Lesson 17: The Parables of the Sower and the Wheat and Tares

Primary 7: New Testament, (1997), 57–59

Purpose

To help each child understand and apply the spiritual messages in two of the parables Jesus told.

https://discoveringsundayschool.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/parable-of-the-sower/

Short cartoon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9IOhGPrRvY Parable of the Sower
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng#watch=video
My message concerns those of us who have committed to be followers of Christ. What do we do with the Savior’s teachings as we live our lives?

http://www.sermons4kids.com/parable_of_the_sower_wordsearch.htm
Bookmarks: http://www.churchhousecollection.com/resources/The%20Parable%20of%20The%20Sower%20Bookmark%202.jpg

I. Stony Ground, No Root

If we are not rooted in the teachings of the gospel and regular in its practices, any one of us can develop a stony heart, which is stony ground for spiritual seeds.

Spiritual food is necessary for spiritual survival, . . . .

we must increase our exposure to spiritual truth in order to strengthen our faith and stay rooted in the gospel.

Young people, if that teaching seems too general, here is a specific example. If the emblems of the sacrament are being passed and you are texting or whispering or playing video games or doing anything else to deny yourself essential spiritual food, you are severing your spiritual roots and moving yourself toward stony ground. You are making yourself vulnerable to withering away when you encounter tribulation like isolation,intimidation, or ridicule. And that applies to adults also.

II. Thorns: The Cares of This World and the Deceitfulness of Riches

(Mark 4:18–19)

We surrender to the “pleasures of this life” (1) when we are addicted, which impairs God’s precious gift of agency; (2) when we are beguiled by trivial distractions, which draw us away from things of eternal importance; and(3) when we have an entitlement mentality, which impairs the personal growth necessary to qualify us for our eternal destiny.

“I want to stress again the importance of really living what we claim to believe.

That needs to be a priority—not just in our personal and family lives but in our churches, our political choices, our business dealings, our treatment of the poor; in other words, in everything we do.”

III. Fell into Good Ground and Brought Forth Fruit

We achieve this conversion by praying, by scripture reading, by serving, and by

regularly partaking of the sacrament to always have His Spirit to be with us. We must also seek that mighty change of heart (see Alma 5:12–14) that replaces evil desires and selfish concerns with the love of God and the

desire to serve Him and His children.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-01-027-jesus-declares-the-parable-of-the-wheat-tares-mustard-seed-and-leaven?lang=eng

Elder Maxwell: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/04/behold-the-enemy-is-combined-d-c-38-12?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-81-89/section-86-the-parable-of-the-wheat-and-the-tares?lang=eng
Elder Maxwell: Today, lust openly parades as love, license cleverly poses as liberty, and raucous sounds mockingly masquerade as music. Evil even calls itself good and often gets away with it!

While I would not shrink the circumference of freedom, the size of that circle is not the sole measure of social well-being.

https://www.lds.org/liahona/1995/05/the-wheat-and-the-tares?lang=eng&query=wheat+and+tares

Preparation

1. Prayerfully study Matthew 13:1–9, 18–30, 37–43; Mark 4:14–20; Luke 8:11–15; and Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7. Then study the lesson and decide how you want to teach the children the scripture account. (See “Preparing Your Lessons,”p. vi, and “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.)

2. Additional reading: Mark 4:1–9, Luke 8:4–8, and Doctrine and Covenants 101:65–66.

3. Select the discussion questions and enrichment activities that will involve the children and best help them achieve the purpose of the lesson.

4. Materials needed:

a. A Bible or a New Testament for each child.

b. A paper for each child with the “Hidden Message Puzzle” on it or a large puzzle for the class to do together.

1. Hidden Message Puzzle
  (click to view larger)

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Give the children the papers you have prepared or display the large puzzle and ask them to find the message that is hidden among the numbers.

Explain that when Jesus taught the people, he sometimes taught in parables, which are short stories that have hidden spiritual messages.

