Matthew 13:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Just as the sower does not differentiate between patches of land but scatters the seed freely, so Christ did not differentiate between the affluent and the impoverished, the learned and the ignorant, the indifferent and the diligent, nor the bold and the fearful; He preached to all, fulfilling His mission, even knowing in advance the outcomes, thus enabling Him to ask, "What more could I have done that I did not do?" (Isaiah 5:4). The prophets liken the people to grapes: the grapes belonging to the beloved, and: the grapes being brought from Egypt (Is. 5:1, Ps. 79:9). Christ likewise compares the people to a seed. What does He reveal through this? That the people would quickly and readily obey and would bear fruit immediately. However, when you hear of the sower going out to sow, do not confuse this with mere similarity. The sower often has additional tasks, such as tilling the soil, uprooting weeds, or removing thorns, but Christ's purpose was solely to sow. Therefore, I ask, why did much of the seed perish? It was not due to the sower, but rather the earth that received it, meaning the soul that chose not to heed the message. Why does He not say that some seed was taken by the indifferent and destroyed; some was seized by the wealthy and crushed; some was captured by the weak and neglected? He refrains from laying a heavy accusation on them, lest it lead them to despair, preferring instead to leave the correction to the conscience of His listeners. This phenomenon affects not only the seed but also the net. Much fruitlessness resulted from it. Christ presents this parable to bolster and guide His disciples, encouraging them not to lose heart, even if most who hear their message may not thrive. The same was true for the Lord Himself; even though He knew in advance that it would occur, He continued to sow. Is it wise to sow among thorns or on rocky ground or by the roadside? Certainly, this may not be prudent in terms of seeds and soil; however, concerning souls and teachings, it holds great merit. A farmer acting thus would rightly be criticized because stones cannot transform into soil, paths will not cease to be roads, and thorns will not simply disappear; yet this does not apply to rational beings. A stone may be converted and become rich soil; a road can be exclusive, not trampled by passersby, and turn into a fruitful field; thorns can be cleared away, allowing seeds to thrive. If such transformations were impossible, Christ would not have sown. If change does not occur in all, it is not due to the sower but rather those unwilling to transform. Christ fulfilled His mission; if some ignored His teachings, He who demonstrated such compassion bears no guilt. Moreover, notice that there are multiple paths to destruction, each distinct. Those resembling the road are the neglectful and lethargic, while the rocky ground depicts the feeblest among them.

There are those who possess a simple and uncomplicated faith, yet they have not deeply engaged their minds with the profound mysteries. Their worship of God is superficial and lacks foundation. Although the acts of Christians may sometimes be aided by favorable circumstances, they struggle to maintain their faith; when trials emerge, their souls find no blessing.

Moreover, why did the sower scatter seeds along the path where they were trampled by passersby, and why were seeds cast on rocky ground? The sower, consistent in his method, sowed the seeds uniformly across different soils, yet each terrain revealed the seed's potential for growth according to its inherent qualities.

Through this message, the Lord clearly conveys that His Gospel does not impose righteousness on individuals against their will and that those who remain unresponsive are not deprived of the chance to receive His sacred words. The seeds "fallen by the way" symbolize those souls that improperly dismiss the word, akin to the servant who received one talent but disrespected the generosity of his master (Matt. 25:14-25). The hearts that refuse to accept this seed become vulnerable to destruction, as they allow evil to trample upon it. Consequently, no teacher or guide could enter to cultivate their hardened spirit and sow new seeds. The devil is likened to birds that steal away the word, as he does not forcibly remove from the hearts of men the teachings they encounter. According to the metaphor utilized by the Lord, the message of the Gospel may only reach the outer ears, much like grain remaining atop the soil without taking root in fertile depths. For just as it is impossible for birds to access the seeds buried within the earth, so too do those who reject the Word of God remain devoid of its essence.

The sower represents Christ, the eternal God, who came forth from the Father to sow the seed of our salvation. The seed is the sacred and life-giving Word, and the field is humanity itself. The oxen symbolize the Apostles, the plough signifies the cross, and the yoke denotes the love that binds and directs the hearts of scholars. The sower did not come to plant wheat or barley nor anything else meant for the belly, but instead, He sows faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the hope of resurrection, and impartial love for God and neighbor. As the great Isaiah noted, Christ comes with ten harnesses of oxen, for a full harness is needed to bring the harvest to completion. The count of ten harnesses of oxen reflects the holy face of the Apostles, while the original twelve represent the Apostles before the Passion, and the seven refer to those chosen alongside Stephen the Archdeacon after the Holy Resurrection. The twentieth was Saul, who was called from heaven: "Saul, why do you persecute Me?" This moment transformed him from a fighter against Israel to a champion for Christ. These insights point to those who are mentally equipped for the battle—the twelve oxen have ploughed the human soul and in Christ have sown the seeds of faith.

Christ, the sower and benefactor of our nature, created humanity from nothing prior to His incarnation. Though we had become tainted and vessels of evil, He, by conquering death, renews us and makes us immortal, blessed, and divine in our entirety and essence. Jesus, the clay from our earth, became flesh, carrying the life-giving water of His divinity. John the Baptist, proclaiming the Baptism, identified Him by saying: “Behold, the Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the whole world,” through His Cross and the pouring out of blood and water. Furthermore, when the disciples inquired where to prepare for the Passover, He instructed them to find a man carrying an earthen vessel of water and to tell him, “The Teacher says: ‘At your house I will celebrate the Passover with My disciples.’” This was fulfilled. The man with the water signifies John the Baptist, preaching the baptism of repentance, while the city represents the holy Jerusalem, home to the assembly of the righteous saints. The upper room, adorned with colorful carpets resembling stars, can be likened to our altar, embellished with various decorations.

