The Has and the Has Nots
Sometimes Jesus uses dirt to define us.
His parable about the sower who planted seeds under different growing conditions confirmed that His disciples shall be rewarded on the basis of productivity. But apparently, not everybody in the large crowds was actually listening.
Maybe that’s why He said, “He who has ears, let him hear!” when He’d finished speaking. [Matt. 13:1-9]
But why did He wait until the end to say this? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to preface His story with this announcement?
The text gives the reader some insight. Some people came up to talk to Him afterward. The author, Matthew, described them as disciples [μαθητής: (mâ-thāy-tāy’s) disciple, pupil, follower]. They asked Him why He spoke to “them” [the crowds] in a parable. His answer was very revealing:
“To you [all] it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” [vss. 10-12]
[ἔχω: (ê’-kō) transitive: have, hold, possess, keep, receive, get, regard, consider, think, can, be able]
Who answered the invitation to “hear” after the parable? His disciples. Not the crowds. That’s what made them disciples. What was Jesus “granting” them to know? The mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens—a part of which He went on to describe in more detail to them a few sentences later. [vss. 18-23]
Most importantly though, His disciples had something the crowds didn’t.
The Greek verb ἔχω had a very broad range of meanings. Though intransitive in form here, a direct object is nevertheless implied. As noted above, sometimes it defined an attitude which sought possession of something very valuable. It was often recorded having a strong semantical connection to belief.
There’s your object.
And the disciples weren’t about to let go of it.
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We se here that Jesus is speaking of those whom have been chosen to believe. The parable of the sower shows us that God is the one who makes things grow. His choosen will believe and He will make our faith grow.