural relationship. That truth sets the stage for what follows.
Introduction to the Parable of the Sower
In the introduction to Matthew 13:1-23, the focus turns to the parable of the sower and the seed. Before unpacking that parable, the lesson first explains what a parable is and why Jesus spoke in parables. The central issue is understanding. There are two groups of people. One group is given understanding of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the other is not, as stated in Matthew 13:11.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13:1-23
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
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.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
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:
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
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.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
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.
As we move through this passage, we see that a group of people is deliberately withheld the mysteries and secrets of the Kingdom of God, as stated in Matthew 13:11. The Lord desires that we continue to grow and add to what we have. If we do not, growth stops, and what we already have will be taken away, according to Matthew 13:12. We also see that understanding parables is evidence that our eyes see and our ears hear, as Jesus says in Matthew 13:16, and we receive a special blessing.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Jesus gives four examples of four kinds of hearts, covering every person everywhere. The question is which heart we have. A good heart produces fruit, whether thirtyfold or a hundredfold, and Jesus consistently inspects fruit, as shown in Matthew 7:16-20. He speaks often about fruitfulness. I was reminded of this recently when Karen was reading in John and noticed that Jesus says our prayers are answered when we produce fruit that remains (John 15:16).
Jesus wants us to produce fruit, and He makes it clear that fruitfulness comes from having the right kind of heart. This leads to the outline of Matthew 13, which contains seven kingdom parables. The first is the seed and the sower, which is the focus of tonight’s discussion. The others are the wheat and the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, and the fishnet.
The second part of Matthew 13 explains what a true scribe is: someone who teaches and helps others understand the Word of God, as described in verse 52. The chapter concludes with Jesus being rejected in Nazareth in verses 53-58.
Tonight, our focus is the seed and the sower, but before addressing that parable, we must first understand what a parable is and why Jesus spoke in parables. In verses 1-3, Jesus leaves the house, goes to the seashore, and teaches the multitudes from a boat. Verse 3 states that He spoke many things to them in parables (Matthew 13:3).
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13:1-3
3 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
A parable, as defined from the Greek, is closely related to the word itself. It refers to a comparison, a symbol, or a story drawn from common life that conveys meaning. While some translations describe parables as illustrations, they are far more than that. They are not just fictional narratives. They are stories designed to reveal what the Kingdom of God is really like.
How many really want to understand what the kingdom is? That is exactly what the parables are designed to do. The parables provide a picture of the Kingdom of God, and the seven parables in this chapter all speak to the kingdom. At the same time, a parable is more than a simple illustration. It carries a deeper purpose.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The parables of Jesus explain the kingdom of God. If we grasp them, they bring light and understanding into our lives. If we do not, they remain senseless mysteries. That is not an accident. They are designed that way. Each person makes a choice. We decide whether the parables will bring light or remain nothing more than stories told two thousand years ago.
That brings us to the question of why Jesus spoke in parables. We find the answer in Matthew 13:10-17. The disciples ask Him directly in Matthew 13:10 why He speaks to the people in parables.
Matthew 13:10
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Some translations even ask why He uses illustrations that seem hard to understand. They can be understood, but only under certain conditions.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Jesus makes it clear that understanding depends on the condition of our eyes, ears, and hearts. When we stop being open to new revelation, when we stop listening, and when our hearts become hard and calloused toward what we already know, understanding shuts down. Jesus explains this by giving three reasons for speaking in parables.
The first reason is found in Matthew 13:11.
Matthew 13:11
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.
Jesus says it is given to some to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to others it is not given. That immediately divides people into two groups: you and them. One group receives understanding and revelation about the mysteries of the kingdom of God, and the other does not.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
I may not fully understand all of that, but I am beginning to see it more clearly. Revelation is deliberately withheld from certain people. What Jesus wants us to understand is not just information, but the mysteries of the kingdom of God itself. That is what He preached, and that is what He wants us to know.
The word “mystery” derives from a Greek term meaning a sacred secret. These are things that would remain unknown unless God reveals them. We cannot discover them on our own. That principle is evident in Daniel 9:2. Jeremiah had written about the seventy years earlier, but Daniel understood it only when the time came. The truth was always there, but revelation came when God chose to unveil it.
As the time comes, God reveals mysteries to His people. These mysteries remain hidden unless God opens our understanding. As Matthew 13:11 says again, the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven is given to you, but not to them.
