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Matthew 13:1-23
(Matthew 1-9, 18-23)
With thanks to page sponsor:
Brookfield Congregational Church, Brookfield, WI

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • "Who Has Ears," "Eye, Ear, Mind," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
  • Chapter XXIV of The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome (ca. 96).
  • Vision III.6, Similitude III, Similitude V.4, Shepherd of Hermas. (c.145)
  • IV.XXIX.1, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • I.1, V.12, VI.14, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter XXII, The Prescription of Heretics, Tertullian (c. 200)
  • II.2, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 208)
  • Chapter XXXII, On the Resurrection of the Flesh,  Tertullian (c. 211)
  • Chapter XI, Scorpiace,  Tertullian (c. 213)
  • Chapter VIII, On Monogamy, Tertullian (c. 215)
  • V.III, VIII.II, The Refutation of all Heresies (Philosophumena), Hippolytus of Rome. (c. 225)
  • VI.2, X.27, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Philocalia [anthology of Origen prepared by St. Basil and St. Gregory Nazianzen], Origen. (c.230)
  • VII.XXXIV, Against Celsus, Origen. (c.246)
  • Augustine on the Parable of the Sower.
    • "I tell you of a truth, my Beloved, even in these high seats there is both wheat, and tares, and among the laity there is wheat, and tares. Let the good tolerate the bad; let the bad change themselves, and imitate the good."
  • Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Chrysostom (c. 380):
    • Homily XLV - Matthew 13:10, 11
  • From the Catena Aurea, Patristic Commentary by St Thomas Aquinas.
  • The Parable of the Sower, by Martin Luther. (c 1525) (sermon on Lukan text of the Parable of the Sower)
    • "But Matthew means to say that these parables are of the nature that no one can understand them, they may grasp and hear them as often as they will, unless the Spirit makes them known and reveals them."
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "Christ shows in putting forth this parable of the sower, that the seed of life which is sown in the world does not do as well in one as in another, and the reason for this is that men for the most part, either do not receive it, or do not permit it to ripen."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence allots to us..."     "...Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence allots to us."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "Cares are thorns to the poor: wealth to the rich; the desire of other things to all."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "These parables are These parables are SEVEN in number; and it is not a little remarkable that while this is the sacred number, the first FOUR of them were spoken to the mixed multitude, while the remaining THREE were spoken to the Twelve in private--these divisions, four and three, being themselves notable in the symbolical arithmetic of Scripture."
  • "Sown Among Thorns; Mt 13:7, 22," Charles H. Spurgeon, 1888.
    • "Preaching is the most idle of occupations if the Word is not adapted to enter the heart, and produce good results."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "Whoever uses his opportunities will grow; whoever abuses them will lose them."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Pulpit Fiction, plus podcast. Reflections of lectionary text, pop culture, current events, etc. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2014.
  • "Birds, Thorns, and Other Surprising Responses to God's Word," Dear Working Preacher, 2014.
  • "The Sower," Nancy Rockwell, The Bite in the Apple, 2014.
  • "Redacting the Redactor," Russell Rathbun, Question the Text, 2014.
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Sowing and Not Reaping," Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2014.
    • "One of the notions that drives religious perfectionism is the idea that obedience automatically brings rewards. But this pipe dream doesn't live up to reality. In fact, it oftentimes leads to discouragement and even bitterness."
  • "Busting the Tiller," Rick Morley, 2014.
  • Radical Gratitude, lectionary-based stewardship, Northwest United Methodist Foundation. (.pdf)
  • Commentary, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Elisabeth Johnson, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2011.
    • "As those entrusted with Jesus' mission today, we might consider the implications of this parable for how we engage in mission."
  • Parable of the Sower, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2011.
  • Lectionary Blogging, July 10, 2011, John Petty, Progressive Involvement, 2011.
    • "The story would have been shocking to many who heard it.  There were many--in those days, and in ours--who most certainly did not think God had sown the seed of the word everywhere in the world."
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, David Ewart, 2011.
    • "You and I might not waste our efforts on the down trodden, the thorny, and the hardened, but God does."
  • "The Guiding Ethical Hand of the Lectionary," Russell Rathbun, The Hardest Question, 2011.
    • "Once you realize you cannot do a thing about the state of your soil, you turn and you are healed.
