“Parable of the Sower,” Friend, Oct. 1999, 13

Parable of the Sower

By Corliss Clayton

Jesus Christ sometimes taught using parables. Parables are short stories about everyday things that may be used to teach spiritual truths. On occasion, Jesus also gave the interpretation of a parable to His disciples. Read the parable of the sower, which is given in the correct order in column 1, match it with the appropriate picture in column 2, and with the correct scriptural interpretation in column c.

To play a matching game, remove this page from the magazine and glue it onto a piece of construction paper. Cut out the pieces along the lines. Turn all the pieces upside down. The first player turns over three pieces, trying to match the parable segment with the applicable picture and the interpretation. If the player matches all three, he/she keeps those pieces and gets another turn. If the cards don’t match, they are turned back over and it is the next player’s turn. The game ends when all the cards have been matched.

Column One	Column Two	Column Three
1. “And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, [Jesus] spake by a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:4–5).	A.	a. “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14).
2. “And as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it” (Luke 8:5).	B.	b. “They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Luke 8:13).
3. “And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture” (Luke 8:6).	C.	c. “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11).
4. “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it” (Luke 8:7).	D.	d. “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15).
5. “And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold” (Luke 8:8).	E.	e. “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12).

Answers:

Illustrated by Mark Robison