Matthew 13:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Like a sower who doesn’t differentiate between the types of land, He shared His teachings with everyone—rich and poor, wise and unlearned, indifferent and eager, brave and fearful—without distinction. He preached to all, fully aware of how people would respond, allowing Him to ask, "What more could I have done that I did not do?” The prophets refer to the people as grapes: they were intended for the beloved, brought forth from Egypt. Christ compares the people to seed, indicating that they will respond quickly and bear fruit. However, when you hear of the sower going out to sow, do not equate this with routine actions, for he may also plow the soil or remove weeds, but Christ’s purpose was solely to sow. So, why did most of the seed perish? It was not due to the one who sowed, but rather because of the nature of the soil—meaning, the souls that were unresponsive. Why does He not mention that some seed was taken by the indifferent or the wealthy who crushed it, or by the weak who neglected it? He refrains from laying heavy criticism upon them to avoid leading them into despair, allowing their own consciences to serve as the source of self-reproof. This scenario reflects not only on the seed but also on the net used for fishing, revealing its ineffectiveness. Christ shares this parable to encourage and guide His disciples, so they will not be discouraged, even when many who hear their message may falter. The same was true for the Lord Himself; even with foreknowledge of their rejection, He continued to sow. Is it wise to sow among thorns, on rocky ground, or by the roadside? While that might seem imprudent for seeds and soil, it is commendable concerning souls and doctrine. If a farmer acted thus, he would justly be criticized, as stones cannot become soil nor roads cease to be paths, nor can thorns be anything other than thorns. Yet, regarding rational beings, transformation is possible. A stone can become fruitful land, a path can be sheltered from passersby and be cultivated into a vibrant field, and thorns can be removed, allowing seeds to thrive freely. If such transformations were impossible, Christ would not have sown. However, the absence of change in all does not fall on the sower, but rather on those unwilling to be altered. Christ fulfilled His mission; if some ignored His message, He, who embodied such profound compassion, bears no blame. Additionally, note that there are various paths to destruction, each distinct. Those akin to the path represent the indifferent, negligent, and lethargic, while the rocky ground symbolizes the most fragile among us.

