The Bible In Paintings: JESUS' "PARABLE OF THE SOWER"

[Hebrews 11:6]

The Bible In Paintings
~ Encouragement for Appreciating and Applying God's Word ~

JESUS' "PARABLE
OF THE SOWER"

֎ Featuring 32 Paintings, 1 Photograph and 5 Windows ֎

L U K E
CHAPTER 8*

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,
     ‘though seeing, they may not see;
      though hearing, they may not
      understand.’

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

1
JAMES TISSOT
"The Sower"

2
MIKE MOYERS
"The Sower"

3
THOMAS BERTRAM POOLE
"Parable of the Sower"

4
MIKI DE GOODABOOM
"Parable of the Sower"

5
GLENN BAUTISTA
"Parable of the Sower"

6
BRIAN WINGET
"Parable of the Sower"

7
MICHAEL CARTER
"The Seed and the Sower"

8
PIETER BRUEGEL the Elder
"Parable of the Sower"

9
ABEL GRIMER
"Parable of the Sower"

10
Source

11
Source

12
Source

13
Source

14
Source

15
Source

16
Source

17
MARTEN VAN VALCKENBORCH
"Parable of the Sower"

18
Source

19
Source

20
GEORGE SOPER
"The Sower"

21
Source

22
Source

23
Source

24
GERALD STEINMEYER
"The Parable of the Sower"

25
Source

26
CLIVE UPTTON
"The Sower of the Seed"

27
Source

28
Source

29
Source

30
Detail

31
Source

32

33
Source

34
Source

35
Source

36
Source

37
Source

→ a n d... f i n a l l y ←

38
JEAN-FRANÇOIS MILLET
"The Sower"


New International Version ©1984
*For parallel accounts, see MATTHEW 13 and MARK 4

[SisterK]

Good evening Dan
Lots of good art and impossible to pick a favorite

I love the parable of the sower.
It speaks to our work, planting seeds.
It also speaks about the four soil types. Thankfully we were CHOSEN to be fertile soil that we may host the Word in our hearts.

One of my favorite translations of a soil verse is from the original Living Bible (circa 1977)

Ephesians 3: 16 – 19
That out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit, and I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself.

When I read this translation, I visualize a small acorn that has grown into a mighty oak.

blessings to you
K

[Hebrews 11:6]

I gave myself to Jesus on October 7, 1977, a Friday. On Sunday the Holy Spirit told me to ask my boss for the week off to begin reading the Bible. I called him and explained, and being a Christian himself he gave me an immediate "Do it."

First thing on Monday I visited a Christian bookstore I had seen. I told my situation to the manager and he suggested that I buy a Living Bible for its easier reading.

I began devouring it, reading for many hours daily. I couldn't put it down! I set a goal of finishing the OT by Christmas, but I finished both testaments by Thanksgiving--seven weeks.

I've switched from that paraphrase to translations, and I've slowed down, but I've never stopped.

[InkStone]

“... a small acorn that has grown into a mighty oak.”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
SisterK, good post indeed; may we all grow in that way.

[InkStone]

Great Story Dan.

And almighty God, whose Spirit called you out, who walks among the stars, would give us His Word to guide us... remarkable and impossible to comprehend.

[SisterK]

I forgot about the Living Bible until I began letter writing for women’s prison ministry and needed the most simple translation. Some folks do not like this translation, but I love it.

I am ever so grateful for the man who translated the Living Bible because for a long time, King James was most available and many of us just cannot read the old English. I have worn out a few NKJ and now I am back to the paraphrased.

You had a very wise boss in 1977.

[Hebrews 11:6]

You had a very wise boss in 1977.

His boss is my mother in the faith. That's how God works.