The Parable of the Sower and the Seed Review and Expositor, 94 (1997)

The Parable of the Sower and the Seed in Luke 8:1 - 10: Jesus' Parable of Parables Ruth Ann Foster and William D. Shieli

The incarnation of Christ accomplished the most significant in-breaking of God into human history. Luke's gospel particularly reveals evidence of the supernatural presence associated with both Jesus' coming and his ministry (see Luke 1:5-2:52; 3:31-32; 9:28-36; 24:1-53). The kingdom comes in power in the deeds and words of Jesus. Thus, Jesus' miraculous works and parabolic words are not merely pointers to kingdom truth, but in actuality become vehicles delivering the reality of the kingdom itself. In the passing on and the reception of the parables the one "who has ears to hear" then truly experiences the presence of the kingdom. Frederick Borsch notes the true intention of parables served

to offer their hearers the opportunity of boundary experiences. Their inner action takes place at that frontier where present limitations and future possibility—what is said and what ought to be—interthread. They are mysterious because that interaction is mysterious. They intimate a way of viewing reality which goes beyond realities—a genuine change of heart or metanoia, a new way of seeing life's possibilities.1

The pure parables of the New Testament, as opposed to illustrative stories or similitudes, "are intended to become living experiences which will reshape the expectations of their audience."2 Symbols convey truth in a far deeper sense than merely the cognitive, and the power of religious symbols and ritualt o convey divine reality transcends the ordinary. A pure parable acts metaphorically. Its power to deliver ultimate truth in one sense resides in its existence as metaphor, because "metaphor is the way [people] think, and it is the way the parables ... work."3 In the telling of parables the Spirit unites the ordinary and the ultimate. Because the parable's truth exceeds the hearer's grasp, the hearer experiences "both exhilaration and discomfort... [in a] counterpoint of paradox."4

Old Testament Context

In a context of call and warning, the Lukan parable of the sower and the seed interprets a seminal passage from Isaiah 6:9-10. The Isaianic context provides insight into the interpretation of Jesus' parable in Luke 8:1-10. The Purpose of Isaiah 6

Isaiah's call and responsibilities in ministry are explained in chapter 6 of Isaiah. The call narrative in verses 1-8 sets into motion the themes of the entire book and gives ultimate shape to Isaiah's ministry. First, the prophetic call appoints Isaiah to preach a hardening word to the people as a proleptic judgment (6:9ff)5. Second, it shows the people that God's nature and actions would be consistent with God's nature and actions during Uzziah's reign.6 Third, the place of the call narrative in the context of Isaiah as a whole shows a significance of these verses which transcend the historical particularity of eighth- century Judaism.7 Isaiah's mission demonstrates a continual divine offer of hope for the covenant people, based on Yahweh's desire for repentance and restoration.

The Context of Verses 1-8

The significance of verses 1-8 lies in the centrality of Yahweh in the call of the prophet and its resulting action upon the hearts of the people. Isaiah 6 is a testimony to the power of the word of God, whether experienced in the prophetic call or in the transmission of the words themselves. Childs asserts, "The Old Testament is not about divine acts in history as such, but about the power of the word of God."8 If that is the case, in Isaiah 6 God is acting to call out and purify a new prophet to proclaim His message of redemption. God's ethical righteousness demands the purity of both the prophet and the chosen people.9 Isaiah's role in the entire process of call is subsumed under Yahweh's presence. The intentional lack of information about the mind or character of the prophet in the text reinforces the evidence that the prophet is simply responding to the word of God—much like the people to whom he would be preaching.10

The Use of Verses 9 and 10

Isaiah's call purposes to intensify the obduracy of the people, an obduracy created because of the overwhelming power of the word of God. Israel had seen that power displayed already in their deliverance from Egypt. A message that previously brought light and hope now will deliver judgment. "It was not darkness and a famine of hearing the word of God that would destroy the nation; it was light, too much light. It was this very light which would blind the people."11 The complexities of this passage present two primary struggles in interpre­ tation: (1) Is Isaiah's call completely to this pessimistic mission? And (2) how is the hardening accomplished: that is, is Yahweh the hardener or do the people bring the hardening upon themselves? The first question is addressed by Hans Wildberger who interprets Isaiah's call as one primarily of faithfulness, not of message:

