Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant Heareth, The First Parable in Matthew

Beginning the study through the parables of the Gospels.

A reflection on Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 (KJV) Parable of the Sower

When I sit with the Parable of the Sower, I feel as though Jesus is speaking directly to me — not just telling a story, but holding up a mirror to my own heart. As I read, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow” (Matthew 13:3), I sense that He is inviting me to ask a simple but searching question: What kind of soil am I today?

The Path: When My Heart Feels Hard

There are days when I hear God’s word but it barely sinks in. Jesus says that some hear the word and “understandeth it not” (Matthew 13:19). I know that feeling — when distraction, pride, or spiritual fatigue make my heart feel like a beaten path. On those days, I pray for softness, for the ability to truly listen.

The Rocky Places: When I Start Strong but Fade

Sometimes I receive God’s word with joy, just as Jesus describes: “Yet hath he not root in himself” (Matthew 13:21). I recognize myself in that line. I’ve had seasons where I start with enthusiasm, only to wither when life gets difficult. It reminds me that depth doesn’t happen by accident. Roots grow slowly, quietly, through daily faithfulness.

Among Thorns: When Life Gets Crowded

Jesus’ words cut close when He speaks of the seed “choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life” (Matthew 13:22). I know how easily my priorities get tangled. Worry, ambition, and busyness creep in like thorns. They don’t attack me; they simply crowd out what matters. I’m learning that spiritual growth often requires subtraction, not addition.

The Good Ground: When I Let God Cultivate Me

Then Jesus describes the good soil — the heart that “heareth the word, and understandeth it” and “beareth fruit” (Matthew 13:23). I long to be that kind of soil. But I’m realizing that good soil isn’t naturally occurring. It’s tended. It’s turned over. It’s weeded. It’s watered.

In other words, God doesn’t ask me to be perfect soil — only willing soil.

The Sower’s Generosity

What moves me most is the sower Himself. He scatters seed everywhere — on the path, the rocks, the thorns, the good ground. He doesn’t hold back. He doesn’t calculate. He doesn’t avoid the “bad” soil.

His generosity tells me something about God: He keeps sowing into me, even on the days I feel unworthy or unready.

My Prayer Today

As I meditate on this parable, I find myself praying:

“Lord, break up the hard places in me. Pull the thorns. Deepen my roots. Make my heart good ground for Your word.”

And I trust that He will — because the same Sower who scatters the seed also knows how to tend the soil.

Discovering the Path of Salvation