A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, The Parable of the Sower

I think a children’s sermon on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, the famous “parable of the sower” is a ton of fun. The image of God as this farmer… well I’ll show you what I mean in a minute.

(You can find my regular Monday Meditation on this passage here.)

For kids, the story’s the thing, more than the fairly specific and minute explanation that follows. Jesus left most of his parables unexplained — and really that is one of the lovely things about them. 

With a didactic point-by-point explanation, the stories actually become less evocative, less inviting to the imagination. (Not to mention the fact that little kids have developmental limits on their ability to understand metaphor.)

An unusual parable

In this case, the rare case where Jesus gives that explanation, it is important to notice that there are two specific contexts. 

• There is the actual telling of the story, which happened with a large crowd of listeners.
• Then there is the later explanation, in private, with just the disciples.

So I think telling the kids just the parable itself, and giving the storyteller in me a bit of leeway, is just fine. The explanation in the later scene is more like a Bible study after the fact.

I want the kids to hear the story, see and feel their way into it, and then let it bounce around inside themselves as they wonder about it.

The danger, of course, is people are not adept at metaphorical thinking when they are small. Chances are, complicated metaphors like those in the parable may be beyond a child’s understanding.

I wonder how we’ll get around that?

Here you go with my attempt: A children’s sermon on Matthew 13:1-9 18-23

Feel free to use this children’s sermon in your worship service, or as a bedtime story with your own children. If you do, please drop me an email to let me know how it goes!

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Jesus loved to tell his friends stories. I think his friends must have loved to hear his stories. Stories let us see things in our minds. And stories help us feel and think and wonder.

One of Jesus’ most famous stories went something like this:

The Parable of the Sower

Once upon a time there was a farmer. The farmer thought “Hey! If I’m going to gather a good harvest this year I’d better plant some seeds!”

So the farmer found a big burlap bag and filled it with seeds. He hung it around is shoulder. Then he went out all over the farm taking big handfuls of seeds and throwing them in the air.

“There you go, little seeds! Grow where you’re planted!” he said as he threw them. (The farmer liked to talk to his seeds and his plants.)

The farmer walked along the road toward the field, throwing seeds all along the way.

About then, Peter interrupted: “Um, Lord, that can’t be right. If the farmer threw the seeds before getting to the field they would be wasted.”

Jesus said: “I wonder. Let me tell you what happened.“

Seeds on the road

A lot of seeds did fall on the road. Of course they couldn’t put down roots. But a flock of little birds saw what was happening and the swooped down right away. They were so happy! Those birds ate up all the seeds.

Peter said, “But Lord, doesn’t the farmer want to grow a crop with those seeds?”

Jesus said: “I wonder. Let me tell you what happened next.”

Seeds in the rocks

The farmer stepped off the road where the soil was very rocky, and he kept throwing handfuls of seed. “Grow where you are planted, little seeds!”

Peter couldn’t keep himself still: “But Lord, how can the seeds grow in soil full of rocks?”

Jesus said: “I wonder. Let me tell you what happened next.”

It was rocky beside the road, but there was some soil there. So when the rains came the seeds began to grow, bursting with life. But since there were so many rocks the seeds couldn’t make deep roots, and the sun dried them up.

Peter said: “That’s so sad! All those plants died. All that seed was wasted.”

Jesus said, “I wonder.”

Peter said, “Is that the end of the story? Didn’t any of the seeds grow?”

Jesus said, “No Peter. That’s not the end. There’s more.”

Seeds among the bushes

As the farmer kept walking he passed beyond the road to where the field was marked off by a row of thorn bushes. He threw handfuls of seed that landed right in the bushes. “Grow where you are planted, little seeds!”

Peter butted in again: “How can the seeds grow when there are already thorn bushes there?”

Jesus said, “I wonder. Let me tell you want happened next.“

When the rain came, the seeds under the bushes were bursting with life and they put down roots. But the thorn bushes kept them in the shade, and the thorn bushes’ roots took most of the rain water from the soil. So the farmer’s seeds couldn’t grow.

Peter said, “I told you! What a waste.”

Jesus said, “I wonder.”

Seeds in the good soil

Well, then the farmer stepped into his field. He had already plowed the field. He had taken out the rocks. He had taken out the weeds. Lots and lots of seed fell in the good rich earth. 

“Grow where you are planted little seeds!” said the farmer. 

And they did. The rains came, and the sun shone, and they grew.

• One of the seeds made thirty more seeds when it grew up.
• One of the seeds made sixty more seeds when it grew up.
• One of the seeds made a hundred more seeds when it grew up.
• And the farmer planted thousands and thousands of seeds in the field!

But Peter was still wondering. “Lord, but what about all the seeds that were wasted?”

Jesus pulled Peter aside and he said, “Peter, my friend, let me tell you a secret. This is a story about me. I’m the farmer. I plant seeds when I tell people about the kingdom of heaven. 

“I have lots and lots of seeds. I plant my seeds everywhere. I give them to every kind of people — whether they have room to grow them or not. The seed is mine and love to give it away. 

“And I don’t think it is ever wasted.”

Wondering

• I wonder if some of the farmer’s seeds will land in your life and my life?
• I wonder if you and I have soil ready for the seeds to grow in?
• I wonder what the rocks and thorn bushes are that might keep the seeds from growing?
• I wonder if there are things you and I can do to make our lives like the farmer’s healthy field?

++++++++++++

If you like this children’s sermon, please do me a favor and share it, using the social media buttons below!