260 The Parable of the Sower and the Seed Review and Expositor, 94 (1997)

Isaiah is not a prophet of doom, but he had to learn that there was nothing else to do but announce the judgment, making it publicly known that Israel was ripe for judgment, was indeed, putting its own judgment in effect Precisely in this way, he would be a faithful servant of Yahweh.12

Therefore, the question is not whether Isaiah would be called to a pessimistic mission but whether he would faithfully carry out God's word. Isaiah understands that his message brings doom for the people, but as R. E. Clements proposes, the irony of the passage is found in the sincere desire of Isaiah for the people to turn and repent.13 The second question, whether the obduracy was wrought by God, was evidently a concern for the translators of the Septuagint. The Septuagint translates shama' in verse 9 as a future verb, so that instead of, "Keep on listening, but do not perceive," the Septuagint has, "You shall indeed hear but never understand," implying that when the people heard, (at some point in the future) they would not understand.14 Craig Evans notes, "At issue was the disturbing notion that the God who had given this people Torah would ever intentionally harden his people."15 John Watts notes that the pattern in chapter 6 follows a hardening-seeing-understanding-knowing motif that runs from 1:3-42:20 in the book.16 In other passages besides 6:9-10, the people play a greater role in their own hardening. In 29:9,20 people do not worship with their hearts; in 42:18-20, there is a hidden promise the people cannot see because of their own idol worship; 43:8 is a trial oracle of hardening; 44:18 taunts makers of idols who cause hardening; and 63:17 is a lament of the hardening.17 Is it possible to find a clear understanding of the nature of obduracy within the Isaiah texts? The passages cited above indicate a continual attempt on the part of the writer to maintain a paradox between the role of Yahweh and the role of the people in the hardening. Interpretations of these troubling texts should maintain the paradox of Yahweh's hardening of the people, and the people's own cognizant rejection of Yahweh's message through Isaiah.18 Chapter 6, however, certainly amplifies Yahweh's role (but not Isaiah's) in carrying out the judgment.

Lukan Context

By means of a framework pericope in 8:1-3, Luke locates the parable of the sower and the seed within a larger section of the gospel which records Jesus' travels with the Twelve and the women (8:1-9:17).19 Luke consistently describes Jesus as "a Sojourner On the move/"20 but 8:1-3 reveals the significance of the itinerant nature of Jesus' mission with the Twelve and certain women whom Jesus had healed. Luke perceives the ministry of the apostles to be essentially "an extension and continuation of Jesus' own ministry."21 The apostles are being prepared for their mission which begins in 9:1, a mission in which the church itself will in time engage.22 Luke 8:1-10 is preceded immediately with Jesus' acknowledgment of the significance of John the Baptist, with Jesus' characterization of those who rejected John's teachings, and with Jesus' anointing by a sinful woman whom he heals. Following the parable, Luke records a number of miraculous deeds of Jesus, including calming a storm, an exorcism, healing, raising the dead, and the feeding of the four thousand. The powerful in-breaking of the kingdom is manifested in deed and word through the speaking of parables and the working of miracles. Jesus spoke in parables throughout his public career, but from this point until the Passion Jesus' parabolic teaching comes to the fore.23

Luke 8:1-8: The Parable of the Sower and the Seed

As noted above, verses 1-3 simultaneously introduce the parable with its interpretation and include it in a larger section devoted to the mission of Jesus with his co-workers, a mission devoted to kêrusson kai euaggelizomenos (preaching and proclaiming) the kingdom of God. As he did in 4:1824 and 4:43-44, Luke ties together "preaching and proclaiming," two terms "by which he defines Jesus' prophetic mission, and sets up the parable of the sower who 'sows the word of God' (v. II)."25 The text raises questions concerning Palestinian farming practices, especially about methods of sowing and plowing, and the potential results26 for such random sowing. Does the passage focus on the sower, who is only mentioned once, or the seed which seems central to the argument? Does the parable represent normal farming circumstances, or does the unusual signify a truth? The unexpected random sowing in an unplowed field described in the passage was a common method of planting,27 but not the only one. Nolland asserts, however, that the sowing practice described is not typical and that while "the yield is extravagant, so is the sowing practice." Describing the sower's technique, he notes that there is "an unusual generosity, almost a joyous abandon about [it]."28 The majority of scholars affirm the normality of the sowing method which the parable describes, because a wide variety of methods and planting times, according to seasons, amounts of rainfall, and soil types, was practiced in first century Palestine.29 What may be unusual is the omission of any reference to ploughing.