      "
  • "First Thoughts on Year A Gospel Passages in the Lectionary," Pentecost 5, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
  • "Rebranding the Parable of the Sower," Alyce McKenzie, Edgy Exegesis, Patheos, 2011.
    • "The parable of the careless sower, the miraculous harvest, the helpless, hapless seeds, or the good soil? Which brand name(s) do you prefer? Whichever one(s) you pick, 'let's hear something we've never heard before.'"
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
    • "What was Jesus seeking to threaten in the hearer's world of assumptions by which they habitually live?"
  • "The Garden of Eden - Oldham Branch," Neil Chappell, aweirdthing, 2011.
    • "One of the encouragements I get from this start to Matthew 13 is the necessity to sow and harvest every year. We will fail with some seed, we do well with some seed."
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • Commentary, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Dale Allison, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2008.
  • "The Sower and the Seeds," Gospel Analysis, Sermons from Seattle, Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Grace Lutheran Church, Seattle, Washington. Detailed background and exegesis.
    • "In this first parable of Jesus, he chose the most common of experiences from the everyday lives of people: ?seeds, sowers, hard paths, rocky soil, thorny soil, good soil.? These were as common as scenes as possible, but in the commonness, Jesus saw illustrations about God and his kingdom."
  • Synopsis (English) and discussion by Mahlon H. Smith, Rutgers University. Focus is on textual origins and exegetical insights from literary relationships.
    • "The Sower"
      • "Unlike a pronouncement story, the details of this scene do not explain what Jesus says there. Note that Luke gives this parable in a different setting than Matthew and Mark."
    • "Secret of the Kingdom" ("Why Parables?")
      • "In Matthew's logic, the characterization of hearers as slow to comprehend justifies Jesus' pedagogical practice of composing graphic parables. Yet, like a good scholar, the Christian scribe who composed this gospel also explicitly points out that this description of Jesus' audience parallels a passage in a previous scriptural text: Isaiah's characterization of his fellow Jews. Neither Mark nor Luke note this parallel."
    • "The Sower as Allegory"
    • "The Measure"
  • Matthew in the Margins, by Brian McGowan, Anglican priest in Western Australia.
  • "Understanding Parables," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
    • "Suggest some practical ways the Lord my give an unclear word to a people whose ears have grown dull of hearing."
  • "The Goodness of God," Larry Broding's Word-Sunday.Com: A Catholic Resource for This Sunday's Gospel. Adult Study, Children's Story, Family Activity, Support Materials.
    • "How can waste and abundance described blessings in God's kingdom? How can we risk our hearts (like the soil in the parable) to receive God's Word (like the seeds)?"
  • Wellspring of the Gospel, Ordinary 15A, Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings.
  • Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary's An Exegetical Study of the Common Lectionary, coordinated by Prof. John E. Alsup, features rough translation, disposition, immediate context, broader context, hermeneutical bridge, and contemporary address.
    • "This materialistic and commercialistic age in which we live chokes life out of us much too much for God's Word to bear much fruit through us these days. This parable can give us more realistic vision of the contexts in which we attempt to live our lives in faith."
  • "Parables of Jesus," "Parable of the Sower," wikipedia.
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
  • Achtemeier, P. Mark, "Matthew 13:1-23, Expository Article," Interpretation, 1990.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Bailey, Mark L., "The Kingdom in the Parables of Matthew 13," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1998-1999:
    • "Guidelines for Interpreting Jesus' Parables"
        EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
        EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
    • "The Parable of the Sower and the Soils"
        EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
        EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Brenner, Daniel S., "Late-Night Covenants: A Jewish Perspective on Sinai and Study," The Living Pulpit, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Bridges, Linda McKinnish, "Preaching the Parables in Matthew's Gospel in Ordinary Time: The Extraordinary Tales of God's World," Review & Expositor, 2007. (Section on this text begins on p.340, but is best read in context of entire article.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Burghardt, William, S.J., "Gospel Joy, Christian Joy," The Living Pulpit, 1996. (see Joy issue focus of The Living Pulpit 5.4, 1996.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Crook, Zeba Antonin, "The Synoptic Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Leaven: A Test-Case for the Two-Document, Two-Gospel, and Farrer-Goulder Hypotheses," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 2000.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Crossan, John Dominic, "The Seed Parables of Jesus," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1973.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Gaventa, Beverly R., "Hearing the Questions," The Christian Century, 1993.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • "Homiletical Helps," Concordia Journal, 2011. (Section on this text begins on page 152)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerial
  • Potkay, Monica Brzezinski, "The Parable of the Sower and Obscurity in the Prologue to Marie de France's Lais," Christianity and Literature, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Toussaint, Stanley D. and Jay A Quine, "No, Not Yet: the contingency of God's Promised Kingdom," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Scattering Seeds," Jason Byassee, Faith and Leadership, 2012.
