Parables are simple stories illustrating a moral truth.

It was prophesied that Jesus would speak in parables (Psalm 78:2).

And with many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. (Mark 4:33).

In the following parable Jesus explained that when we tell others the good news about Him, it is like planting a seed. Some ground will receive a seed and a plant will grow, but in other ground the seed will no grow. Some people will receive the message and their lives will be changed. Others will refuse the message and remain the same. Jesus Christ uttered the following parables.

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and chocked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown, He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:3-9).

Then Jesus asked them, "Don't you undestand this parable?

How then will you understand any parable?

The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop -thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:13-20).

"This is the meaning of the parable (The Parable of the Sower), the seed is the Word of God." (Luke 8:11).