Exposition of the passage

Luke draws from Mark 4:1-9 for this parable (also recorded in Matt. 13:2-9), but varies the account by focusing more on the sowing of seed than does Mark, who emphasizes the sower. The prominence and position given this parable in the Synoptics indicates that it is "something of a turning-point" in Jesus' mission.30 As usual, large crowds gather to hear the words of Jesus. But the words of the parable do not enlighten even the disciples, let alone the crowd (vs. 9).31 In Mark's gospel, Jesus answers the disciples' question about how to understand

262 The Parable of the Sower and the Seed Review and Expositor, 94 (1997)

the parables with his own questions: "Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?" (Mark 4:13, NASV) Jesus is not indicating the simplicity of the parable of the sower, but acknowledging that it is "fundamental; that it is concerned with the innermost secret of Jesus' proclamation of the kingdom of God."32 The parable begins with the familiar, a story of a farmer sowing seed. Some of the seed falls along or alongside (para) the pathway and is trodden upon and devoured by birds; some falls on rocky soil and the resulting young plants wither33 because of the lack of moisture in the poor soil; other seed falls among the thorns and its growth is thwarted because of the vigorous growth of the hardier weeds; and finally, some seed falls into good soil and is extremely productive. NoUand writes that "the average yield for grain sown in Palestine seems to have been between seven- and fifteen-fold ..., but Gen. 26:12 has a yield figure of one hundred." Some areas near the Sea of Galilee may yield a hundred-fold as well.34 Although a yield of one hundred fold was unusual, it was not beyond belief. Both Mark and Luke contrast the farmer's struggles with his ultimate success, but Luke "gives a greater significance to the seed in the passage as a whole."35 Since the time of Jeremías, the parable has been characterized as a kingdom parable which foretells the eschatological success of the kingdom. Since Luke, however, places such importance on the preaching of the Word in this section of the gospel, perhaps a better designation might be "the eschatological success of that preaching."36

Jesus' Warning

In verse eight, Luke emphasizes the importance of the parable when Jesus concludes the story by calling out repeatedly with a strong imperative: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus' quotation of Isaiah in verse ten is his only use of it, although the words are used elsewhere in the New Testament to explain Jewish rejection of the gospel (John 12:40; Acts 28:26-27). The disciples reveal their bewilderment with the parable by asking Jesus for an explanation. Jesus explains that he can speak openly to them about mysteries of the kingdom, but the mysteries are hidden to outsiders by means of parables. Jesus' words expand the meaning of Isaiah's. The obduracy of ancient Israel may now be seen in the obduracy of humanity, that is, a humanity enamored with Jesus' parables but unable to grasp their meaning because of its self-perpetuated spiritual deafness and blindness. Isaiah's call to a fruitless mission, preaching to hardened hearts, provides an ominous warning of judgment, a warning embedded in Jesus' declaration as well. Jesus alerts his listeners to examine their own hearts. Since in Luke's gospel account, Jesus' preaching generally reveals rather than causes spirituali blindness,37 Jesus' use of Isaiah's words relises the question as to why so few in either audience are "spiritually alive, and so reveal themselves to be true children of the heavenly kingdom."38 Jesus seeks to highlight the condition of the heavens; so that through the obscurity of the parabolic message, he can call their attention to their inability to see and hear the truth. The message to Jesus echoes a common New Testament teaching that when people are faithful, they will be given more (cf. Matt 13:12). Thus, those who truly hear will hear more, while those who harden themselves will increase their blindness. A central teaching of Jesus in the parable seems to be, on the one hand, encouragement that eschatologically "the potency for renewal in the seed that he sows is such that rich fruitfulness will be the certain outcome;"39 while on the other hand, the various results of the sowing may serve as "a mirror to hearers so that each might be challenged"40 to examine self, become aware of blindness, and so, repent. Jesus' presence in the world as Light, revealing the glory of God inevitably precipitates judgment, since his very presence continually reveals the darkness. Like the Israelites blinded by the overwhelming brightness of Isaiah's word, to those whose eyes are spiritually blind, the Light is painfully bright. Ironically, the light blinded even those who perceived themselves to have attained the "perfect vision" of the religious. Pious Jews of the first century blessed their lives at the beginning and end of each day by reciting the Shema'*l a condensed version of covenant conditions for God's people. In pronouncing the Shema', supplicants understood themselves to be "'taking upon [themselves] the yoke of the kingdom of heaven', i.e. placing [themselves] consciously and explicitly under the dominion of God."42 The Deuteronomic context43 stresses the importance of the duty to hear, protect, and do the Word of God.44 Jesus' teaching on the Shema' affirms his agreement with the basic understanding that spiritual wisdom grows within those who hear and do the Word of God. Jesus consistently exposes the apparent lack of spiritual wisdom and understanding among the Jews of his day. When they fail to recognize his identity, he accuses them of failing to know God as well, indicating their lack of true relationship through submission to the reign of God.

