The Parable of the Five Farmers - Part One

Once upon a time, there were five farmers who had bought a bag of seed together and planted their respective fields with the seed they got from the bag. The seed they had purchased had been represented as being pure and good, having been thoroughly tested and pronounced perfect. Each farmer had also agreed to plant only the seed they got from that one bag.

After their crops had been harvested, all five of the farmers came together to report their yields. The first farmers said that his seed produced sixty bushels of oats. The second, surprised by what the first had reported, noted that his seed had produced nothing but corn. The third was astonished and declared that something must be wrong, for his seed had resulted in a good crop of cotton. The amazement of the fourth and the fifth men was equally as great, for they had grown wheat and rice respectively.

Now, what do you think of these farmers? Each man claimed to know what he was doing, and that he was an expert at both planting and reaping.

Is there any way to explain this unusual situation?

THERE ARE FOUR POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS

The seed was not pure (that is, not all alike), notwithstanding the claim that had been made.

The field of each farmer had already been sown with other seed, which choked out the seed that came from the bag.

The farmers were mistaken about the names of their crops.

They really got their seed from some other source than the bag from which they all professed they'd planted.

THE PARABLE EXPLAINED

The farmers are the religious teachers of this day and age.

The fields are the places where they preach or teach.

The bag of seed which they claimed to have used jointly is the Word of God.

Their harvest represents the results of their teachings.

Brought to you by: The Spruce Pine church of Christ

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