This is interesting to me because I want to be in the “you” group, not in the “them” group. As we move through this, I want to understand what we are supposed to do to receive this kind of revelation, these mysteries. The issue is learning how to understand what God is revealing.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Different translations all say the same thing. The Phillips translation explains that some have been given the privilege of understanding the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, while others have not, as stated in Matthew 13:11. The New English translation says the same thing, that knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom has been granted to some but not to others, again in Matthew 13:11.
That clearly shows there are two groups of people. We will be in one or the other. As we work through this, it becomes clear that the “you” group comprises those who have opened their ears, eyes, and hearts. The “them” group is those who shut their ears, close their eyes, and harden their hearts, as described in Matthew 13:15.
At that moment in history, the disciples were the “you,” and others were the “them.” But this does not stop in 30 AD. Jesus carries this principle forward through the centuries and right into our time. We can have this same kind of revelation if we respond the same way they did.
The first reason Jesus spoke in parables is that there is meant to be a people who understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God. One group has been granted the privilege of understanding these secrets, and the other has not.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Jesus explains this directly in Matthew 13:10-11 when the disciples ask why He speaks in parables. He tells them that understanding the mysteries of the kingdom is given to some, but not to others. That again divides people into two groups: those who receive and those who do not.
The second reason is found in Matthew 13:12.
Matthew 13:12
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.
Understanding parables causes growth. When we receive and act on what we have, more is added. When we stop growing, even what we have begins to slip away.
I see this clearly when I think about learning a musical instrument. As long as you practice and grow, you can play. When you stop, you lose what you once had. The same principle applies to spiritual growth. If we do not continue to grow and mature, and if we do not move toward the fullness described in Ephesians 4:13, what we have will begin to fade.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
There is no place in the kingdom of God for stagnation. We are either moving forward or drifting backward. We are either going deeper into the things of the Spirit or moving back toward the shore. Ezekiel 47:3-5 indicates that knowing God involves moving forward into deeper water rather than retreating.
That is what Jesus is teaching here. Revelation is either added to or removed. The example of the servant who hid his talent in Matthew 25:24-30 shows the same truth. What was not used was taken away.
When we take the talents and revelation God has given us and actually use them, He multiplies them. When we grow what He has entrusted to us, He adds more. That kind of increase provokes something in us.
I know what it is to be provoked. I get provoked when I see churches that are more blessed than ours, and when I hear pastors and teachers who seem to have more revelation than I do. It is not that I want them to lose what they have. I just do not want them to have it, and me not to have it. That provocation pushes me deeper and makes me want more of what God has to give.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
That leads to reason number two. Parables are used to continue spiritual growth and understanding in the kingdom of God. They cause us to grow, to add, and to move forward. That is what parables are designed to do.
The third reason appears in Matthew 13:13.
Matthew 13:13
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Jesus says He speaks in parables because some people see but do not see, hear but do not hear, and do not understand. Some believers go through their entire Christian life without really understanding what they have heard. They do not fully understand salvation, communion, or baptism. They do these things, but they never grasp their meaning.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
That is not how it is supposed to be. We are meant to understand the things of God. The problem is not that the truth is complicated. The simplicity that is in Christ, as described in 2 Corinthians 11:3, gets buried when we make things harder than they are.
Some people go through life without wanting to see, hear, or understand the truth. For those people, parables remain closed. But for those who want to see, hear, and understand, parables open eyes, ears, and understanding. When we begin to understand the parables, it is proof that our ears are opening, our eyes are opening, and our hearts are becoming softer.
Jesus is telling us that understanding is possible. We can understand the Word of God. We have the same Spirit, the same Father, and the same Scriptures. Understanding is not reserved for a few.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The Condition of the Heart
Verses 14 and 15 show again that there are two groups.
Matthew 13:14
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.
Some fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Isaiah 6:9-10
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
As we’ve said, a primary purpose of the Book of Matthew is to show that Jesus is the Messiah because he fulfilled the prophecies the Messiah was to fulfill. They hear but do not understand, and see but do not perceive. Their hearts grow hard first. When the heart hardens, the ears become dull and the eyes close. They no longer want to hear or see the truth.
Jesus explains that if the eyes and ears were open, understanding would follow. Revelation comes through these gates. Faith comes by hearing, as Romans 10:17 says. When we keep our ears open to hear and our eyes open to see, understanding continues to grow.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
If we shut our ears and close our eyes, no more revelation can come. When that occurs, even what we already have begins to erode. It really is that simple.