The Message of the Sown Seed

The parable of the sower and the seed finds its referent in "the ineffable mystery of the kingdom's presence to Jesus and of his own experience of it."45 The in-breaking of the kingdom of God at the deepest level is the context in which this parable must be interpreted. The kingdom's coming is marked by exuberant, astonishing joy; so that, in spite of all the obstacles, astonishing abundance overflows.46 The clear revelation of the presence of the kingdom demands resolution. The resolution itself "will reveal (or perhaps even determine) the center point around which [one's] whole life turns."47 In light of Christ's call to decision in this passage, the parable itself "stands as an invitation and guide to a process of self-examination leading to repentance and renewed discipleship."48 The effectiveness of the parable consists in its ability to bring "re­ orientation by disorientation."49

264 The Parable of the Sower and the Seed Review and Expositor, 94 (1997)

The preaching of this parable finds its power in the invitation to a faith response to the mystery of the kingdom. Therefore, the teacher or preacher of this text would do well to avoid an abstract object lesson approach; rather, one might present this parable in such a way as "to invite listeners to enter into it themselves."50 Luke introduces the parable by emphasizing that Jesus' mission is with the Twelve and the women; he concludes the parable in verses 19-21 with Jesus' assertion that his true mother and brothers are "those who hear the word of God and do it." Luke consciously describes the formation of the "restored people of God" around Jesus,51 a group that is comprised of those "who hear the word of God and do it." Election and service then are tightly bound together. God reveals himself to those committed to Christ. Perhaps we are as guilty as the people in Isaiah's day or Jesus' time when we do not want to know God well enough to do the Word of God. Part of the people's blindness was due to the security of their religious tradition, which placed them, in their minds, on an inside track to God. When religious traditions, structures, and symbols become static and concrete, they lose their power to convey ultimate reality. In the lives of those to whom Isaiah and Jesus spoke, religious symbols and traditions undermined their intention and actually prevented access to ultimate truth. God calls people to relationship, not to religion; but humans tend to love traditions and structures better than the freedom of relationship. God calls us to be bound to God in a relationship effected by the Spirit. The extraordinary nature of the invitation can overwhelm those who seek security in structure and tradition. Jesus' values should lead to an evaluation of our methods and goals. But the motivation for ecclesiastical success based on visions, budgets, and buildings is often given priority, at the expense of the values of the kingdom. Such motivation distorts the gospel message and can result in the subtle hardening of people to God. Isaiah and Jesus exemplify true success in ministry, which comes only through faithfulness. Faithfully submitting to God's call causes the minister to worry less about the results of ministry (even if they be obduracy), and to focus attention on the power of God. A faithfully proclaimed but rejected word of God should not be interpreted "as a sign of failure or as an indication of divine malfeasance."52 The faithful minister and church understands that "the opposition they [are] experiencing today [is] no cause for alarm, rather, it fulfilled a purpose that God had announced, in a mysteriously veiled fashion, many centuries before."53 In summary, the power of the kingdom comes in the words and miraculous deeds of Jesus. The power of the kingdom is realized when those who hear the word, do it. Jesus' message and kingdom both attracts and repels. The light is appealing, but it may be too revealing for comfort. On the other hand, it would be well to keep in mind that the mystery and paradox of the kingdom unnerves a culture which seeks immediate resolution of the tension of paradox. Finding faith in a God and a kingdom that provides God's presence without providing all of the answers is as risky a business today as it was in the first century. God has not asked us to take any greater risk than God has taken. The proclamation of an eschatological hope reverberates in Luke 8:1-10 and throughout the New Testament, a hope founded in the promises of the words and work of Christ, a hope for those "who have ears to hear."