  • "The Sower's Lesson," the Rev. Joseph Evans, Day1, 2011.
  • It's Not About You; It's All About God, Mark Ellingsen, SermonStudio.
  • "Why Jesus? Part 2: Jesus the Storyteller," Bishop William H. Willimon, Day 1, 2010.
  • "God Is a Foolish Farmer," Dylan's Lectionary Blog, Proper 10A. Biblical Scholar Sarah Dylan Breuer looks at readings for the coming Sunday in the lectionary of the Episcopal Church.
  • "The Reckless Sower," the Rev. Jim Somerville, Day 1, 2005.
  • "The Sower and the Seeds," Pastor Edward F. Markquart, Sermons from Seattle.
  • "Being a Bit Left of Center," 8 Pentecost - 10 July 2005, David Zersen, Göttinger Predigten im Internet: Every Sunday Sermons based on the RCL by a team of Lutheran theologians/ pastors.
  • "The Seed within Us," the Rev. Ramona Soto Rank, Day 1, 2002.
  • "...And the Seed Will Grow," Bishop George Anderson, Day 1, 1996.
  • Father Andrew M. Greeley, "Priest, Author, Sociologist," Commentary and Homily
    • Ordinary 15, 2011
    • Ordinary 15, 2008
    • Ordinary 15, 2005
    • Ordinary 15, 2002
    • Ordinary 15, 1999
    • Ordinary 15, 1996
• With Children:
  • Worshiping with Children, Proper 10, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2011.
  • Good Ears -- Children's sermon based on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 from CSSPlus.
  • "The Parable of the Sower," Illustrating the Story (lessons, children's sermons), coloring pages, activity sheets, crafts, children's songs. MSSS Crafts.
  • "It All Depends on the Dirt," Charles Kirkpatrick, Sermons4kids.com.
  • "God Sows His Seeds Everywhere," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "The Seed is the Word of God," Children's Time, in Sermons and Liturgies. Richard J. Fairchild. (Scroll down in liturgies to find Children's Time.)
  • "Seeds that Grow," Jim Kerlin, childrensermons.com.
  • "Listen," Mike Butler, sermons4kids.com.
  • "The Parable of the Sower," online computer java-based coloring pages from Grace Baptist Church of Feeding Hill.
• Drama:
  • "Parable of the Soils/Sower," Reader's Theater, Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, 2012.
  • "Drill Lesson," Andy Lund, dramatix.
  • "Parable of the Sower," Steven Muir, dramatix.
  • "Getting the Message," John McNeil, dramatix.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art Images: Matthew 13:1-23, Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú.
  • Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:1-9/1-23, Matthew 13:16-17, Matthew 13:16-17, Matthew 9:14-17, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora, Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use these for free.")
  • Matthew 13:1-9, at Cerezo Barredo's weekly gospel illustration. Liberation emphasis.
• Hymns and Music:
  • “Christ Taught Us of a Farmer,” an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2000, The parable of the sower and church anniversary, Tune:  AURELIA 7.6.7.6 D (“The Church's One Foundation”).
  • “Once a Farmer Went Out Sowing,” an original hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2000, The parable of the sower and church anniversary,2010.  The parable of the sower.  Tune: AR HYD Y NOS 8.4.8.4.8.8.8.4 (“All Through the Night”).
  • Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Matthew 13:3, 8, 23. The Cyber Hymnal.
  • "God Loves the World," Brenton Prigge, NewHymn, a new, relevant hymn set to traditional tunes.
  • At Digital Hymnal (midi files, guitar chords, karaoke files, projection text):
    • Open My Eyes That I May See
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • The Sower
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Matthew

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