Matthew 13:4
Wednesday, 10 September 2025
And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Matthew 13:4
“And in his sowing, some, indeed, it fell near the road, and it came, the birds, and it devoured them” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus began His first parable concerning sowing seed while sitting in the boat. Continuing that parable now, He says, “And in his sowing, some, indeed, it fell near the road.”
The word hodos signifies a road of any kind. It can be a highway, a traveling route, a path, etc. It is also used to signify one’s journey at times, with the road being stated as the trip itself. It is also used to speak of a person’s conduct. We do the same thing when we say something like, “This is not a good path you are on.”
In this case, it refers to either a main road which passes through fields to the right and left, or it could refer to foot paths that are between fields on the sides of a main road, providing access to the various fields in a district.
Either way, as the farmer goes out, he reaches into his bag, pulls out a handful of seed, and casts it towards the furrows that were plowed for the next planting. Without a precise aim for each kernel, some of them will miss their intended target.
Of the grain that misses, some of it will fall near the road or path. Because it is in the open, Jesus continues, saying, “and it came, the birds, and it devoured them.”
Some texts amend the first verb to a plural reading. Unless both verbs are plural, that change makes no sense. Rather, the singular verbs mixed with the plural “birds” is probably referring to a flock, speaking both of the individuals and them collectively.
Regardless of this, the point is that the seed lay exposed on a flat, trodden area. It was clearly visible to the birds as they passed by and easy to pick up and devour. This word, katesthió, to devour, is new. The word kata intensifies esthíō, to eat. As such, the birds hungrily devour the seed, it being easy prey.
As Jesus will explain this parable to the disciples, an analysis of His explanation will come at that time.
Life application: Without getting to Jesus’ explanation, we can still think about what may be presented there from a general standpoint. What is it about separation in an open area that makes things an easy target?
One of them is that there is little effort needed to identify or lay hold of something like that. If you have a mob of people beating someone up, there is so much commotion that the eyes won’t focus on any single person. But if one of the people smacking the poor fellow gets tired and takes a break to watch others beat him up, he may step outside of the crowd.
With his hands all bloodied from the pounding, he obviously participated in the pummeling. And yet, he is now in an open and exposed place, standing motionless. The girlfriend of the guy getting wailed on has a chance to look at him, remember what he looks like, and file that away for later identification.
This simple example extends to anything that is alone, motionless, and exposed. A shovel full of dirt may have diamonds in it, but they are not exposed. That same shovel full of dirt might be put into an agitator to help separate the contents, but as long as it remains in motion, only glimpses of any diamonds will be seen. When the diamonds pass into a trough carrying only diamonds, a single diamond will not be discernible from the others.
All three of these traits need to be available for a diamond to be easily identifiable. Once it is alone, not in motion, and exposed, the quality of the diamond will be easier to determine. This is why filling a job requires checking out each candidate individually.
Think about Jesus’ approach to identifying the state of the seed He describes in this example. If you are alone, idle, and exposed, you are an easy target for a foe. Think of fish balls in the ocean. They cluster when a predatory fish is around, swirling as one in a ball. The same is true with swallows in the air, forming what is known as a murmuration. Be sure to check fish balls and murmurations out on YouTube. They are amazing to see.
But why do they do this? It is because the predators are far less likely to catch prey in such a commotion. Now, think about how you can protect yourself in a spiritual manner based on this simple principle.
“Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Glorious God, give us wisdom to keep safe from the enemy that is working against us. Help us to be on the lookout, prepared for his attacks, and capable of overcoming them when he does. Your word tells us how to do these things. So give us the wisdom to pick it up and read it. Amen.