When a new word or message comes, and we harden our hearts without first testing it against the Word of God, understanding stops. Truth will always stand when tested by the Word. Lies and traditions will always crumble when tested. That is why Scripture tells us to try the spirits to see whether they are of God in 1 John 4:1. We have been given the Word so we can discern truth from error.
Jesus explains that people close their eyes so they will not see, close their ears so they will not hear, and therefore do not understand with their hearts, as stated in Matthew 13:15. Understanding happens in the heart. When understanding comes, conversion and change follow.
There are phenomena we do not understand, such as why one person is healed instantly while another must undergo surgery. Those things remain mysteries. But this passage shows me that if I keep my ears open, my eyes open, and my heart soft, and if I keep seeking, knocking, and asking, God will give revelation. Healing and understanding come through continued openness.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
I know what it is to shut down and think I already have all the revelations I need. I have done that before, and I will never do it again. God has reshaped and refined revelation in my life many times, and He continues to do so.
We identify three conditions that impede understanding. First, the heart becomes waxed gross, meaning it grows thick, lazy, and calloused. That hardness begins in the heart and affects the mind, making a person thick-headed.
Second, the ears become dull of hearing. People refuse to listen because listening would require change. Yet Scripture says we are changed from glory to glory, as taught in 2 Corinthians 3:18.
Third, the eyes are closed. People stop reading, stop looking, and stop wanting to see truth. Various translations describe this condition as hearts becoming heavy, minds becoming dull, ears being stopped up, and eyes being closed. If those barriers were removed, understanding would follow, and healing would come.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
This condition can affect not only individuals but also entire nations. When hearts grow coarse, ears grow dull, and eyes are shut, understanding is lost. That is why this first parable is so important. Everything begins in the heart. If the heart is not right, nothing else can follow.
If the heart is not prepared, the seed will never be received. When the heart is not right, not ready, and not prepared with good soil, understanding will never come. Everything begins with the heart, as Proverbs 4:23 makes clear.
We can understand the Word if we are willing to open our ears, open our eyes, and soften our hearts, as Jesus teaches in Matthew 13:15. I truly believe that a lack of revelation often comes from resistance in our own hearts. I know that is true for me. Sometimes someone presents something that may be good, but I reject it because it does not align with what I already believe. When that happens, my heart hardens, and God has to break it up again. You cannot understand the Word with a hardened heart, closed eyes, or closed ears, as Matthew 13:15 shows.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Therefore, there are two groups of people. One group has soft hearts, open eyes, and open ears. The other group has hardened hearts, shut eyes, and stopped ears. Jesus speaks directly to this distinction.
In Matthew 13:16, Jesus says that those with open eyes and ears are blessed because they see and hear. He goes on in Matthew 13:17.
Matthew 13:17
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.
Jesus explained that many prophets and righteous people longed to see and hear what His disciples were experiencing, but never did. Jesus is speaking directly to the disciples, who were standing in the presence of the Messiah Himself.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
But this truth does not stop with them. It carries forward through the centuries to us. We can also have open eyes, open ears, and open hearts. We too can be blessed, because the parables reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God to those who are receptive, as shown again in Matthew 13:16-17.
That brings us to the first parable, the seed and the sower. The parable itself is found in Matthew 13:1-9, and the interpretation is given in Matthew 13:18-23. This parable is the key to understanding all the others. It is a picture of every heart everywhere. No one is left out.
Jesus presents a full range of hearts, from the hardest heart to the heart that produces a hundredfold life. The point is to see what happens when the Word of God cannot enter a person’s heart. If the Word cannot get in, faith cannot get in. Salvation comes by grace through faith, and faith comes by hearing the Word of God, as Romans 10:17 and Ephesians 2:8 explain.
When a person is shut down, hardened, and left open like pathway soil, the enemy has full access to the mind, heart, and soul. No Word is received, no fruit is produced, and that person remains vulnerable. This is why the condition of the heart is everything.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
In the parable, verse 3 introduces the sower. The structure of the teaching shows the parable on one side and the interpretation on the other, helping us clearly see how the Word is sown and how different hearts respond to it.
Matthew 13:3
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
In the parable, verse three uses the term sower. In Jesus’s later explanation, verse 37 identifies the sower as Jesus Himself, the Son of Man. That establishes Him as the primary sower in the parable.
