PARABLE

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

THE PRODIGAL SON
PARABLE
- A short prose allegorical
narrative which presents of
philosophical outlook in life.
- Parables are stories used as
illustrations to teach a deeper
meaning or truth that becomes
understandable to the audience.
THE PARABLE
OF THE SOWER
Background of the Author
● The Parable of the Sower is attributed
as one of the teachings of Jesus Christ
during the time He was alive.
● The Parable of the Sower, also known
as the Parable of the Soils, is found in
the New Testament of the Bible, in the
Gospels of Matthew (13: 1-23), Mark (4:
1-20), and Luke (8: 4-15).
Background of the Author
● In his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke
in parables to the crowds who
gathered to hear Him teach. The
Parable of the Sower is the first
time Jesus used parables as He
taught. This parable is one He
shared while He sat in a boat just
off the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
 PLOT
(SUMMARY)
The Parable of the Sower was told to the crowd
gathered around Jesus. Jesus tells the story of a Sower
who scattered seeds on four different soil types. The
first type of ground was hard, and the seed could not
sprout or grow at all and became snatched up
instantly. The second type of ground was stony. The
seed was able to plant and begin to grow. However, it
could not grow deep roots and withered in the sun.
The third type of ground was thorny, and although the
seed could plant and grow, it could not compete with
the number of thorns that overtook it. The fourth
ground was good soil that allowed the seed to plant
deep, grow strong, and produce fruit.
THEME OF
THE STORY
 The parable primarily addresses how
people receive and respond to God’s
word, symbolized by the seed. The
different types of soil represent various
human hearts and their openness to
spiritual teachings.

 Each type of soil encounter challenges

hindering its potential for growth. This
reflects the different obstacles people
face in their spiritual journey, from
distractions and lack of understanding to
persecution and internal doubts.
 The parable highlights the need for self-
awareness and nurturing one’s spiritual
life. Just as fertile soil requires care,
fostering a receptive heart for God’s
message requires individual effort and
cultivation.
 Despite the challenges, the parable
ultimately conveys a message of hope.
Even in seemingly infertile ground, the
possibility of growth exists. This inspires
perseverance and encourages seeking
deeper understanding for spiritual
flourishing.
CHARACTERS
1. Man – The man represents God.

2. Seed – represents His message.

Just as a planted seed starts to grow,
the word of God starts to deepen
and grow within a person.

