Matthew 13:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is clear from this teaching that Christ extended His message to everyone without distinction. Just as a sower indiscriminately scatters seed across the field, Christ did not differentiate between the wealthy and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the indifferent and the eager, the brave and the fearful; He preached to all, fulfilling His mission, fully aware of the outcomes, allowing Him to ask, "What more could I have done that I did not do?" (Isaiah 5:4). The prophets liken the people to grapes destined for the beloved, and they emerged from Egypt (Is. 5:1, Ps. 79:9). Christ refers to the people as a seed. What does this signify? That the people will readily comply and produce fruit immediately. But when you hear that the sower ventures out to sow, do not assume it is merely a straightforward act. The sower may also tend to the soil, remove weeds, or uproot thorns; yet Christ’s sole purpose was to sow. Therefore, why did a significant portion of the seed fail? The fault lies not with the sower but with the earth that received it, meaning the soul that chose to ignore it. Why, then, does He not mention that some seed was disregarded by the careless, or crushed by the rich, or neglected by the weak? He seeks not to harshly condemn them, so as not to plunge them into despair, but leaves the admonishment to the conscience of His listeners. This applies not only to the seed but to the net as well, revealing much futility. Christ presents this parable to fortify and guide His disciples, so they do not lose heart, even if many who hear their message may perish. The same was true for the Lord Himself; though He foresaw this outcome, He continued to sow. Is it wise to scatter seed among thorns or on rocky terrain, or by the roadside? While it may appear imprudent regarding seeds and soil, it is commendable in relation to souls and teachings. If a farmer were to do this, he would rightly face criticism, for a stone cannot become soil, a path remains a path, and thorns will remain thorns. However, it is not so with rational beings. A stone can be transformed into fertile ground; a path might not be constantly trampled and could yield a rich harvest; and thorns can be removed, allowing seeds to flourish. If such transformations were impossible, Christ would not have sown. Yet, if this change did not happen for all, the reason lies not with the sower but with those unwilling to change. Christ fulfilled His purpose; if they disregarded His teachings, He, who showed profound compassion, bears no blame. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that there are multiple paths to destruction, each distinct. Those like the roadside are careless and slothful, while the rocky ground represents the fainthearted.

In response, the Sower is Christ, the eternal God who has come forth from the Father. He is the Sower of our salvation. The seed represents the divine and life-giving Word. The field symbolizes all of humanity; the oxen signify the Apostles; the plough is the cross, and the yoke represents the bond of love that unites, yet also humbles the minds of the theologians. The Sower did not sow earthly grains like wheat or barley for mere physical sustenance, but rather, He sows faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, along with the hope of resurrection and love for God and neighbor, without discrimination. Christ goes out to sow with ten oxen, as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, for just as ten oxen are sufficient to till one field effectively, so too does His work yield a harvest. The ten oxen represent the holy Apostles within the divine Trinity. The twelve denote the Apostles prior to the Passion, while seven represent those chosen together with Stephen (the Archdeacon) after the Holy Resurrection. The twentieth, heard from heaven, was Saul, who was confronted with the words, "Saul, why do you persecute Me?"—suddenly transformed from an adversary of Israel into a champion for Christ. The mentally understood warriors, the twelve oxen, tilled the heart of humanity, and in Christ, they planted the seed of faith. They rendered our earthly nature into a single vessel, ready to receive the divine outpouring of blood and water, which has saved us from the thrust of the spear.

The Sower and creator of our being is Christ, who fashioned humanity from nothing before His incarnation. He renews us, having conquered death, transforming us from vessels of sin into immortal and blessed beings, pure in entirety and form. He is the clay that became flesh, filled with the life-giving waters of His divinity, which John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw Jesus, declaring, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world," through the Cross and the outpouring of water and blood. Furthermore, when the disciples asked Jesus where He should prepare the Passover, He instructed them to follow a man carrying an earthen vessel of water, saying, “The Teacher says: ‘At your house, I will celebrate the Passover with My disciples.’ He will show you a large upper room, fully furnished; make preparations there.” This was truly fulfilled. The man with the earthen vessel of water is John the Baptist, heralding the baptism. The city symbolizes high Jerusalem, home to the assembly of righteous saints. The richly adorned upper room is akin to our royal altar, embellished with various ornaments.

The Apostles and Prophets can indeed be perceived as oxen, as the Apostle Paul asserts, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” He swiftly adds, “Is God concerned about oxen? Or does He not say it all for our sake?” Returning to the vision of Isaiah, he proclaims, “Ten oxen will not cease to fill one barn.” It follows that “He who sows six seed spots will reap three measures.” Is it conceivable that despite sowing six, only three measures are harvested? The statement does not say “three seed spots” but "three measures," indicating a meager yield. Let us delve deeper into the meaning of this text. The six seed spots correspond to six foundational texts: four Gospels about God, the book of Acts, and the epistles of Paul. From these scriptures, nourishment is cultivated for those who follow the saintly teachings.

Three aspects of faith are cultivated: faith toward the Father, faith toward the Son, and faith toward the Holy Spirit. The Sower went forth to plant life-giving faith rather than grains for physical nourishment. Yet, not all seeds took root; some fell "by the wayside," signifying those who do not fully embrace Christ. He declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Those described as "not far from the Way," including the Arians, Gentiles, or Jews, linger close to the truth but remain outside of it. Their acknowledgment of Christ as a figure leads them close, yet their denial of His equality with the Father diverts them from the living Way. Consequently, the birds of the air—symbolizing evil spirits—snatch away the divine seed from the hearts of the unrepentant, for the Lord commanded, “Do not cast your pearls before swine, nor give what is holy to the dogs.” He also said, "To him who has, shall more be given; but from him who has not, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away." This implies that good works are fruitless without true faith. The Lord clearly stated, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” The unrighteous and heretical deny faith in Christ, paralleling their spiritual fate with those in thorns: likely the Eunomians, known for their blasphemy about Christ as merely a creature. This thorns-like mentality suffocates their ability to cultivate genuine faith.