But it does not stop there. The role of the sower goes beyond Jesus alone. As we saw earlier in Matthew 10:40, Jesus also sends out ministry. This shows that the sower is not only Christ but also includes those He sends to carry and sow His message.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 10:40
40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Jesus sends out His ministry to do what He did. He says that if people receive those He sends, they receive Him, as stated in Matthew 10:40. That means they go out and sow just as He did. Mark 4:14 confirms this by saying that those who sow are sowing the word of God. The work of sowing is not singular. It belongs to many.
The sower, then, is they who sows the word of God. That includes you and me. We are sowers of the word and sowers of the seed, as seen in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus Himself is the first sower, but the picture also includes everyone He sends, as shown in John 20:21.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
In verse four of the parable, Jesus speaks of seeds being sown.
Matthew 13:4
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
The question is what those seeds represent. Matthew 13:19 makes it clear that the seed is the word of the kingdom.
Matthew 13:19
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.
When Jesus says the sower went forth to sow in Matthew 13:3, He is describing the sowing of the word of the kingdom. Matthew 13:21 indicates that tribulation and persecution arise from the word, thereby confirming again that the seed is the word of the kingdom.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The message Jesus preached was the word of the kingdom of God, as seen in Matthew 4:23. That is the seed that goes forth. The seed is not just any word. It is specifically the word of the kingdom. Various translations describe it as the good news, the message, or the word that tells of the kingdom, but they all point to the same truth.
Galatians 3:16 expands this understanding by showing that the seed is singular. The seed is Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Word, as John 1:1 teaches, and He is the seed spoken of in Galatians 3:16. At the same time, Galatians 3:29 states that we are the seed of Abraham, which indicates that the image extends beyond Christ alone. We are also called to be seed, sowing ourselves into one another’s lives, as described in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9.
That kind of sowing can only happen if hearts are prepared. A hardened heart will not receive seed, whether it belongs to someone else or comes from reading the Word of God. Matthew 13:23 indicates that the seed produces fruit only in a prepared heart. Every soil Jesus describes represents a heart.
There are different dimensions of hearts. There is the hard heart in Matthew 13:4, the stony heart in Matthew 13:5-6, the thorny heart in Matthew 13:7, and the good heart in Matthew 13:8. Each one responds differently to the seed, but they all point to the condition of the heart.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
When Jesus says the birds come and devour the seed, He identifies them as the wicked one.
Matthew 13:19
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.
Mark 4:15 calls him Satan, and Luke 8:12 calls him the devil. Taken together, this shows that the enemy works to steal the word wherever the heart is unprotected.
Mark 4:15
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Luke 8:12
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Under Satan’s influence, the heart receives no seed. When a heart is completely opened to him, the life and the mind are laid bare. Nothing protects it, nothing covers it, and nothing matures there. That is the pathway heart. It is barren, exposed, and unwilling to receive the word. It simply allows the devil to come and take it away, as described in Matthew 13:19.
If the word cannot get in, a person cannot receive salvation. Faith comes by hearing the word, and grace operates through faith, as Romans 10:17 and Ephesians 2:8 show. The pathway heart is therefore under the influence of the devil. It is fully open and unguarded, with no resistance.
Satan is identified as the wicked one. The same individual described in the Gospels is also identified in Revelation 12:9 as the dragon and the old serpent. All of these descriptions point to the same enemy who steals the word when the heart remains open and unprotected.
Revelation 12:9
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
In Revelation 13, the dragon, the devil, the serpent, and Satan are shown receiving worship through the influence of two beasts. One beast has seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns, representing worldly systems and governments, while the false prophet represents the religious system, as described in Revelation 13:1-18.
These two bring forth the mark of the beast. That mark is placed in the forehead, which speaks of the mind, or in the hand, which speaks of works and actions. When the word cannot enter a person, the number 666 continues to operate, as shown in Revelation 13:16-18. A person who remains open to the devil and rejects the word of God is stamped with that mark because they are worshiping the god of this world, as explained in 2 Corinthians 4:4.
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Those whose hearts are wayside hearts carry the mark of the beast. The word has no effect because it cannot enter the heart. The heart remains hard, open, naked, and barren, leaving no place for the word to take root.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Jesus says that the wicked one comes immediately. Mark 4:15 shows how quickly Satan comes to take the word. That kind of heart is already marked and sealed by the beast.
Pharaoh exemplifies this kind of heart. His heart was hardened, and he would not receive the word of God. Exodus 8:15 and Exodus 9:12 show how that hardness increased. This is the picture of a heart that becomes so hardened it cannot hear or see, and it ends up stamped in the mind and heart with the mark of the beast.
