Matthew 13:2, commentary and pictures

A great eager multitude of men, women, and children gathered to Him by the Sea of Galilee and pressed so close around Him that there was no room to receive them. He stepped into Peter's waiting fisherman's boat, had it put out a little way offshore, and sat in it while the whole multitude stood on the shore, giving Him full view and hearing of the people and freeing Him from the press of the crowd. From that open-air place, with the lake, hills, fields, boats, and sowers in view to make His lessons vivid, He preached salvation in the parable of the sower, sowing the truths of God's grace in precious words preserved by His disciples for believers in every age. The instruction is a warning to be read carefully as for life and heeded, calling everyone to be as good ground bringing forth fruit, with God's grace softening the heart and Christ cooperating with all who cooperate with Him to form characters without fault to stand acquitted before the judgment seat of Christ.

Gathering by the Sea

A great eager multitude of men, women, and children gathered to Him by the Sea of Galilee and pressed so close around Him that there was no room to receive them. He stepped into a waiting fisherman's boat, Peter's boat, and after asking Peter to put it out had it moved a little way offshore. Seated in the boat in its rocking seat, He taught while the whole multitude stood and sat on the shore.

The boat near shore gave Him full view and hearing of the people, gave them a better chance to see and hear, and freed Him from the press of the crowd. He taught the gathered multitude in the open air from an elevated place by the water, patiently and despite weariness, hunger, and a long tiring day. Though Son of God, He chose a fisherman's boat rather than a position on David's throne, and He taught disciples outdoors where they could observe nature and then practice what they learned by working with Him.

The lake, low hills and mountains, fields, boats, sowers, and other features of the surrounding countryside were in view from the boat with the shore before Him. Those objects of the lake, the restless water, the mountains, fields, and landscape around Him He used to make His lessons vivid and memorable.

Parables and Their Application

This setting by the sea is the setting for His preaching of salvation in the parable of the sower, taught from the boat with the shore and surrounding countryside in view and with the natural scene made to render the lessons memorable. The teaching of that parable is itself seed sowing the truths of God's grace. There He gave the multitude precious words they very much needed. His teaching drew astonished listeners, and those lessons were preserved and shared by His disciples for the world. They stand as instruction for believers in every age and as essential principles of true education.

The instruction of the chapter is a warning to be read carefully and to be heeded. It is to be read as for life, with heed taken to self, letting no human sophistries or mocking of sacred things blind the mind. The teaching calls everyone to be in a position to understand the words of Jesus Christ so as to be like good ground bringing forth fruit. The stony-ground hearers show hearts where the word is not received deeply or made fruitful, the unsoftened heart resisting the engrafted word. Without God's grace softening the unsoftened heart no person can enter heaven.

In this teaching He contemplates the future destiny of the beings for whom He gave His life. Those who are saved must form characters without fault, without spot or stain, in the sight of a pure and holy God, that they may stand acquitted before the judgment seat of Christ. God has given to every man his work. Christ will cooperate with everyone who will cooperate with Him by wearing His yoke, learning His meekness and lowliness, and learning daily the meaning of the divine beatitudes.