The Apostle Paul elucidated that the Apostles and Prophets could be compared to oxen when he said: "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." And he further asked, "Is God concerned about oxen?" For certainly, he was speaking for our benefit. Returning to exalted Isaiah, we learn: "Ten harnesses of oxen shall not cease to make one barn," and it is immediately noted, "He who sows six seeds shall reap three measures." Yet, are we to conclude that such significant transgression resulted in only half the yield? It does not say three seeds, but merely three measures, which suggests little. Let us delve deeper into the meaning here. The sowing of six seeds corresponds to the church field—four books of the Word regarding God, the Acts of the Apostles as the fifth, and the sixth encompasses the writings of the Apostle Paul.

From these, fruit is borne from followers of the saints through the public teaching of the Church. Three types of faith are planted: faith in the Father, faith in the Son, and faith in the Holy Spirit. The sower spreads life-giving faith, not wheat for baking bread. However, not all the seed took root: some fell "by the way," not upon the Way itself, indicating those who are not fully aligned with Christ and do not believe in Him directly. Christ declares, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Those near the Way include the Arians, Hellenes, or Jews, who acknowledge Christ but are outside Him. Their denial of His equality with the Father distances them from the living Way. Thus, the birds of the air—symbols of demonic forces—come to snatch away the seeds from those who remain unrepentant. The Lord, in His teachings, cautioned against sharing His sacred truths with the unworthy, quoting, "Do not cast your pearls before swine," and reiterating the need for true faith, hope, and love for God’s acceptance and reward. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Like infidels, the wicked heretics hold no better status.

The thorns, which choke the seed, likely represent the Eunomians, whose blasphemous views lead many to label them as lawless. Their erroneous claims about Christ being a created being obstruct their ability to flourish in faith. Similarly, those in thorns are those within the church who are preoccupied with worldly distractions, failing to nurture the divine seed within themselves to bring forth fruit.

Others have fallen on rocky ground, not upon the Stone which is Christ, as the divine Paul elucidated. Those with hardened, rebellious hearts fit this description. Even though the heart of humanity is naturally softer than stone, the seed—though soft—exhibits greater hardness than soil. The Lord draws a clear comparison here, identifying the blasphemers against the Holy Spirit as those who harden their hearts, earning the Lord's unyielding punishment. The Lord has proclaimed: "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come." The earth will not thrive when it encompasses such harsh stones, rejecting the seed meant for Christians. Those who confirm the divine nature of Jesus Christ affirm a softened heart, while those who deny the divinity of the Holy Spirit allow their hearts to harden. They live in contradiction, equating the Creator with the created and reducing the Almighty to servitude.

The great Apostle asserted: "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." The Lord also told us: "Another seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: one thirtyfold, one sixtyfold, and one hundredfold." The good ground symbolizes a righteous and receptive heart, purged of heretical thorns, initially blooming with the grass of faith, followed by the ear of hope, and ultimately yielding the bountiful harvest of accomplished love. This aligns with the divine teaching of Paul, who stated that the greatest gifts are faith, hope, and love. Thus, he who believes reaps thirtyfold, he who hopes reaps sixtyfold, and the one perfected in love obtains a hundredfold from that one seed.

In honoring God, exalted in the Church, we seek to comprehend the Being Himself with our spirit, perceive with our soul, and endure with our body. We glorify Him on earth, rise from the dead, and find rest in heaven. The perfected person concerning the Trinity embodies faithfulness, humility, and compassion, not shunning the body but engaging with the Divine, yearning for the heavenly, living among people, and reflecting an ‘image’ of God on earth. Thus, one gathers thirty as he lives among men, sixty in service with angels, and one hundred by communion with God. By anointing with oil, one yields thirty; through Baptism, one yields sixty; and through the perfect Anointing with Peace, one yields a hundred. He who believes in the Father earns thirty; he who acknowledges the equality of God the Son with the Father earns sixty; and he who is perfected by the Spirit, affirming His divinity, yields a hundred. Some devout individuals have claimed that faith in the Spirit yields thirty, in the Son yields sixty, and in the Father yields a hundred. Yet, those who diminish the Holy Spirit’s significance while exalting the Father and the Son diminish the truth and display their confusion.

For they first claim belief in the Father, then the Son, before finally contemplating the perfect unity of the Holy Trinity. The divine Song-bearer conveyed that within creation existed a Trinity, declaring, "By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the Spirit of His mouth all their host." The mouth represents the Father; the Word symbolizes the Son; the Holy Spirit embodies the fullness of the Holy Trinity. His lordship manifested when the Lord resurrected and commanded His disciples, "Receive the Holy Spirit... If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven." This bestowed the Spirit’s authority, showing that receiving the Spirit endows the power to forgive sins. We must remain steadfast and not fall prey to heretical beliefs, lest we be criticized by the Queen of Sheba, who journeyed far to seek wisdom, highlighting our own negligence towards higher truths.

What is the terrain along this path? It refers to an individual who conforms to worldly standards, well-versed in earthly matters but ignorant of divine truths. Yet, they continuously fixate on one desire: to eat, drink, and engage in carnal indulgence. Therefore, all forms of wrongdoing stem from this mindset.