The opposite is true for the good soil. Scripture presents two marks: the mark of the beast and the mark of the Lord. One represents a hardened heart, and the other represents a receptive heart. Revelation 22:4 shows the mark of the Lord in the forehead, speaking of the mind. These two marks stand at opposite extremes, just as the hearts they represent do.
Revelation 22:4
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Let’s move into the stony place. Pharaoh is a clear example. Scripture shows that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first, and then God hardened it. What he already had was taken away, as seen in Exodus 8:15, Exodus 9:12, and Romans 1:28.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The stony place heart is described in Matthew 13:5-6 and explained in Matthew 13:20-21. It is rocky soil with very little soil. This heart does receive the seed. It receives it quickly and with joy.
Matthew 13:5
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
For a moment, it even looks alive. However, the soil is shallow, and there is no substantial root system. Because there is no depth, the plant has no nourishment. When the sun comes up, representing tribulation and persecution, the plant withers. Matthew 13:6 and Matthew 13:21 show that it cannot endure.
Matthew 13:6
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13:21
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.
The word “offended” in Matthew 13:21 carries the idea of being scandalized, trapped, tripped up, and even falling away. This heart contains something other than good soil. There are hard things inside it. When the word comes in, it cannot take root. Jesus may be preached, and salvation may be proclaimed, but Christ cannot become rooted in that life. When pressure comes, the heart cannot stand.
The rocks occupy space intended for good soil. They are often unseen, but they compound the problem. First, there is no depth. Second, roots cannot grow. Third, nourishment is blocked. The word is starved, and the plant eventually dies.
The solution is a choice. A decision must be made between the rocks and the word. If the choice is made for the word, the kingdom, and the things of the Spirit, the rocks begin to come out one by one. As they are removed, space is made for the seed to grow and take root.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The rocks have to come out. If they stay, the word dies. The issue always comes down to a choice between the rocks and the kingdom. To experience the kingdom, the heart has to be cleansed of those other things. When they are removed, there is enough good soil for deep roots and real nourishment. That kind of heart can withstand the sun, persecution, and tribulation. If the rocks remain, the word cannot live.
Most of us can identify with this. There may have been something hard in the heart that kept the word from growing. It prevented the word from reaching its intended destination. That thing had to be removed, and it only happened because a decision was made. Sadly, many people choose to keep their rocks.
From there, Jesus moves to thorny hearts.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13:7
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
Verse 7 is explained in verse 22, where the thorns are identified as the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:22).
Matthew 13:22
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.
This heart hears the word, and growth happens. The plant is green. It has leaves. But like the fig tree in Matthew 21:19, there is no fruit.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
This represents progress relative to the earlier soils. First, there was no growth. Then there was a brief growth. There is now visible growth, but still no fruit. Many of us have been there. God broke up the hard pathway, and some stones were removed, but now the issue is thorns. The cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches are growing alongside the word and choking it.
This brings us to the principle of Mammon. Mammon is not just money. It is whatever a person trusts in instead of Jesus Christ. You cannot serve God and Mammon, as Matthew 6:24 makes clear. One will eventually choke the other. If the thorns are not dealt with, the word will be choked and will not bear fruit.
This heart contains other seeds. Not just stones, but competing seed. Scripture calls that adultery and idolatry. Hosea 4:12 and James 4:4 show that when the heart gives itself to something other than God, it is spiritual adultery. There cannot be two seeds ruling the same heart.
James 4:4
4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The soil itself is capable of producing, but other seeds are present. Other gods have been allowed in. Leaves appear, but fruit does not. Two seeds mean two minds, and that produces instability, just as James 1:8 warns. Again, the solution is a choice. The thorns must go. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches cannot remain. The kingdom must take first place.
A choice has to be made. Will I keep the thorns, the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, or will I choose the kingdom? The kingdom demands first place. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God, not second or third, but first, as stated in Matthew 6:33.
Two crops mean two minds, and James says a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways in James 1:8. That means I have to examine my own heart. I have to ask what else is competing for my affection. I have to identify what controls my mind and what is choking the word and keeping me from producing fruit.
That brings us to the good ground.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13:8
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
Matthew 13:23
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.