*Ruth Ann Foster is Assistant Professor of New Testament and William D. Shiell is a Master of Divinity candidate at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University, Waco, Texas. Frederick H. Borsch, God's Parable (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975), 54. 2Ibid., 48. 3Sallie McFague, Metaphorical Theology: Models of God in Religions Language (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1982), 31. 4Borsch, God's Parable, 55. 5Brevard S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979), 331. 6John D.W. Watts, Isaiah 1-33, in Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1985), 73. 7Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament, 325. 8 Ibidv 337. 9Hans Wildberger, Isaiah 1-12, trans. Thomas H. Trapp, in Biblischer Kommentar (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991), 276,277. 10Christopher Seitz, Isaiah 1-39, in Interpretation (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1993), 56-7. "Edward J. Young, The Book of Isaiah, vol. 1 in New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 257. 12Wildberger, Isaiah 1-12,273. 13R.E. Clements, Isaiah 1-39, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 77. 14Craig A. Evans, To See and Not Perceive (Sheffield: Academic Press, 1989), 62-64. 15Ibid., 68. 16Watts, Isaiah 1-33, 75. 17Evans, To See and Not Perceive, 43-45. 18Watts, Isaiah 1-33,75. 19John Nolland, Luke 1-9:20, in Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word Books, 1989), 365. 20E. Earle Ellis, The Gospel of Luke, rev. ed., in New Century Bible (Greenwood, S.C.: The Attic Press, 1974), 122. 21Frederick W. Danker, Luke (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1976), 99; and Nolland, Luke, 365. 22Ellis, Luke, 123-24. 23Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, in New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1956), 242. 24This verse falls within Jesus' sermon in Nazareth, wherein he proclaims his messianic kingdom will include all of humanity, especially the marginalized. Jesus' kingdom might be termed "an upside-down kingdom," one that would not be appealing to the structured religious and political systems of the day. ^Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, in Sacra Pagina Series (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1991), 131. 26Matthew and Luke record the possibility of fruitful results, ranging from thirty, to sixty, to a hundred-fold, a progression that seems somewhat unnatural. 27Joachim Jeremías, The Parables of Jesus, rev. ed. (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1963), 12.

266 The Parable of the Sower and the Seed Review and Expositor, 94 (1997)

^Nolland, Lute, 372. 29Philip B. Payne, "The Order of Sowing and Ploughing in the Parable of the Sower," New Testament Studies 25 (October 1978): 123-24. Payne's article also considers the ongoing debate over this issue. ^Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Luke (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 150. 31Elsewhere the disciples ask why Jesus speaks in parables, but in Luke they ask specifically about the meaning. 32Birger Gerhardsson, "The Parable of the Sower and its Interpretation," New Testament Studies 14 (January 1968): 165. 33In reference to the withering of the plants, Luke recasts Mark's version which adds the scorching of the sun as the means of withering the young shoots (cf. Mark 3:5-6) because he apparently perceived Mark's version to be an elaboration. See Johnson, The Gospel of Luke, 133. Nolland states, "The LXX text of Jer 17:7-8 forms an interesting middle ground between the Markan and the Lukan form and possibly may have played some role in the transition from the one to the other." See Nolland, Luke, 374. ^Nolland, Luke, 371. ^Joseph Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX in Anchor Bible (Garden City: Doubleday, 1985), 701. ^Ibid. 37The difficulty arises over the interpretation of nina. While some assert it indicates God's purpose to harden, others understand the force of hina "as no more than a vigorous way of stating the inevitable." See Nolland's argument, in Luke, 380; cf. Fitzmyer, Luke, 709. ^Gerhardsson, "Parable of the Sower," 173. 39Nolland, Luke, 373. ^Ibid. 41The sacred text is located in Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21; Num. 15:37-41. ^Gerhardsson, "Parable of the Sower," 167. «See Deut 4:lff.; 5:1,29ff; 6:lff.; 8:lff., etc. "Gerhardsson, "Parable of the Sower," 167. ^John Dominic Crossan, "The Seed Parables of Jesus," Journal of Biblical Literature 92 (June 1973): 266. "Ibid. 47P. Mark Achtemeier, "Matthew 13:1-23," in Interpretation 44 (January 1990): 62. ^Ibid. 49Paul Ricoeur, "Biblical Hermeneutics," in Paul Ricoeur and Biblical Hermeneutics, ed. J.D. Crossan, Semeia 4 (1975): 114. ^Achtemeier, "Matthew 13:1-23," 64. 51Johnson, Luke, 133. 52Seitz, Isaiah 1-39,56. 53Joel Marcus, The Mystery of the Kingdom of God (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1986), 121. ^s

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