The sower did not plant wheat or barley, or any earthly food, but instead the faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, alongside the hope of resurrection and love for God and neighbor in equality. Christ went out to sow, holding ten yoke of oxen, as the prophet Isaiah indicated, for ten yoke of oxen do not fail to yield a full barn. The ten yoke of oxen symbolically reflect the holy countenance of the Apostles within the Godhead. The twelve are the Apostles prior to the Passion, while seven includes those chosen alongside Stephen the Archdeacon after the Holy Resurrection. The twentieth was Saul, who heard from heaven, “Saul, why do you persecute Me?”—suddenly disarming one who opposed the united Israel and arming him to champion Christ. These are the discernible warriors. The twelve oxen cultivated the field of the soul and humanity and sowed the seeds of faith in Christ. They transformed our earthly composition into a single vessel capable of receiving the Divine solution of blood and water that flowed out to redeem us from the spear's thrust. Christ, the sower and benefactor of our being, created us from nothing before His incarnation. Though we had become profane and vessels of sin, He who conquered death renews us, making us impervious to evil and immortal, blessed, and sublime in essence and form. He is the clay (earthen vessel) that, molded from our clay, became flesh, holding the life-giving water of His divinity, which John the Baptist, burdened by his mission, proclaimed as he saw Jesus, crying out: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world”—through the Cross and the pouring out of His blood and water. When the disciples inquired of Jesus where He would prepare the Passover, He instructed, “Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying an earthen vessel of water. Say to him, ‘The Teacher has said, “At your home I will celebrate the Passover with My disciples.”’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” This came to pass. The comparison draws that the man carrying the earthen vessel of water symbolizes John the Baptist, who preached the baptism of repentance. The city represents exalted Jerusalem, whose inhabitants are John and the assembly of the righteous saints. The upper room, adorned with colorful tapestries resembling stars and diverse illustrations, parallels our royal altar, embellished with various ornaments. It is evident that apostles and prophets can be compared to oxen, as indicated by the Apostle Paul, who under the holy number twenty states: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” He immediately adds, “Is God concerned about oxen?” He speaks for our benefit, for it is written for our sake. Let us return to the exalted Isaiah, who prophesied: “Ten yoke of oxen shall not cease to yield one barn.” It is followed by, “He who sows six measures shall reap three bushels.” Alas, should we think that there was such great transgression that even though six measures were sown, only three bushels were harvested? It does not say “shall produce three measures,” but only “three bushels,” indicating a minimal yield. However, let us look beyond the surface and discern the deeper meaning here. Six measures symbolize the field of humanity: the four gospels about God, the book of Acts of the Apostles, and the sixth being the writings of the great Apostle Paul. Through these six works, fruit is borne by those who follow the teachings of the saints. Three aspects of faith are cultivated: faith in the Father, faith in the Son, and faith in the Holy Spirit. The sower went out not to plant wheat that sustains the body, but life-giving faith. Yet the seed did not flourish everywhere: some fell “by the wayside”—denoting those who are not fully devoted to Christ, those lack belief in Him directly. He declared: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Those who are “not far from the Way” include Arians, Hellenes, or Jews—they are not of the Way but alongside it, outside of Christ. Their acknowledgment of Christ brings them near, yet their blasphemies declaring that He is not equal to the Father cast them away from the living Way. Thus, the birds of heaven—symbolizing devils—descend and devour God's seeds from the hearts of the unrepentant. The Lord commanded all to follow His example, stating: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine.” Furthermore, “Take from him who has one piece of silver and give it to him who has ten.” To any individual possessing true faith, more will be granted, while from those lacking faith, hope, and love, what they believe they have will be taken away, declares the Lord. Good works will not yield any benefit if performed apart from true faith. The Lord Himself said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” No different are the wicked and heretical from non-believers. Those caught among thorns may be likened to the Eunomians; through their blasphemies, they are deemed lawless for their audacity to speak foolishly about Christ, asserting Him to be a created being. This is akin to thorns that suffocate them, hindering them from growing fully in faith. This applies to individuals in our church who are ensnared by the thorns of worldly distractions and do not endeavor to allow the divine seed to flourish within them to ultimately bear fruit. Others have fallen not onto solid ground but into stony soil. For the Stone is Christ, as the divine Paul acknowledged. The stony soil represents those with hardened and defiant hearts. The human heart, by nature, is softer than stone, while the seed symbolizes a softer essence compared to a stone yet harder than the earth. The Lord compares the stone to the dreadful followers of Macedonius and Marcion, who defame the Spirit and utter falsehoods about His creations. They bring upon themselves the Lord's irreversible punishment, as the Lord has stated: “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor the age to come.” Their hearts are like hard stone, as they refuse to acknowledge that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is of the same essence as the Father, demonstrating a hardened spirit, while their denial of the Holy Spirit's divinity further solidifies their hearts. They are partially sound but utterly blind, equating the Creator with His creation, reducing the Sovereign to a servant. As the great Apostle declared, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. However, the Lord illustrated, “Another seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, producing one hundredfold, another sixty, and another thirty.” The good soil symbolizes a sincere and careful heart, cleansed from the choking thorns of heresy, which firstly produces the shoots of faith, followed by the ear of hope, and ultimately the ripe fruit of perfected love. This is further affirmed by the divine Paul, who states that the greatest gifts are faith, hope, and love. Therefore, the one who believes produces thirtyfold, the one who hopes produces sixty, and he who attains perfection in love produces one hundredfold, gathering three times the fruit from one seed. In honoring God, exalted in the Church, we recognize the Being with the spirit, perceive with the soul, and endure with the body. On earth, we glorify Him; from the dead, we arise; and in heaven, we find rest. The perfected individual regarding the Trinity is faithful, meek, loved by all, humble, merciful, compassionate towards humanity, righteous, not withholding care for the body, living in the Divine, longing for the Heavenly, engaging with fellow man while displaying an “image” on earth. Thus, they reap thirty by living among men, sixty by serving with the angels, and a hundred by communing with God. Through anointing, thirtyfold are produced; through Baptism, sixty; and through the perfect Anointing with Peace, a hundred. The one believing in the Father yields thirty; the one confessing the Son's equality to the Father yields sixty; and the one perfected by the Spirit, recognizing the Spirit as God, yields a hundred. Some devout men assert that faith in the Spirit produces thirty, faith in the Son yields sixty, and faith in the Father garners a hundred. They mislead themselves by deeming it necessary to diminish the Holy Spirit while uplifting the Father and the Son, placing them in higher esteem. This is a perversion of understanding. They begin by not recognizing the Spirit but first believe in the Father, then the Son, ultimately coming to the complete understanding of the Holy Trinity. The divine Songbearer remarked that in the creation of the world, the Trinity was present: “By the Word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and by the Spirit of His mouth, all their host.” The Lord refers to the Father; the Word represents the Son, while the Holy Spirit embodies the fullness of the Holy Trinity. The Lord's affirmation of the Spirit's Lordship occurred when He rose from the dead and proclaimed to His disciples, “Receive the Holy Spirit...If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.” Through this, He reveals the Spirit's authority—the receiving of the Spirit empowers the remission of sins. We must not succumb to the fate of heretics, hoping that the Queen of the South, who traveled from the ends of the earth to seek wisdom from Solomon, does not condemn us for our complacency concerning eternal truths.