Verse 8 calls it good ground, and verse 23 explains it. The good soil is not about the seed, because the seed is always good. The issue is the soil. The good ground is the person who hears the word, understands the word, and then bears fruit, as shown in Matthew 13:23. Fruit will vary in measure, but fruit will be produced.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
The process is clear. First, I have to hear the word. Then I have to understand it and apply it. After that, fruit follows. Hearing is essential, and it must pass through the ear canal. Faith comes by hearing the word, as Romans 10:17 says. I need to hear it myself, not just think it or see it written.
More than that, I have to hear the word in the spirit, not just naturally. When the word is heard spiritually, it begins to work in my life. Such hearing leads to understanding and ultimately bears fruit in the good soil of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. When the word gets into our lives, it works like a pruning tool. It cuts away thorns, breaks up stones, and removes what does not look like Jesus. That is what happens when the word is heard in the spirit.
The word is also a mirror. When I look into it, I am not supposed to see myself but Jesus. The word shows me Him because He is the word, as James 1:23-25 and John 1:1 make clear. Hearing the word in the spirit allows it to cut and shape my life rather than merely hitting me like a club.
The issue is not only how the word is preached but how it is heard. When it is heard rightly, it works like a sword and does good work inside. When it is heard wrongly, it feels like a club and only beats us down. Much of what the word does in us depends on how we receive it.
Hearing alone is not enough. Understanding comes when we do the word. James 1:22 shows that we are not just hearers but doers. We do not fully understand the word until we put it into practice. Doing the word produces understanding.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
This applies to spiritual experiences as well. Teaching alone cannot produce understanding. Understanding comes when obedience and experience follow the teaching. That principle runs through all of Scripture.
The result of hearing and understanding is fruit. Fruit follows obedience. Jesus wants fruit in our lives. He wants the stones and thorns removed so the word can work freely and produce growth. He inspects fruit, and fruitfulness always points to maturity.
The different measures of fruitfulness relate to stages of maturity. First John 2:12-14 reflects this progression, showing children, young men, and fathers. All of it points to growth, depth, and increasing maturity in the life of the believer.
1 John 2:12-14
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Then I turn to Deuteronomy 16:16. That passage speaks about the three appointed feasts. It refers to Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles, showing the pattern God established for His people to appear before Him at set times.
Deuteronomy 16:16
16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:
I also point to Exodus chapters 25-30, which outline the pattern of the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place. That picture alone could take months to unpack, because it depicts an ordered progression in approaching God.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
I then connect that pattern to maturity and spiritual growth. Ephesians 4:13 and Ephesians 5:18 address maturity and fullness, whereas John 3:1-8 addresses new birth and the work of the Spirit. Together, they show growth from the beginning of life in God to deeper spiritual fullness.
Hebrews 5:9 and Hebrews 2:3-4 point to salvation and growth in understanding what God has done, and Jude 1:3 speaks of the common salvation that must be earnestly contended for. All of these passages relate to the same theme of maturity, progression, and deeper engagement with what God has provided.
Jude 1:3
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
I’m talking about great salvation and common salvation, and how all of these point to maturity. Revelation 22:4 speaks to the mark of the Lord in the forehead, showing ownership and identity. Ephesians 1:13 speaks of being sealed in the Spirit. Together, these passages point to sealing in the forehead, sealing in the Spirit, and sealing expressed in water baptism, all connected to growth and maturity in salvation.
Ephesians 1:13
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Maturity, Fruitfulness, and Progression
All of these point to growth from thirty to sixty to a hundredfold, from the outer court to the holy place, and then to the most holy place. It reflects the progression from children to young men to fathers. God wants maturity. He wants us to grow from thirty to sixty to a hundredfold. Each of these patterns speaks to maturity.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
As I close, the main point of this parable stands out clearly. I believe the key appears in the King James Version in Matthew and in the NAS version in Mark. In Mark 4 and Matthew 13, verses 4-8 describe the seed falling by the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns, and into good ground.
The question is where the word is placed. Is it just by me, with me, or around me? Is it merely upon me or among me? Or does it get into me? The word cannot work, cut, or change my life until it gets inside me. By me is not enough. Upon me is not enough. Around me is not enough. It has to be in me.
Jesus makes it clear that if this parable is not understood, none of the others will be understood either. Everything begins with the heart. The heart must be prepared to receive what the kingdom of God offers. As Jesus said in Luke 17:20-21, the kingdom of God is within you, and it begins in the heart.
Luke 17:20-21
20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
Matthew 13 1-23 How to Prepare the Heart for the Kingdom
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