3. Birds – The birds represent Satan.

Who continuously eats away our
faith to God.
4. The Soil
The Tampered soil – the seed on
the path represents people who
hear the message, but it is
immediately lost.
There are people who don’t live
a good Christian life because
they are focused on other things.
The Rocky soil – The seed on the rocky
ground represents people who respond
with initial enthusiasm, but the word
of God does not sink in deep. When
persecution or hard times (represented
by the sun) come along they give up at
once. People cannot commit to the
Christian lifestyle. They are initially
attracted but give up when the going
gets tough.
The soil with thorny bushes – The
thorn bushes choke the message of
God. It is heard, but people’s
concern for riches and their
worries about life cause the plants
to die. Some people are too
concerned with what others think
and they worry too much. They
may be jealous, angry or concerned
with materialism.
The Good soil – Good soil
represents people who hear
the message and live it in
their lives. Some people
have strong faith and
remain dedicated to a
Christian lifestyle, even
when things are difficult.
POINT OF
VIEW
Third-person
omniscient
ANALYSIS
The story emphasizes the diverse
ways people receive and respond to
God’s words. Some readily accept it,
while others struggle with
distractions, lack of understanding,
or persecution. It highlights the
importance of perseverance and
seeking deeper understanding.
The parable reminds
everyone to continually
cultivate our heart with
the words of God,
making our ears to
listen and a doer of His
word.
 THE PARABLE
OF THE
PRODIGAL SON
Background of the Author
●The Parable of the Prodigal Son is
also attributed as one of the
teachings of Jesus Christ during
the time He was alive.
●The Parable of the Prodigal Son is
also found in the New Testament,
specifically in the Gospel of
Luke, chapter 15, verse 11-32.
Background of the Author
●The Parable of the Prodigal Son
was preached by Jesus and
written by Luke in the Bible. He
said this is a symbolization to
show that God was never going
to leave any of us. Even if we
turn away from God, He is
always there waiting for us to
come back.
 PLOT
(SUMMARY)
A man had two sons. The younger son asked his
father to give him the money that his father has
promised him, and his father obliged. The
younger son then left home and went to live in a
‘far country’. He soon went through all of the
money his father had given him, through living
in a ‘riotous’ and careless manner. When all his
money had gone, a famine spread across the land,
and he found himself starving. To support
himself, he went and found work in the fields,
feeding the pigs. He was so hungry he would
gladly have eaten the food the pigs ate.
One day he realized that his father’s servants had
bread enough to eat, and yet he had none. So he
resolved to go home and beg for his father’s
forgiveness, and ask his father to take him in
under his roof as one of his hired servants. When
the son returned home, his father saw him in the
distance, and ran to him and kissed him. The son
said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in
thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy
son’ (King James Version: Luke 15:21). But his
father ordered his servants to fetch his best robe,
and put it on his son, and to put a ring on his
hand and shoes on his son’s feet.
He then ordered them to prepare a fatted calf
for their meal, so they can eat and celebrate
the prodigal son’s return, ‘For this my son was
dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is
found’ (15:24).While all this merriment was
going on indoors, the elder son was outside
working in the field. He could hear the music
and dancing and asked one of the servants
what was going on. When he discovered his
brother, who had run off, had returned, he
grew angry and refused to go in and greet
him.
His father came out and asked his son to come in and
join them. But the elder son was still annoyed. He
told his father that he had served him loyally and
obeyed him all these years, yet he has never had a
fatted calf, or a feast laid on for him and his friends
to enjoy themselves. Yet as soon as the prodigal
son returned, who had wasted his inheritance on
carousing with women, his father had killed the
fatted calf and, as it were, pulled out all the stops.
The father replies that he is glad to share
everything he owns with his son, but on this day
he had to rejoice and celebrate, because ‘this thy
brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost,
and is found’ (15:32).
THEME OF
THE STORY
It is a story of repentance and
redemption of a sinner.The
parable highlights the idea
that no matter how far
someone may stray from God,
they can always return to Him
and be welcomed with open
arms.
CHARACTERS
There are three characters in
this parable, the Prodigal
Son, the brother, and the
father. These three
characters represent the
stages of Christianity.
The first stage is The Prodigal son
who would be like the immature
believer. As an immature believer we
can be self seeking, demanding of
God the inheritance that he has for
us because we want it in the moment.
In this stage, we are mainly focused
on what will be beneficial for us and
how we can obtain it, overlooking
the ones around us.
There is also the brother who would be the
churched believer. The churched believer
is someone who has been in the church for
a length of time. As a churched believer,
we can become like the brother in the
parable, unappreciative, entitled, and
acting like grace needs to be earned. If we
ever get to the point of complaining about
someone else taking steps toward the
father or trying to compare, then we have
lost focus and the problem has become us.
Then there is the father in the parable,
the compassionate believer.
Compassionate believers know the
heart and will of God and act with
others in mind. These kinds of
believers are humble, give grace, and
fully receive people. They see who
they are, rather than what they have
done.
The compassionate believer celebrates
any movement toward the father, no
matter how big or small. Out of all the
characters in the parable, the father is
the one that we should look to learn
from and be like. The father in this
parable truly had the character of
Jesus, loving, compassionate, humble,
and full of grace. If we could learn to
love like that, not only would we bless
God’s children, we would bless God.
POINT OF
VIEW
Third-person
omniscient
ANALYSIS
 The parable the Prodigal Son is
primarily that of the loving father,
which represents God.
 It emphasizes that God’s
unconditional love and forgiveness,
even for those who stray far from him.
It highlights the joy of redemption and
the importance of recognizing one’s
own fallings and seeking
reconciliation.
The story of the Prodigal Son is a picture of
God’s love for us as His Children. God’s love
for us does not depend on our faithfulness; it
is unconditional. He loved us while we were
still sinners. Though we are demanding and
do not remain faithful, God is still our
faithful and loving Father. When we come to
repent our sins, He is willing to forgive us
and welcomes us with open arms.

“…I have loved you with an everlasting love;

therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
– Jeremiah 31:3
Thanks!
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