Thy revelations are my instruction, and Thy statutes are my counsellors” (Ps. 118:23-24). Furthermore, he proclaims, “and I have learnt in Thy commandments, which I have greatly loved” (Psalm 118:47). He continues with, “and have meditated on Thy statutes” (Ps. 118:48). He expresses his deep affection for the law: “How have I loved Thy law...! All the day long it is my instruction” (Ps. 118:97). In times of trouble, he finds solace in saying, “Tribulation and want have befallen me; Thy commandments are my comfort” (Psalm 118:143). Thus, it is said of the righteous man, “The law of his God is in his heart; his feet shall not stumble” (Psalm 36:31), and blessed is the man who delights “in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” He is compared to a tree by the streams of water, “which brings forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf shall not wither; and in all that he does, he shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).

Furthermore, some seeds have fallen on rocky ground. Stones possess two inherent traits: strength and rigidity. Hence, individuals are referred to as ‘stone’ either for their steadfast faith or for their hardened hearts. This is also reflected in the words of the prophet: I will remove from you a heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). What does the earth symbolize? It represents a fleshly mindset, often lacking in reason, contrasted with a firm and faithful spirit. Many may possess a sound mind by nature, yet few exhibit a faithful spirit, as the human intellect is of divine origin, but a faithful spirit relies on one's own choices.

Consequently, there are those who, when hearing about the glory of the saints and the joy of the heavenly kingdom, immediately respond with excitement, eagerly receiving the word of God since those wise by nature are quick to embrace it. However, do not be deceived by their joy; their delight is rooted in worldly matters and sin. If you are unprepared to sacrifice anything for God's cause, how will you withstand physical trials for His sake? If you are unwilling to part with your resources for charity, how will you bear the loss of all you own for the sake of faith? Therefore, you find yourself tested when faced with suffering or persecution for the word of God.

Thus, the Lord provided clarity through the parable of the sower and the varied soils. The sower cast the same seed, yet the type of soil varied, resulting in three-fourths of the seeds failing to thrive, while only one-fourth yielded fruit, and even that was not uniform. This parable reflects the impact of His message among both contemporary and future Jews. For some, like the Pharisees, it was entirely rejected; others showed initial interest but lacked perseverance. Many who embraced it initially did so without deep roots or full commitment, making them susceptible to the forthcoming persecution from their fellow countrymen, which would lead many to abandon the message of the kingdom. Meanwhile, for those not affected by persecution, life's concerns would stifle their adherence to God's word, preventing them from striving to cleanse their souls from worldly desires. This group includes many who are now turning from the masses towards Christ. Ultimately, a small number will uphold the word of the kingdom, albeit to varying degrees.

A rocky area signifies those with shallow faith who are eager to receive God’s word in favorable times but falter in adversity, losing their commitment and expressing discontent toward God. The thorns that choke the seed signify those preoccupied with worldly concerns; the distractions of life and the allure of wealth suppress the word of God in them.

Good soil symbolizes true believers who attentively and reverently listen to God’s word through prayer, and not only hear it but act upon it. The fruit represents the good deeds that arise from receiving God’s word. The mention of yields of a hundred, sixty, or thirty-fold implies that among those who genuinely believe and continuously engage with God’s word, some produce more good works than others.

Therefore, it is essential for us to introspect and discern which category our hearts fit into, seeking divine assistance so that the good seed may take deep root within us.

Texts related to the parable of the sower include: “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9), “Take heed therefore how you hear” (Luke 8:18), “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful” (Luke 10:41-42), “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22), “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples” (John 15:8), and “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).