Scripture Accounts and Discussion and Application Questions

Teach the children the parable of the sower (a person who plants seeds) and the parable of the wheat and tares. (For suggested ways to teach the scripture accounts, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Explain that when Jesus taught in parables, he used things that were familiar to the people to teach spiritual messages. As you discuss these parables, have the children listen for the hidden spiritual messages.

The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23; Mark 4:14–20; Luke 8:11–15
Matthew 13
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

18 ¶Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, andunderstandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for whentribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareththe word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

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Mark 4: 14 ¶The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

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Luke 8: 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

12 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.

13 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.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches andpleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

15 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.

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•
In the parable of the sower, what did Jesus talk about that was familiar to the people? (Matthew 13:3–8.)
•
Read Matthew 13:18–23, Mark 4:14–20, and Luke 8:11–15with the class. What do you think the seed is? What do the fowls (birds) that eat the seed represent? What is the rocky ground? What are the thorns? What is the good ground? What are the roots? What are the cares of the world?
•
How do we learn the word of God?
•
How should we receive the word of God? What kind of “ground” should we be? (Matthew 13:23.)
•
What hidden spiritual message is in the parable of the sower?

2.
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24–30)

24 ¶Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdomof heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

•What familiar things did Jesus talk about in the parable of the wheat and tares?
• Who do you think the sower is in this parable? What does the wheat represent? Who comes in at night and sows the tares? What are the tares? What does the harvest represent? Read Matthew 13:37–43 and Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7with the children and ask these questions again.
• Which do you want to be, the wheat or the tares? Why?
• What is the hidden spiritual message in this parable?

36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seedis the Son of man;

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailingand gnashing of teeth.

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Enrichment Activities

You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge.

1. Make a chart similar to the following one to help the children understand the meaning of the two parables, or write the information on the chalkboard as you discuss the parables. Once you have listed all the information, refer to it again for review. You might have the children make their own copies of these charts.

Parable of the Sower

Seeds	Gospel of Jesus Christ or the word of God
Soil	Hearts of those who hear the word
By the way side	Do not understand
Upon stony places	Hear but have no root; become offended easily
Among thorns	Choked by worldly cares and riches
Into good ground	Hear and understand
Fowls	Satan
Fruit	Good works

Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

Sower	Jesus Christ and his Apostles
Good seed (wheat)	Followers of Jesus
Field	World
Enemy	Satan
Tares (weeds)	Followers of Satan
Reapers	Angels
Harvest	Jesus’ second coming

2. Bring a seed of some type (fruit, vegetable, rice, wheat, bean). Discuss what it takes for a seed to grow and bring forth good fruit. Ask the children what would happen to the seeds if they were planted by the roadside, on stony places, or among thorns. Compare this to planting the word of God in our hearts. Let the children discuss what kind of heart each type of soil represents and what it takes for the gospel to grow and bring forth good fruit in our lives.
3. Write the words ears, eyes, and heart on the chalkboard.

• What do you do with your ears? eyes? heart? Have the children read Matthew 13:15.
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
What did Jesus say we should do with these parts of our bodies? Apply this verse to the parables and to the gospel. If we really hear the word of God, see the truth in it, and do what Jesus wants us to do, whom will we be like in these parables?

Matthew 13:15

4. Have the children trace, color, or underline the letters in their hidden message puzzles or in the large puzzle so the words stand out. Ask the children to each name one thing they learned from these two parables.
5. Read with the children some of the other parables found in Matthew 13 and help them decide what they mean. For help in understanding these parables, see James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, chapter 19, or “Parables” in the Bible Dictionary in the LDS edition of the Bible.

31 ¶Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 ¶Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

44 ¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 ¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and soldall that he had, and bought it.

47 ¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which isinstructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Conclusion

Testimony

Testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that if we learn his words and keep the commandments, we can become like Heavenly Father and be able to live with him again.

Primary New Testament

Pages

Sunday, April 19, 2015