Others may have fallen not onto stone but into rocky soil, for “the stone” is Christ, as the divine Paul noted. The rocky ground illustrates hearts hardened against God. While the heart is softer than stone by nature, the seed—representing faith—remains more resilient than earthly soil. The Lord likens the hardened hearts of those who deny the divinity of the Holy Spirit as rock-like, blaspheming the Spirit without remorse. The Lord has warned, “Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, not in this age or the one to come.” Their hearts, hardened by heresy, become incapable of receiving the divine seed, akin to unyielding stone that fails to nurture life. The confession that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is of the same nature as the Father indicates a softened heart; denying the Spirit's divinity hardens them. Thus, they are spiritually blind, equating the Creator with His creation.

The great Apostle emphasized that “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Him.” Yet the Lord stated, “Another seed fell on good soil and produced grain: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” The good soil represents a sincere and discerning heart, purified from the thorns of heresy. This heart first yields the tender shoot of faith, then the grains of hope, and ultimately, the ripened fruit of love. The divine Paul confirms this when he teaches that the greatest among these virtues is faith, hope, and love. Thus, the faithful yield thirtyfold, those who live in hope yield sixty, while those perfected in love bear fruit a hundredfold, reflecting the richness of one seed producing three harvests.

Regarding God, whose glory is exalted in the Church, we understand Him through the Spirit, perceive Him with our souls, and honor Him in our physical beings. Here on earth, we glorify Him, and from the dead, we will rise, finding rest in heaven. The perfected individual relating to the Trinity embodies faithfulness, humility, love, mercy, righteousness, and selflessness. This person embodies a thirst for the divine and lives among others as an image of Christ. Thus, he gathers thirty-fold through his life among people, sixty-fold through his service with angels, and one hundred-fold in communion with God. Through anointing with oil, he bears thirtyfold; through baptism, sixty; and through the fullness of peace, he achieves a hundredfold. The one believing in the Father achieves thirty; the one confessing the equality of the Son with the Father achieves sixty; and the perfected through the Spirit, who acknowledges the Spirit’s divinity, yields a hundred. Some faithful ones have pointed out that faith towards the Spirit yields thirty, towards the Son yields sixty, and towards the Father yields a hundred. Those who unjustly belittle the Holy Spirit, falsely glorifying the Father and the Son, are in error.

They wrongly presume a hierarchy among the Trinity, believing the Father and Son merit higher status than the Holy Spirit. This reasoning is fundamentally flawed. Recognizing that throughout creation, a Trinity exists, the psalmist proclaims, “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth.” In this, the mouth signifies the Father, the Word symbolizes the Son, and the Holy Spirit represents the fullness of the divine Trinity. The Lord affirmed the Spirit’s sovereignty post-resurrection when He commanded His disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit...Whosoever sins you forgive are forgiven.” By this action, He demonstrated that the reception of the Spirit equips believers with the power to forgive sins. We must not fall into heresy, lest we be rebuked like the Queen of Sheba, who journeyed from afar seeking wisdom, and would thus condemn our apathy toward the matters of faith.

Other seeds have fallen upon rocky areas. Stones have two inherent traits: they are strong and unyielding. Consequently, individuals are referred to as 'stone' either for their unwavering faith or for their hardened hearts. This is why the prophet declares: I will take from you a heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). What does the earth represent? It signifies a carnal mind, lacking reason and far removed from a firm and faithful spirit. While many possess a naturally good mind, few embody a faithful spirit, for the human intellect is a gift from God, whereas a faithful spirit is contingent upon one’s will. Thus, there are some who, when discussed about the honor of the saints and the joy of the heavenly kingdom, immediately brighten with delight, as wise individuals tend to embrace God's Word readily. However, do not trust their joy; they rejoice in worldly pleasures, in sin, and in carnal satisfaction. But you, who are unwilling to sacrifice anything for God's cause, how can you sustain physical trials for His sake if you cannot even live according to your desires? You, who shy away from giving generously from your resources, how could you endure losing all that you have for the sake of your faith? Therefore, you face temptation when you encounter affliction or persecution for the sake of the Word of God.

The sower scattered seed that was uniformly identical, yet the soil varied, leading to three outcomes where the seed failed to thrive, while only one portion flourished, and even then, not to the same extent. This parable represented the impact of His message among the Jews, both at that time and in the future. For some, the message found no acceptance, as seen with the Pharisees, while others received it through their influence. There were those who initially embraced it but lacked deep roots or a wholehearted commitment; when trials arose from their fellow countrymen, such believers would be unwilling to endure for the sake of the gospel and would abandon the word of the kingdom. Additionally, for those not affected by persecution, the distractions of life would stifle the truth of God within them, leading them to neglect the purification of their souls from sinful desires. This describes many who have recently shifted from the crowd to follow Christ. Ultimately, a few would be found in whom the word of the kingdom remains vibrant and powerful, albeit in varying degrees.

Lastly, “other seeds fell on good soil and yielded a harvest: some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” After sharing this parable, the Savior poignantly concluded, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” This remark was not unnecessary, as many in the crowd, despite having ears, lacked the comprehension to grasp the meaning of the parable.