Mat 13:18-23 | Family | STEP | The parable ; understand the meaning of it. It represents four classes of hearers: the thoughtless, the fickle, the worldly, and the truly pious.

Matthew 13:18-23

The parable; understand the meaning of it. It represents four classes of hearers: the thoughtless, the fickle, the worldly, and the truly pious. The word of the kingdom; the truths of the gospel.

Understandeth if not; because he does not properly attend to it. This represents thoughtless, careless, and stupid hearers. Anon; immediately; and as we are elsewhere taught, without either understanding or counting the cost of Christ's service. Compare Lu 14:25-33. Root in himself; true Christian principle.

Offended; discouraged, loses the interest which he once felt in the gospel, and turns back. This represents the fickle: persons of quick feelings, easily excited, and who for a time appear to be much engaged. But they are unstable, easily turned aside by difficulties, and so give up, and become more hardened than before. Unfruitful; destitute of good works. He does not live a life of piety towards God, and of beneficence towards men. This represents the worldly-minded man, who is so occupied with the things of time, that he has no heart to attend to the salvation of his soul, or the souls of his fellow-men. Beareth fruit; he receives the truth into the heart, and acts under its abiding influence. This represents the pious, the friends of God and men. They are all useful, but some more so than others. These truths, as to the various effects of the gospel, it was important that his disciples, who were to be preachers of it, should understand. They desired to understand them, and to them the understanding of them was given; while to his opposers, who did not wish to understand them, it was not given.